Black Country Communion

Black Country Communion -- who are neither black nor country, and may or may not regularly receive the Eucharist -- are four guys (two Brits, two Americans) whom you've probably heard of if you spend a lot of time in Guitar Center, which is where the core of this band first got together: drummer Jason Bonham (son of John and occasional Led Zep pinch-hitter), guitarist Joe Bonamassa (blues-hammerer and sideman to the stars), singer-bassist Glenn Hughes (former and perhaps future frontman of Trapeze/Deep Purple/Black Sabbath/Heaven & Hell) and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (of Dream Theater and fusioners Planet X, though he's toured with most everybody else you can think of). Basically, late in 2009, Bonamassa and Hughes were jamming at Guitar Center when they got the brilliant idea to start a new '70s-style, blues-infused hard rock band with killer chops, so they invited Bonham and Sherinian along for the ride. Nearly a year later, their first album came out; it was called simply Black Country, after an area in the U.K. West Midlands known for its coal mines, iron foundries, steel mills and air pollution. People in Wolverhampton are sure to appreciate the reference.