Hello! Another late-to-the-party guy checking-in...

Hello... I've been a JB fan for a couple of years now, thanks to his BCC stuff and then especially when I saw the Vienna Opera House performance on Palladia.

I was in "acoustic mode" at the time and had quit gigging rock, metal and country to focus on recording/gigging my own solo acoustic stuff for a couple of years. I had never really been exposed to much of Joe's music/playing and kind of figured him to be a "poor man's Gary Moore" or something. His amazing command of the acoustic, great voice, songwriting, and the professional sheen of the Vienna show won me over and I was hooked. Went right out and bought the DVD, as well as everything by BCC that was out at the time. I soon caught his Beacon Theater performance (also on Palladia) and was REALLY hooked after that. Specifically "Blue and Evil" and "Mountain Time" (probably my favorite JB songs). I elevated my opinion of Joe to "Gary Moore's fire and soul, with Eric Johnson's fluidity... but with all his own thing going and the sky's the limit for the future". I've since added "hardest working guy in showbiz" to my thoughts!

Hopefully my thoughts there don't offend or turn anyone off. I'm very happy to be a JB convert. I remember years ago there being some petty, jealous slagging of him on a guitar forum or two and I was put-off by it all. Had never really looked into him at that point, but just knew that the anonymous posters slagging him likely possessed not even a fraction of his talent and drive.  (Usually is the case on internet forums.)

Anyways... I've been playing, teaching, recording, and gigging most styles for the past 30 years. Have gone from playing classical standards at weddings, to playing my own new-flamenco numbers at coffee houses, to playing country/rock/metal for crowds of hundreds (and even a few thousand at some of the bigger outdoor gigs). I like guitarists who have technique, versatility, and passion. I see all of that in Joe's playing and the fact that everything I've read of/by/about him over the past several years shows him to be a real, regular person and a class act only makes me think more highly of him. It's good to see that the line of "guitar royalty" hasn't died with the guitar heros of yesteryear.

Btw... "stumbled" into this forum because I was researching the Ceriatone JTM45 clone and one of the discussion links brought me here. I already have a Ceriatone 36 RP and LOVE it. Plan to add several of these babies to the stable in the future.