Twenty-three-year-old unknown Andrew Wyatt stepped into some cavernous shoes when he began collaborating with Glenn Hughes and Jason Bonham in California Breed — considering the fact that Hughes and Bonham had most recently been in Black Country Communion with guitar whiz Joe Bonamassa.
Wyatt, however, is taking the expectations in stride: “Joe is a friend,” Watt tells Vintage Guitar magazine. “We’re different beings and, because of that, the music sounds completely different.”
Black Country Communion, which was rounded out by Derek Sherinian, released three albums between 2010-12, before the group split. Hughes and Bonham, however, felt a continued connection and have since formed California Breed as a power trio, with Wyatt. Immediately, of course, came the comparisons — and Wyatt welcomes those, too.
“I love Joe’s playing; I watch him in awe,” Watt adds. “But I’m messier, and a little dirtier, and inconsistent in the best way. Joe is an extremely consistent player, which is a compliment. Different people want different things out of the guitar. That’s why you can’t say anyone is better than anyone else.”
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