I have to admit I found Johnny Winter totally by chance. I was in a record shop and saw a CD in a round, metal case. "Johnny Winter? The Texas Tornado? I'll buy that!" So I did.
What I found was a musician, Johnny Winter, who is a hard rocking bluesman of consummate skill. Johnny Winter is such a accomplished bluesman that I have to admit that it came as something of a shock to discover that Johnny Winter is a white Texan. Though he reveals that he hung out in the black part of his hometown in Texas, such was his fever for the blues. And, Winter maintains that it was his sincerity about his passion for the blues that meant that he was safe there. Even though Beaumont had not long before suffered form some terrible racially-inspired riots.
Winter's blue's sound as if they were recorded in the 1940s or 1950s. Actually, I was surprised and amused to find out that the CD is filled with modern material, and was released in 1992!
Some of the tracks are old blues standards from the pens of such legendary blues greats as John Lee Hooker and Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, some are original pieces by Johnny himself.
In fact, bizarre as it might seem, some of his own work sounds even more traditional than the works he covered. For example, Low Down Gal of Mine could easily have come from some rare recording session from the very early 1920s, only recently re-discovered in an old recording studio. (Yes, it really IS that good!) Johnny's other work, Leavin' Blues (complete with nicely understated blues slide guitar) is just about as good, too.
His style can drift from Delta Blues to Chicago Blues via the slightly more countrified Texas Blues. The latter is unsurprising, seeing as Johnny Winter learnt his blues skills from black blues musicians in his native Texas. If you like the Blues, you will love Johnny Winter. I think I can almost guarantee that!
I can't recall how much I paid for this CD, about £5.00, perhaps? Check with Ciao for current pricing.
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How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Outstanding
How does it rate alongside the competition
Outstanding
Cover / Inlay Design and Content
Outstanding
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