Johnny Winter
- Thread starter gwayne
- Start date
This is some of his best stuff right here. Great songs and great licks.
http://www.amazon.com/Let-Me-Johnny-Winter/dp/B000000WI6
http://www.amazon.com/Let-Me-Johnny-Winter/dp/B000000WI6
The "player's" album seems to the JOHNNY WINTER AND-LIVE, but it's a bit more rock rather than blues, and perhaps surprisingly, Rick Derringer, the other guitarist, isn't particularly enamored with the album after all these years. Nevertheless, it kicks some serious butt.
I post this one here every once in awhile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8siLZ4zNbY
it's worth a look.
as good as some of his recording are, none do him justice. find his tour schedule and see him play live in a small theatre. rare breed of gunslinger => you WILL get blown away. filthy, nasty, dirty, gritty, bare knuckles raw incredible.
seeing him peer out to the audience from under the western hat and deciphering whatever he says into the microphone is worth the price of admission. we all have heroes imho he is the ultimate guitar villain
seeing him peer out to the audience from under the western hat and deciphering whatever he says into the microphone is worth the price of admission. we all have heroes imho he is the ultimate guitar villain
Oh my. Go back to the old stuff first:
The Progressive Blues Experiment
Johnny Winter (first album on Columbia)
Second Winter-deluxe edition with extra live disk
Still Alive and Well has him branching out a bit.
Nothing But the Blues is just that.
Winter also played with the Muddy Waters band
on Waters’ last albums-highly recommended:
Hard Again
I’m Ready
King Bee
and portions of the live Muddy Mississippi Waters-get the deluxe
2 disk version.
The Progressive Blues Experiment
Johnny Winter (first album on Columbia)
Second Winter-deluxe edition with extra live disk
Still Alive and Well has him branching out a bit.
Nothing But the Blues is just that.
Winter also played with the Muddy Waters band
on Waters’ last albums-highly recommended:
Hard Again
I’m Ready
King Bee
and portions of the live Muddy Mississippi Waters-get the deluxe
2 disk version.
Not only did he play in Muddy's band on those last 3 records, he produced them as well.
In about 1977 in chicago, word filtered down via some club management that Johnny was going to be in town sitting in with the Son Seals Blues Band. Word was he was in great physical shape, clean and sober and ready to rip it up. I worked with the guy who gave me the info. This guy was the program director at THE quirky/ecelectic FM station in town, and part of what the station did was to send Ken out on Saturday night to record somebody noteworthy live, then mix it down and broadcast it on Sunday night. I talked Ken into letting me tag along.
Now, Son Seals was no slouch of a bluesman. You have to really be something to get the word "mighty" used in reference to you in Chicago, and Son was one of those guys who had it attached to him all the time.
Nevertheless, at one point in the evening, they were taking a whack at Stormy Monday. Son held forth with a couple of streaming choruses that I'd give my right nut to be able to play, and then it was Johnny's turn. He killed the entire room with one note. The recipe was this: Wait until the second bar while the band backs off some. Turn your volume off, bend up to just the right note, hit it, and then roll up the volume while un-bending the note. It was the perfect note. No kidding, half the band staggered around and the audience went apeshit.
Some of the stuff from that night made it on to a Son Seals album, but not that moment. That's when I knew that he really was the shiznit.
I'd brought a few LP's with me in hopes of an autograph. Now, Johnny's almost completely blind beyond about a foot away, and he had my decade-old copy of The Progressive Blues Experiment practically up to his nose so he could see what he was autographing. When he saw what it, he remarked, "Damn, I didn't think anybody bought this record".
He's elderly and fragile these days, but he's still the real deal.
In about 1977 in chicago, word filtered down via some club management that Johnny was going to be in town sitting in with the Son Seals Blues Band. Word was he was in great physical shape, clean and sober and ready to rip it up. I worked with the guy who gave me the info. This guy was the program director at THE quirky/ecelectic FM station in town, and part of what the station did was to send Ken out on Saturday night to record somebody noteworthy live, then mix it down and broadcast it on Sunday night. I talked Ken into letting me tag along.
Now, Son Seals was no slouch of a bluesman. You have to really be something to get the word "mighty" used in reference to you in Chicago, and Son was one of those guys who had it attached to him all the time.
