Drum Sheet – Beth Hart – Chocolate Jesus

For drummers with a taste for deep grooves and smoky blues atmospheres, “Chocolate Jesus” in Beth Hart’s hands is a fascinating journey. Although the song was originally written by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan for Waits’ 1999 album Mule Variations, Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa transformed it into something uniquely their own when they recorded it for their 2011 collaborative album Don’t Explain. Rather than simply covering the song, they approached it as storytellers stepping into an already-built world and redecorating it with their own colors and emotions. The result was a version that felt raw, playful, and irresistibly soulful. The recording sessions took place at The Village studios in Los Angeles under the guidance of producer Kevin Shirley, who encouraged the musicians to preserve the spontaneous energy of a live performance.

Beth Hart has often spoken about her love of songs that contain both humor and darkness, and “Chocolate Jesus” offered exactly that balance. Tom Waits’ original lyric about finding comfort and salvation in candy rather than religion matched perfectly with Hart‘s fearless and theatrical vocal style. Together with Bonamassa, she decided not to imitate Waits’ gravelly delivery but instead to reinterpret the song through a blues and gospel lens, giving it warmth, swagger, and a touch of mischief. Joe’s guitar lines answered Beth‘s vocal phrases almost like a second singer joining the conversation, while the rhythm section held everything together with remarkable subtlety.

For fans of the drums, this is where the song truly shines. The beat never pushes or hurries. Instead, it settles into a lazy, confident shuffle that leaves plenty of room for the story to unfold. Every snare hit feels deliberate, every cymbal accent carefully placed. The drummer avoids flashy fills, preferring texture and feel over technical display. The groove moves with the relaxed confidence of a late-night jam in a small blues club, allowing the bass and guitar to breathe while supporting Hart‘s powerful vocal performance. It is a perfect example of how restraint can be every bit as impressive as speed or complexity.

“Chocolate Jesus” quickly became a favorite in Beth Hart‘s live repertoire. She performed it with Joe Bonamassa during the Don’t Explain tours and later included it in the celebrated Live in Amsterdam concerts in 2013, where drummer Anton Fig gave the song an even deeper pocket and richer dynamics. Beth also revisited the song during solo shows, sometimes performing it at the piano in intimate venues such as London’s Union Chapel and clubs across the United States and Europe. For drum enthusiasts, every version reveals the same lesson: sometimes the strongest groove is the one that quietly invites you in and never lets go.