Californiaman Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 Just picked up Johnny Winter’s, self-titled second album, Winter. And his 1977 release, Nothing But The Blues from an antique store in Pismo Beach. You know where I’ll be for the next day or two. School house rock. Not only was he capable of incredible triplet blues runs, but his turnarounds are the best there ever was. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttyRDhhqFys http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctbOT706ycg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 Slow but sure I've been completing my collection of Johnny Winter vinyl. His playing never ceases to amaze me, his style was really unique. I wonder about the bit where his old evil manager fell down the stairs while drunk and broke his neck; perhaps he had a little help on his trip? I guess we'll never know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 One of the greats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karloff Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 Always have been and will be a fan. Tremendous talent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 "Second Winter" is my favorite. Incredible playing. The CD re-issue includes a concert I was at - the 1st time I saw him. Recently I heard Rick Derringer's version of an old Boz Scaggs tune - "Runnin' Blue" - very good indeed and you can hear the JW influence in there. Thanks for posting these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzoboy Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Johnny Winter was a monster talent and certainly was worthy of being regarded as being on the same level as Clapton,Beck,SRV etc.,his inimitable slide work was unique and his covers of Stones' songs especially, bettered the originals.....IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimi Mac Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Johnny Winter was a monster talent and certainly was worthy of being regarded as being on the same level as Clapton,Beck,SRV etc.,his inimitable slide work was unique and his covers of Stones' songs especially, bettered the originals.....IMHO. I totally agree. His version of Jumpin' Jack Flash wipes the floor with the Stones version! I liked Johnny very much, always have! While not trying to preach, clearly his downhill run toward the end can be attributed to the damage done by the drugs. I wish more would learn their lesson for it and not repeat the doom continually... I know, being an Albino he has a short life expectancy from things I've seen about him, but his brother is still going! I don't recall seeing the tragic drug damage we all got to see in the physical presence that was so obvious on Johnny. He was skeleton thin during the late 80's and especially in the 1990's. Yet to listen to him speak you heard a kind regular guy and a man with a ton of respect, reverence, and spiritual communion not only with the music, but also with those Blues pioneers and originators that inspired him so! He seemed like a pretty decent guy! I've detailed the events where the stars were just misaligned enough in my own life where a girl singer I was in a band with early on ended up touring with Johnny in the 1990's as one of his opening acts. I missed-out on that opportunity. Trust me I kick myself for it. Clearly there was some darkness in his life at that time still. But I never heard her mention of him being anything other than gracious and kind to her/them. He simply had his own demons and darkness that he kept to himself... His music and passion for Blues will be sorely missed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share Posted September 22, 2014 Jimi, a lot of what you say about Winter is true. He was a gracious guy, at least when I met him. I remember the last time I saw him perform several years ago, you could tell a hard life lived had taken its toll on him. His performance was good, but he was in a chair the entire night (sort of like B.B. King). It was a far cry from the guy I saw 30 years earlier when he played with so much energy. Still, the passion was there and so was his ability. The thing that I will remember most about him is his incredible talent. The guy could play. Fortunately we have a tone of music we can all learn something from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimi Mac Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 While I knew about him forever, and honestly he is one of my earliest memories that sparked the guitar passion within me when I first became aware of such things around 1970 or so, I just hadn't realized the full potential of what he had/was... Johnny was literally amazing! The drug issues aside, and his pioneering of shred playing from his unbelievable lightning speed on the fretboard that at times turned me off as if he were a one-trick pony... He was so much more! I stumbled across this recording on Youtube of him with Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper in the super sessions era... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zECNsIeH9g&feature=youtu.be Johnny simply schools Bloomfield on this one, and this is some of Bloomfield's better playing IMHO, but Johnny is simply unrivaled! Just magnificent all the way around... I am more saddened by his passing than I first realized... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted October 4, 2014 Author Share Posted October 4, 2014 While I knew about him forever, and honestly he is one of my earliest memories that sparked the guitar passion within me when I first became aware of such things around 1970 or so, I just hadn't realized the full potential of what he had/was... Johnny was literally amazing! The drug issues aside, and his pioneering of shred playing from his unbelievable lightning speed on the fretboard that at times turned me off as if he were a one-trick pony... He was so much more! I stumbled across this recording on Youtube of him with Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper in the super sessions era... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zECNsIeH9g&feature=youtu.be Johnny simply schools Bloomfield on this one, and this is some of Bloomfield's better playing IMHO, but Johnny is simply unrivaled! Just magnificent all the way around... I am more saddened by his passing than I first realized... That was really amazing. Simply incredible playing. Even my wife and kids were like, "Oh my goodness that sounds so good." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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