Nevertheless, at one point in the evening, they were taking a whack at Stormy Monday. Son held forth with a couple of streaming choruses that I'd give my right nut to be able to play, and then it was Johnny's turn. He killed the entire room with one note. The recipe was this: Wait until the second bar while the band backs off some. Turn your volume off, bend up to just the right note, hit it, and then roll up the volume while un-bending the note. It was the perfect note. No kidding, half the band staggered around and the audience went apeshit.
Some of the stuff from that night made it on to a Son Seals album, but not that moment. That's when I knew that he really was the shiznit.
I'd brought a few LP's with me in hopes of an autograph. Now, Johnny's almost completely blind beyond about a foot away, and he had my decade-old copy of The Progressive Blues Experiment practically up to his nose so he could see what he was autographing. When he saw what it, he remarked, "Damn, I didn't think anybody bought this record".
He's elderly and fragile these days, but he's still the real deal.
Guys,
Thanks for the great suggestions. I noticed he seemed very frail on the Crossroads DVD. Does he have a specific illness or is it just an age/lifestyle thang? He still tore it up regardless. Seeing Derek Trucks - who is normally completely devoid of emotion - grinning his ass off and totally in awe of one his heroes was well worth the price of the discs.
Thanks for the great suggestions. I noticed he seemed very frail on the Crossroads DVD. Does he have a specific illness or is it just an age/lifestyle thang? He still tore it up regardless. Seeing Derek Trucks - who is normally completely devoid of emotion - grinning his ass off and totally in awe of one his heroes was well worth the price of the discs.
Cool, Those are my pics from about a month ago. I think I posted that and got zero responses.Saw Johnny last year at the Cabooze in Minneapolis. Nice small venue and we were only about 15 feet away.
He doesn't look like he's long for this world, so get out and see him wherever and whenever you can.
And - Live
Captured Live
Still Alive and Well (studio)
are always handy on my player and in heavy rotation. Captured has bluesier moments but even those gather speed after a few minutes. Can't get enough of his searing tone on Mean Town blues, & Highway 61. Floyd Radford (Captured) is a killer too. I'd throw in Edgar Winter's White Trash for the extra two JW tunes. Plus, you get Derringer ripping it on Back in the USA
S
edit> Damn nice pix, Ceeb. Thanks for sharing
Captured Live
Still Alive and Well (studio)
are always handy on my player and in heavy rotation. Captured has bluesier moments but even those gather speed after a few minutes. Can't get enough of his searing tone on Mean Town blues, & Highway 61. Floyd Radford (Captured) is a killer too. I'd throw in Edgar Winter's White Trash for the extra two JW tunes. Plus, you get Derringer ripping it on Back in the USA
S
edit> Damn nice pix, Ceeb. Thanks for sharing
Last edited by a moderator:
Jol did a nice topic on Johnny Winter on his blog last November :
http://guitarguru.typepad.com/my_weblog/20...ber-tone-t.html
http://guitarguru.typepad.com/my_weblog/20...ber-tone-t.html
Very cool stuff.in the first minute is Johnny giving the band the "lets pick up the pace boys" sign?
And somewhere in there and other Johnny Winter stuff on youtube you can hear the licks that gave the Lynyrd Skynryd band their signature lick. Like this Jumpin Jack Flash cover.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIIDqH8q0Dw...feature=related
Evan and I went to see him at the Ridgefield Playhouse in CT last night. We were 4 rows back ~ 25ft. He was incredible!
We saw him about 4 years ago and he was extremely frail, it took him several minutes to make it up 3 steps onto the stage with the help of several people. He didn't sing that night either and left the vocals to James Montgomery.
Last night he just needed to be guided to his chair. His voice was strong and his playing was awesome. The way he phrases just sends chills. Opened with Hideaway and ended with Highway 61. Eric Sardinas came on and did "Johnny Guitar". Just a great show.
We saw him about 4 years ago and he was extremely frail, it took him several minutes to make it up 3 steps onto the stage with the help of several people. He didn't sing that night either and left the vocals to James Montgomery.
Last night he just needed to be guided to his chair. His voice was strong and his playing was awesome. The way he phrases just sends chills. Opened with Hideaway and ended with Highway 61. Eric Sardinas came on and did "Johnny Guitar". Just a great show.