Winter Blues

If you happen to read the comments after many ESG posts you'll notice a theme, the banter of mutual respect, admiration and love. This is a bond between brothers that was forged in hot smelly kitchens, warehouses and factories. Where long hours, hard work, little pay and the days off  meant listening to jams,chasing girls and drinking lots and lots of beer, all these factors helped to mold two boys into men.

Mr.666 has been a constant in my life since about 13 years of age when he "made me a tape" and has turned me on to more great music than I could ever repay. We worked in kitchens ( he got me a job) and in plastic's factories ( I got him a job). One thing that these places have in common, besides our sorry asses slavin' away for "the man", was the boom box in the corner. Usually just a radio some other poor bastard left behind when they finally got fed up and quit. The radio could either be the bane of our existence or a much needed escape from the grind, the heat, the impossibly loud machines of industry churning out plastic pieces of shit for some bigger plastic piece of shit. It is in these environs that musical tastes were challenged, developed, crushed or discovered, and it is where I found the Blues or did she find me?

We all have the blues, we've all heard the blues, if you don't get it than you simply haven't lived long enough or haven't had to deal with life's real bullshit yet! Not to say that one must be depressed to enjoy the blues, hell I'm one of the happiest people I know, but give me a dude singing with heart, blazing solos, a steady rhythm section and I'm feeling it all... the pain, the joys, highs and lows!!

I've touched before on the fact that my old man was a DJ for quite sometime on the local college radio station back home. He played Hot Dixieland and early Swing once a week from mid morning to noon. It was a treat to be working in the kitchen and hear my pops talking about stuff that few know anything about and spinning Louis Jordan for " the kitchen crew" as we were know in radio-land. I grew up on this music and it was familiar to me, the old Mexican dudes ( who just so happen to cook the best Chinese food) dug the jazz too. It was the only time we could all agree on what to listen too. Trust me when I say one can only listen to "rancheros" and "cumbias" for so long without hurling a chicken or a steam pan across a crowded kitchen!

After my dads show (or was it before) there was a Blues shows, this dude played it all, electric blues, Chicago horn-based, Memphis sound, acoustic stuff, old n' scratchy, new and slick, black and white. I read somewhere that the blues never goes away but has a resurgence every ten years or so. Well in the mid 80's there was big time resurgence George Thorogood, Robert Cray and of course Stevie Ray Vaughn being the most well known. Blues player are always good about giving credit to the greats before them, most by "covering" classics, in the Blues realm it is seen as respect to copy a song or style. Stevie was the most humble and always knew he was just part of the bigger picture his recording with Albert King are some of my favorites! Speaking of, we had our favorites back in the kitchen and Mr. 666 led the charge, he'd be on the horn requesting this or that, making the DJ work!  Sometimes it was Roy Buchanan , Etta James or one of "the Three Kings" probably Albert! But it was one guy that really stood out for me back then and he happens to a.) be Mr.666's freakin' idol b.) lived the life c.) epitomizes "cool" and most importantly d.) he can play the living shit out of the electric guitar. It's his birthday ! The one and only Johnny Winter!! Happy Birthday Johnny!!!

Johnny's been around since the 60s, played Woodstock, the Filmores (East and West) you name it. Born Feb. 23, 1944 he first played the ukulele before moving on to the guitar and developing a sound and style based on the great blues men before him Robert Johnson, Johnny Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins,and of course Muddy Waters, with whom Johnny would later produce records for and win a Grammy with.

Johnny has seen some dark times, his battle with the Big H has been the most obvious, robbing him of many years and tons of money. During the blues resurgence of the mid 80's Johnny put out some blazing hot shit records that should be required listening! This is when I first heard him ( not counting the FM radio staple "Rock-n Roll Hoochie Koo")...84's Guitar Slinger, 85's Serious Business, 86's 3rd Degree and 88's Winter of'88 are mind blowing and totally Kick Ass! That this skinny, frankly ill-looking white haired man could wail like that, his voice is made to sing the blues, his playing is simply up there with whomever you care to name, words do him no justice.

My brother and I were lucky enough to see him at Antone's in either '01/'02. He was regulated to sitting for most of the set but his fingers still did what he asked and his voice is/was filled with soul and passion that cannot be faked. As a bonus Hubert Sumlin ( Howlin' Wolf's longtime partner)sat in, and let me tell you the man had the best tone I've ever heard, playing his gold Les Paul and mostly doing rhythm, the contrast with Johnny's piercing solos on his Erlewine Lazer was life altering. Many local players also sat in and the whole show had a jam session feel. The Black Crowes were playing a show that same night down the street and knowing their roots stopped by to pay homage to Johnny Guitar himself!

Here is some stuff I found there is so much good Johnny Winter! I highly suggest you look for his music, it so easy now with Youtube, Itunes, etc. to find great music...not to long ago if you were lucky your best friend would "make you a tape"...maybe the old way of getting music is better, you might make a friend for life.

                                                "Flank mooor steeem lice!!"

                   You can smell the grease from here! Could this have been 25 years ago!

                                                Johnny & Jimi... nothing more to say...



1970 w / Tommy Shannon and the late Uncle John Turner



1987 Check the bass players shirt...



'92 Mojo Boogie ( grainy but good sound)!