Joe Bonamassa has unveiled a landmark tribute to B.B. King on what would have been the late blues legend’s 100th birthday. B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 will be released through Bonamassa’s KTBA Records, with the full album set to arrive on 6 February 2026.
The project, co-produced by Bonamassa and guitarist Josh Smith, is a massive celebration of King’s legacy, with 32 tracks released gradually across the next five months before landing as a double CD and triple vinyl set.
The first five tracks are already streaming, including collaborations with Bobby Rush (Why I Sing The Blues), Michael McDonald, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks (To Know You Is To Love You), George Benson (There Must Be A Better World Somewhere), Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Noah Hunt (Let The Good Times Roll), and D.K. Harrell (Every Day I Have The Blues).
“Very few people in music define the genre in which they flourish, and B.B. King is one of them,” Bonamassa said. “When B.B. was alive and active, he was the blues – he was the sun which all planets rotated around. Only a few artists are the true north guiding the genre in which they participated, but he was that shining star.”
The project has been nine months in the making and features a who’s who of blues and rock: Buddy Guy, Keb’ Mo’, Slash, Shemekia Copeland, Marcus King, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Larkin Poe, Jimmie Vaughan, Warren Haynes, Dion, Aloe Blacc and many more.
Bonamassa first met King when he was just 12 years old, opening for the “King of the Blues”. He credits B.B. with shaping not only his approach to the guitar, but also his approach to life. “He mentored me,” he said. “But I wasn’t the only one. Everyone in his orbit has the same story about how kind he was and how he embraced the younger generation.”
The album’s title nods to King’s Grammy-winning 1993 release Blues Summit, which also paired him with friends and collaborators. This new collection, however, digs deeper into King’s catalogue, offering reinterpretations that pay tribute while allowing each guest to bring their own sound and feel.
Highlights include Buddy Guy revisiting Sweet Little Angel, Slash and Shemekia Copeland teaming with Myles Kennedy on When Love Comes To Town, Keb’ Mo’ tackling I’ll Survive, and George Benson lending his unmistakable touch to There Must Be A Better World Somewhere.
Tracks will continue to roll out monthly until February, when B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 arrives in full.
B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 – Full Tracklist
Disc 1
Paying The Cost To Be The Boss feat. Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Don’t Answer The Door feat. Marcus King
To Know You Is To Love You feat. Michael McDonald, Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks
Let The Good Times Roll feat. Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Noah Hunt
Sweet Little Angel feat. Buddy Guy
When It All Comes Down (I’ll Still Be Around) feat. Larry McCray
When Love Comes To Town feat. Slash, Shemekia Copeland & Myles Kennedy
The Thrill Is Gone special guests TBA
Watch Yourself feat. Jimmie Vaughan
Why I Sing The Blues feat. Bobby Rush
Sweet Sixteen feat. Jimmy Hall & Larry Carlton
Don’t You Want A Man Like Me feat. Larkin Poe
I’ll Survive feat. Keb’ Mo’
Heartbreaker feat. Trombone Shorty & Eric Gales
There Must Be A Better World Somewhere feat. George Benson
Chains And Things feat. Gary Clark Jr.
Disc 2
How Blue Can You Get feat. Warren Haynes
You Upset Me Baby feat. Chris Cain
Ghetto Woman feat. Ivan Neville
Night Life feat. Paul Rodgers
Ain’t Nobody Home feat. Jade MacRae & Robben Ford
Bad Case Of Love feat. Joanne Shaw Taylor
Never Make A Move Too Soon feat. Dion
Three O’Clock Blues feat. Marc Broussard
Think It Over feat. Train & Chris Buck
It’s My Own Fault feat. Kim Wilson
Every Day I Have The Blues feat. D.K. Harrell
Please Accept My Love feat. John Nemeth
So Excited feat. Aloe Blacc
When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer feat. Dannielle De Andrea
Playin’ With My Friends
Better Not Look Down feat. Kirk Fletcher
B.B. King passed away in 2015 at the age of 89, leaving behind more than 50 albums, 15 Grammy Awards and a legacy that touched every corner of the music world. As Buddy Guy once put it, “Every electric guitarist you listen to, there’s a little bit of B.B. in there.”
The first five tracks from B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 are available now on all streaming platforms. The full album lands 6 February 2026.
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