B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100
B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100
B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 arrives on February 6, 2026, as a major new tribute album led by Joe Bonamassa, created to honor what would have been B.B. King’s 100th birthday. Designed as both a love letter and a history lesson, the project gathers a generational who’s who of blues, rock, and soul around the music of the King of the Blues.
A Centennial Tribute
Conceived with the blessing and involvement of the B.B. King estate and The B.B. King Music Company, Blues Summit 100 takes its name and spirit from King’s own Grammy‑winning 1993 collaboration album Blues Summit. Bonamassa and co‑producer Josh Smith set out to build an expansive centennial celebration rather than a single‑artist covers record, shaping the songs around each guest’s connection to King.
32 Tracks, 30‑Plus Guests
The finished release is a 32‑track double album (and triple‑LP on vinyl) featuring an all‑star roster that includes Eric Clapton, Slash, Buddy Guy, Gary Clark Jr., Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Michael McDonald, George Benson, Aloe Blacc, Keb’ Mo’, Marcus King, Shemekia Copeland, Paul Rodgers, Larkin Poe, and many more. Classic King staples like Paying the Cost to Be the Boss, Every Day I Have the Blues, Chains and Things, To Know You Is to Love You, Night Life, and Let the Good Times Roll are reimagined in ways that balance reverence with each artist’s own voice.
How The Project Rolled Out
Blues Summit 100 has been unfolding in monthly digital “volumes,” with batches of tracks released through 2025 leading up to the full album drop on February 6, 2026, via KTBA Records. Listeners can pre‑save or pre‑order the complete set now in digital, double‑CD, and triple‑vinyl formats, with Bonamassa’s own store and major platforms highlighting it as a flagship blues release.
Keeping The Blues Alive
Bonamassa has described King as “the sun which all planets rotated around” in the blues universe and says the album is his answer to B.B.’s oft‑repeated challenge: “Do what you can to keep the blues alive.” By pairing veteran legends with rising players on King’s catalog, Blues Summit 100 aims to introduce new listeners to the power of his songs while reminding longtime fans just how deep his influence runs.
Why It Matters In 2026
For newspaper readers, B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 is more than a tribute—it’s a snapshot of the modern blues landscape coming together around one towering legacy. As the centennial celebrations fade, this February 6 release is poised to stand as the definitive recorded salute to B.B. King’s first hundred years and a vibrant argument that, in Bonamassa’s words, “the thrill is not gone” at all.
Track Listings
Disc: 1
| 1 | Paying the Cost to Be the Boss (FT. Christone “Kingfish” Ingram) |
| 2 | Don’t Answer the Door (FT. Marcus King) |
| 3 | To Know You Is to Love You (FT. Michael McDonald, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks) |
| 4 | Let the Good Times Roll (FT. Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Noah Hunt) |
| 5 | Sweet Little Angel (FT. Buddy Guy) |
| 6 | When It All Comes Down (I’ll Still Be Around) (FT. Larry McCray) |
| 7 | When Love Comes to Town (FT. Slash, Shemekia Copeland, Myles Kennedy) |
| 8 | The Thrill Is Gone |
| 9 | Watch Yourself (FT. Jimmie Vaughan) |
| 10 | Why I Sing the Blues (FT. Bobby Rush) |
| 11 | Sweet Sixteen (FT. Jimmy Hall, Larry Carlton) |
| 12 | Don’t You Want a Man Like Me (FT. Larkin Poe) |
| 13 | I’ll Survive (FT. Keb’ Mo’) |
| 14 | Heartbreaker (FT. Trombone Shorty, Eric Gales) |
| 15 | There Must Be a Better World Somewhere (FT. George Benson) |
| 16 | Chains and Things (FT. Gary Clark Jr.) |
Disc: 2
| 1 | How Blue Can You Get (FT. Warren Haynes) |
| 2 | You Upset Me Baby (FT. Chris Cain) |
| 3 | Ghetto Woman (FT. Ivan Neville) |
| 4 | Night Life (FT. Paul Rodgers) |
| 5 | Ain’t Nobody Home (FT. Jade MacRae, Robben Ford) |
| 6 | Bad Case of Love (FT. Joanne Shaw Taylor) |
| 7 | Never Make a Move Too Soon (FT. Dion) |
| 8 | Three O’Clock Blues (FT. Marc Broussard) |
| 9 | Think It Over (FT. Train, Chris Buck) |
| 10 | It’s My Own Fault (FT. Kim Wilson) |
| 11 | Every Day I Have the Blues (FT. D.K. Harrell) |
| 12 | Please Accept My Love (FT. John Németh) |
| 13 | So Excited (FT. Aloe Blacc) |
| 14 | When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer (FT. Dannielle de Andrea) |
| 15 | Playin’ with My Friends |
| 16 | Better Not Look Down (FT. Kirk Fletcher) |
