TWELVE albums, 140 songs and, in his own phrase, "zero hits".

Joe Bonamassa couldn't care less. His forthcoming 13th album could continue that trend and he still wouldn't worry about it.

What this blues guitarist does have is a fanatical and growing core of fans, and the respect of blues legends such as BB King and Eric Clapton.

He returned to the Concert Hall with a powerhouse trio – bassist Carmine Rojas, drummer Tal Bergman and keyboard player Rick Melick – and a clutch of songs that showcased his dazzling guitar style.

Not yet 35, Bonamassa is indisputably one of the hardest-working guitarists around. He worked relentlessly to keep the audience engaged, prowling the stage, doing the one-foot-on-the-amp guitar hero pose and managing to make a theremin sound like a howling blues guitar.

He switched between Gibson guitars for such songs as Slow Train, Dust Bowl, The Ballad of John Henry, Last Kiss, Sloe Gin and a superb Mountain Time, and on Woke Up Dreaming, his startling acoustic showpiece, played with such nimble speed that many amateur guitarists in the audience must have felt like giving up on the spot and taking up gardening instead.

He encored with a couple of songs including Driving Towards the Daylight, the title track of his 13th solo album. No radio-friendly hits on it: guaranteed. Not that he cares.

HHHH