Texas Blues Guitar – Johnny Winter – Roots

I still remember fondly one of my very first concerts back in the mid 1990’s saw Johnny Winter play the National Arts Center Theatre here in Ottawa…a venue typically reserved for proper theatre goers rather than loud, heavy drinking bikers, youth and blues revellers – but that night turned out to be magic. 

It was funny, he tore off on an amazing version of Highway 61 – when some huge motor started up and interfered with the sound.  He stopped for a few seconds, cranked up the amp and exclaimed “fu*! it” and hit it even harder…ahh…the moments you remember 🙂

Since then I’ve had the great fortune of seeing him dozens more times around the world – here at the Ottawa bluesfest a few times as well. 

No doubt, his health went down hill and there were a few concerts I didn’t know if it may be the last time I see him.

But, the pheonix rises, Johnny sounds better than he has in a long, long time (though his guitar work never really suffered showing the true talent of this legend).  All of this has culminated in a new CD titled “Roots”

My personal favorites:

“Dust My Broom”  is a perfect fit for Johnny’s awesome slide and rough (but great sounding) voice.  Pretty much anyone who listens to blues music will know this song as it has been covered by all the greats – having been orginally written by Elmore James (made more famous by Robert Johnson)

“Maybellene” – Yep, Johnny Winter does Chuck Berry with the help of Vince Gill on guitar.  I really like the different side of Johnny’s vocals on this one with some tasty Texas rapidfire guitar thrown in for good measure

“Further On Up The Road” – Oh ya, I love the texas shuffle, and T-Bone was the master.  Johnny stays true to the original form and adds his own stinging licks to this one.  Damn…now I have to go through the entire day with that shuffle inside my head

Other collaborations on this tasty CD include Susan Tedeschi (wherever Derek Trucks goes these days Susan is right there at his side),  a nice shuffle with Edgar Winter (his brother). 

But really, there is not a bad tune on this CD…great blues all around.  I assume Roots will be up for some serious blues awards, it truly deserves it. 

Do you have the CD, what do you think?