Johnny Winter - "Live Johnny Winter And" (1971) - Columbia Records
A couple of weeks ago legendary electric bluesman and everyone's favorite albino, Johnny Winter, passed away at age of 70!
Originally hailing from Beaumont, Texas, Johnny Winter's 50+ year career was that of a true blues troubadour recording dozens of records and playing thousands of live shows without ever really crossing over into the mainstream!
Born John Dawson Winter III, he played Woodstock, jammed with Jimi Hendrix and backed up Janis Joplin. He was best known for his early work with ex-McCoy Rick Derringer ("Rock & Roll, Hoochie Koo") and for playing in his younger brother's band, Edgar Winter's White Trash. Basically he was a weirder and freakier-looking Stevie Ray Vaughn!
In 1977, he fulfilled a lifelong dream to play with his idol, Muddy Waters. Winters collaborated with and produced Waters' last 3 or 4 records and they're all really good! (Even won him some Grammys!)
In honor of good ol' Johnny, tonight we're listening to Johnny's 1971 seminal live record, Live Johnny Winter And.
The "And" of the title would be Derringer (on guitar & vocals), Randy Jo Hobbs (on bass & vocals) and Bobby Caldwell (on drums). The songs were recorded during the band's 1970 tour stops at Pirate's World in Dania, Florida (a pirate-themed amusement park which hosted tons of great bands from '69 to '73!), NYC's Fillmore East and Portchester, NY's own Capitol Theater!
Solid, high energy, live blues set from Johnny and the gang. Side One begins with a rip-roaring cover of the Sonny Boy Williamson classic "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" and continues shredding through a 12 minute take on B.B. King's "It's My Own Fault" and an extra sleazy take on the already sleazy, "Jumpin' Jack Flash".
Side Two opens with a "Rock & Roll Medley" which has Johnny & company interpreting 3 rock & roll classics, "Great Balls of Fire", "Long Tally Sally" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On".
"Mean Town Blues" is the only Winter original on the set (which is kind of interesting being that by 1971 Johnny had released 4 solo albums and one would think that he would want to self-promote himself a bit more than with just one original song! But, hey, who are we to judge?)
The record closes with another high energy take on another rock & roll classic, Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode". Great album! Great live set! Johnny Winter will be missed!
RATING: 4 its a gas-gas-gases out of 5
R.I.P. Johnny Winter!
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