JOHNNY WINTER IN CHICAGO

For any of you Johnny Winter fans I would like to report that hearing Johnny and the band at the House Of Blues/Chicago last Friday (5/26/06) was a great time. I have been a long time fan of him and have recently read stories of his ill health and some fans reporting that he just "doesn't have it" anymore. Yes, he isn't that young man from Texas that was courted by Columbia Records back in 1969....Johnny is now 62 years old. Reports of him having to be helped onto the stage and being nearly blind have been grossly exaggerated. It was heart warming to see a roadie assist a slightly hunched over Johnny as he negotiated scattered audio cables and equipment to take his place upon a comfy looking old chair at center stage where he resided for the entire show. Reports of Johnny being nearly blind may stem from the fact that albinos have a heightened sensitivity to light. I noticed that through-out the 75 minute performance he rarely opened his eyes to the stage lights. Looking at his watch near the end told me he is not blind as previous reports have stated. The one thing I missed upon hearing Johnny's latest Grammy nominated album was his howling style vocal attack. His vocals on the album actually sounded weak and strained. This was not the case during the House Of Blues performance however. He sounded much stronger and was able to summon up some very enthusiastic vocals much to the delight of the audience. The set contained approximately 12-14 songs and was tight and polished. Taking time to drink water between a few songs, there was other tunes that led into the next with precision. Although guitarist Paul Nelson opened up with the first song, he bowed out and never returned once Johnny took the stage. Also missing was James Montgomery's harmonica playing that was present on many of the cuts from the latest cd "I'm A Bluesman". As a former bass player myself, I was captivated by Scott Spray's playing......he was in command of his instrument, much more likened to a virtuoso than merely a bass player. Rounding out the 3 man band was Wayne June on drums.....simply awesome! These two guys were simply not just "backing up" a legend--the three of them were totally enthusiastic to be playing the blues together and the crowd knew it. Using a Erlewine Lazer guitar for the majority of the performance, I thought his playing was clean and heartfelt.....this isn't a guy just touring to make a few bucks. It is obvious that Johnny continues to perform to audiences all over the country because he just loves to play. Switching to a Gibson Firebird, Johnny finished out the show with some slide guitar work, using it to play the encore "Highway 61" to a roaring crowd....a great performance by one of the best blues guitarists ever.