Johnny Winter

Johnny Winter - Live In Nyc '97 - 1998 - Point Blank

Recorded live in April 1997 at The Bottom Line, New York, and Studio 900, New York. The great Johnny Winter covers some blues classics, and gives a lesson in how to play slide guitar

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1."Hide Away" (Freddie King/Sonny Thompson)- 7:28
2."Medley:" [a."Sen-Sa-Shun", & b."Got My Mojo Working"] (Freddie King/Sonny Thompson, Preston Foster) - 6:53
3."She Likes to Boogie Real Low" (Frankie L. Sims/Joe Corona) - 6:39
4."Blackjack" (Ray Charles) - 8:21
5."Just a Little Bit" (John Thornton/Piney Brown/Ralph Bass/Earl Washington) - 5:10
6."The Sun Is Shining" (Jimmy Reed/Calvin Carter/Ewart Abner) - 6:14
7."The Sky Is Crying" (Elmore James) - 7:19
8."Johnny Guitar" (Johnny "Guitar" Watson/Johnny Winter) - 4:32
9."Drop the Bomb" (Snooks Eaglin) - 5:18

BAND

Johnny Winter - vocals, guitar
Tom Compton - drums
Mark Epstein - bass, background vocals

REVIEWS

Johnny Winter has been cranking out blues, rock/blues, and rock n' roll for 40 years. He played blues when it wasn't popular for white performers to do so. He often jammed with Jimi Hendrix, and worked with musicians as diverse as Rick Derringer, Muddy Waters, and his younger brother, keyboard and sax man, Edgar Winter. His scorching guitar style and usually ragged vocals are immediately identifiable, and not often copied. In fact, I don't recall ever hearing the phrase, "that guy sounds like Johnny Winter". Breaking a five-year hiatus, Live in NYC '97 showcases a set of songs Johnny says are dedicated to all his fans. While Johnny may have mellowed just a tad, and the ragged edge to his voice has smoothed somewhat, this recording is a great example of what Johnny has been doing for what seems an eternity. His playing is still crisp, acurate, powerful, and exciting. And although I never considered him to be a great singer, for some reason I always enjoy hearing him sing. There's this kind of arrogance to his voice. Kinda like he's saying, "I'm gonna sing it, and you're gonna love it". There is a bit of everything on this CD, from rock 'n roll to slow blues, and, my personal favorite, some nasty slide guitar. In my opinion, Johnny is the meanest slide player ever, bar none. I won't go into describing the individual songs, except to say that they are all excellent, except for the last cut. This is one of those monotonous, repetitive songs that I just can't learn to enjoy. There just has to be a better song that could have been used to close out this otherwise excellent set. If not for that song, I would've given this CD a 5.0 rating. Whether you are looking for your first Johnny Winter CD, or you have his entire collection, I heartily recommend this CD. It is definitely one that makes you wish you could've been there, the real test of any live recording. © Herm, ElectricBlues

Old-fashioned Texas blues man Johnny Winter may not seem like a high-tech kind of guy, but LIVE IN NYC '97 proves otherwise. Through ... Full Descriptionhis web site, Winter invited fans to vote for their favorite blues standards. Then he got together a hot young rhythm section, bassist Mark Epstein and drummer Tom Compton, rented out the Bottom Line in New York City, and invited members of his fan club for a special private show in April, 1997. This impressive live album is the result. There's only one Winter original, his collaboration with/tribute to Johnny "Guitar" Watson, "Johnny Guitar." The rest of the nine-song set consists of blues standards by Snooks Eaglin, Elmore James, Ray Charles, and Albert King, whose "Hideaway" gets a treatment that's close to definitive. In front of an obviously appreciative crowd, and with a solid, empathetic rhythm section behind him, Winter seemingly effortlessly pulls off some of the best playing of his career. Essential for fans. © 1996 - 2009 CD Universe

Johnny Winter assembled Live in NYC '97 with assistance of his fan club, drawing all of the recordings from an April 1997 performance at the Bottom Line. Produced by Winter's longtime colleague Dick Shurman, the record doesn't follow the predictable pattern of a live album — instead of hits, it offers fan favorites and covers, which makes for a much more interesting listen. Throughout the album, Winter simply rips, tearing through all five songs with blistering energy. This is the live album hardcore fans have been wanting for years, and it doesn't fail to deliver on its promise. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic.com

Who would've ever thought thirty years ago that some skinny white kid from Beaumont, Texas would emerge as one of the most exciting musicians to carry blues music into the next millennium. When that skinny white kid, known as Johnny Winter, blew his way onto the blues music scene in 1969, with his smoking guitar style and his own interpretations of Chicago and Mississippi-Delta blues, he was heralded as America's answer to the blues explosion that English rockers, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck were honing at the time Although he started his career playing straight blues with no chaser, Winter realized that his music was appealing more to rock fans so by the time he released his 1973 album Still Alive And Well he had virtually lost all his bluesy instincts in favor of hard rock. The next few albums that followed, including a lackluster album that he recorded with his brother Edgar, continued in the hard rock vein but his career was being eclipsed by the likes of rock heavyweights, Led Zeppelin, Kiss and Aerosmith. It wasn't until he released Nothing But The Blues in 1977, an album which he recorded with members of Muddy Water's band, that Winter realized that his true musical calling was to play down-and-dirty, Texas blues, something he's been doing ever since. Winter went on to produce and record four albums with his idol blues legend Muddy Waters, two of which garnered Grammy awards (Hard Again and I'm Ready). These collaborations between the two not only gave credibility to Winter with blues purists but greatly helped boost Water's then sinking career Continuing in this true-to-his-roots tradition Winter has just released a smoldering live album entitled Johnny Winter Live In NYC '97 that pays homage to not only the bluesmen whose songs he covers but also to his faithful fans who he polled to help choose the songs for this set. The outcome is an energized show that showcases Winter's blistering ax work as well as a more laid back, smooth vocal style, as opposed to the deep, guttural screaming that was his trademark during his rock days. On the opening instrumental track "Hideaway" Winter shows no need for vocals as he lets his guitar do all the talking on this rollicking blues number. On Jimmy Reed's "The Sun Is Shining" and Elmore James' "The Sky Is Crying" he pulls out his famed Gibson Firebird guitar to show-off some impressive slide chops. Winter and bandmates, bassist Mark Epstein and drummer Tom Compton, mix up a spicy musical gumbo on Snooks Eaglin's funky New Orleans flavored "Drop The Bomb" and on Ray Charles ballad "Black Jack" they let the dust settle a bit before Winter's gritty guitar dirties things up again. With his music firmly planted in his Lone Star roots, this skinny white kid (now skinny white man with more tattoos than a circus sideshow) proves he can stand tall with any of his contemporaries as well as blues mentors. Muddy must be smilin'. © Tony Bonyata , © www.concertlivewire.com