Rock N Roll Universe has issued an interview with hard rocking blues guitarist JOE BONAMASSA, in which he discusses his new album, Sloe Gin, working with producer Kevin Shirley (LED ZEPPELIN, AEROSMITH, DREAM THEATER) as well as appearing with TED NUGENT on VH1's Supergroup'reality series. During the interview, Bonamassa also discussed recording at the BBC in 2006, appearing with drummer Carmine Appice as well as being named Guitar Player Magazine's 2007 Blues Guitarist Of The Year in the reader's poll.

The following is an excerpt from the interview, conducted by Nightwatcher:

Q: Also speaking of players, you got together last year with Ted Nugent at The Sand Dollar Blues in Las Vegas for an impromptu jam, a portion of which was shown on VH1's Supergroup. What was it like playing with Ted, and what effect did your appearance on that show have on your public profile?

A: "I'll tell you what, it goes to show you that a little TV goes a long way. Because I literally was on that thing for what, fifteen, thirty seconds maybe? And everybody goes, 'Were you on that Supergroup show?' 'Yes, I was.' I love Ted Nugent. He's a great guy, and he loves guitars. He's been a great friend to me, and has said some wonderful things about me. I really respect the man and what he's been able to accomplish. As a showman, an icon of rock, Ted Nugent's "Ted Nugent". You just say the name and everybody knows what he's about. It was a strange thing, because reality shows, the way it was perceived was like, 'Joe just happened to be at The Sand Dollar, jamming in front of the crowd, then Ted just happened to walk in.' We actually were all sitting out in production trailers, we were filming a show. It was a cool thing, because nobody knew who was showing up there, they just said, 'Two famous people are coming.' Now, there's a different level between how famous I am, and how famous Ted Nugent is. When I went up, playing guitar, they were like, 'Who the hell is this guy?' (Laughs) Then when Ted Nugent walked in, he goes from being Ted Nugent, the guy I know and have hung out with, to being Ted Nugent the showman. There's no better guy whom I've seen work a room. He walks in and he's a rock star. People just love him. We jammed for like twenty minutes, and I got to play the Byrdland, which was a thrill for me. I guess he doesn't let everybody play it. He said, 'Would you like to touch the Byrdland?' (Laughs) It was just a fun experience, then we went to the airport. We actually played a show in Vegas the night before, and I stayed over an extra day. Then I bolted to the airport, and that was it."

Q: Ted is, to say the least, very outspoken. Did he give you any advice?

A: "His advice to me was, 'Just keep doing what you're doing. You're doing great. People are taking notice of you.' That was pretty much it. Ted's always been nice to me. I've opened up for him several times. He's an icon, going back to his first albums with The Amboy Dukes and the single 'Journey To The Center Of The Mind'. If you watch a Ted Nugent show, you'll get a supreme lesson in how to control an audience. If you want to know how to get 5,000 - 10,000 people in the palm of your hand within a minute of walking onstage, watch a Ted Nugent gig. He's a master at it. Ted doesn't really get his due as a guitarist due to his persona and personality. His showmanship kind of outdoes that. I think that gets more attention. If you sit down and talk with him, he's actually a very knowledgable guitar player. Very into blues, very into music, very into a lot of things."

Read the full interview at Rock N Roll Universe.