Edgar Winter – Brother Johnny
It would be easy to dismiss Brother Johnny as just another all-star get-together of covers and tribute-to-an-artist classics, but what separates Edgar Winter’s tribute to his late brother Johnny Winter from the usual tribute suspects is its sincerity, sentiment and timing.
It would have been equally easy for Edgar Winter to put together just such an album after the passing of Johnny Winter in 2014 (he was unsurprisingly approached about such a project) but it just didn’t sit right with Edgar Winter.
Flash forward a few years when Edgar Winter’s wife Monique intuitively tells her husband it’s time he considered musical homage to his brother’s life and career, and what Johnny Winter meant to so many fans and musicians.
Couple that with Edgar Winter’s later meeting with Quarto Valley Records owner Bruce Quarto (an enthused lover and aficionado of classic rock, the blues and Johnny Winter) and you have all the pieces starting to fit.
Add in a stellar collection of guest players, all of whom have a love of Johnny Winter music (many were also influenced by him or knew him) and you have the perfect celebration, nod and homage to Brother Johnny across 17 tracks chosen by Edgar Winter and producer Ross Hogarth.
'Mean Town Blues' is as mean (and lean) as its title, built on a wicked little riff and a Texas boogie style as only Johnny Winter – and now his brother and illustrious music friends – could deliver, fronted by a fittingly gritty Edgar Winter vocal and suitably Winter-ised slide licks from Joe Bonamassa (JoBo also takes lead vocal and applies further nifty lead work to brash rock 'n' roller 'Self Destructive Blues').
It’s a fine, frisky start to a great homage to Johnny Winter, which continues with the raunchy roll of 'Still Alive and Well' (featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd) before the contrasting, back porch styled 'Lone Star Blues' makes its storytelling appearance.
The latter, the first of two Edgar Winter songs written in tribute to his brother, features Keb’ Mo’ on acoustic blues guitar; Edgar Winter’s lyric tells of Johnny Winter’s rise to stardom, something he never truly got comfortable with, or the loneliness (hence the clever double meaning title).
It would have been equally easy for Edgar Winter to put together just such an album after the passing of Johnny Winter in 2014 (he was unsurprisingly approached about such a project) but it just didn’t sit right with Edgar Winter.
Flash forward a few years when Edgar Winter’s wife Monique intuitively tells her husband it’s time he considered musical homage to his brother’s life and career, and what Johnny Winter meant to so many fans and musicians.
Couple that with Edgar Winter’s later meeting with Quarto Valley Records owner Bruce Quarto (an enthused lover and aficionado of classic rock, the blues and Johnny Winter) and you have all the pieces starting to fit.
Add in a stellar collection of guest players, all of whom have a love of Johnny Winter music (many were also influenced by him or knew him) and you have the perfect celebration, nod and homage to Brother Johnny across 17 tracks chosen by Edgar Winter and producer Ross Hogarth.
'Mean Town Blues' is as mean (and lean) as its title, built on a wicked little riff and a Texas boogie style as only Johnny Winter – and now his brother and illustrious music friends – could deliver, fronted by a fittingly gritty Edgar Winter vocal and suitably Winter-ised slide licks from Joe Bonamassa (JoBo also takes lead vocal and applies further nifty lead work to brash rock 'n' roller 'Self Destructive Blues').
It’s a fine, frisky start to a great homage to Johnny Winter, which continues with the raunchy roll of 'Still Alive and Well' (featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd) before the contrasting, back porch styled 'Lone Star Blues' makes its storytelling appearance.
The latter, the first of two Edgar Winter songs written in tribute to his brother, features Keb’ Mo’ on acoustic blues guitar; Edgar Winter’s lyric tells of Johnny Winter’s rise to stardom, something he never truly got comfortable with, or the loneliness (hence the clever double meaning title).
The sassy blues of 'I’m Yours and I’m Hers' features a suitably gravelly Edgar Winter vocal (and traded guitar licks from the stellar talents of Billy Gibbons and Derek Trucks) while the rock 'n' honky-tonk roll rendition of 'Johnny B. Goode,' a staple of Johnny Winter live sets, features some swinging’ sax appeal from Edgar Winter, the guitar of David Grissom and shared lead vocals from Winter and Joe Walsh.
Walsh then straps on his guitar to add tasteful six-string textures to the piano-led ballad 'Stranger,' sung by Michael McDonald and also featuring Ringo Starr.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd then returns, in the company of John McFee, to up the guitar ante in another renowned Johnny Winter clover, 'Highway 61 Revisited.'
Other featured covers recorded by, or associated with Johnny Winter, include 'Jumping Jack Flash' (featuring Phil X), a funky 'Memory Pain' (featuring Warren Haynes), a piano backed 'Stormy Monday Blues' (accompanied by the smooth guitar licks of Robben Ford) and 'Got My Mojo Working,' the latter featuring Bobby Rush on harmonica.
Robert Johnson’s acoustic blues 'When You Got a Good Friend' (featuring Doyle Bramhall II) and Henry Glover’s lovely piano & horns blues 'Drown In My Own Tears' also make an appearance, as they did on Johnny Winter’s acclaimed & self-titled second solo album.
'Rock 'n' Roll Hoochie Koo,' written by Rick Derringer (as was 'Still Alive and Well') and here featuring a slick and sizzling solo from Steve Lukather, is another Johnny Winter staple that couldn’t not be on the album.
Feisty rocker 'Guess I’ll Go Away' (featuring equally feisty guitar licks from Doug Rappoport), takes on added song title poignancy by featuring a lead vocal from Taylor Hawkins, who passed just weeks before this album’s release.
Heartfelt piano & string quartet ballad 'End of the Line,' written and sung by Edgar Winter, could only be the album's closing remark.
You can’t help but think Johnny Winter would be quite moved by Edgar Winter’s tribute of brotherly musical love – and not a little honoured by the luminary list of musicians who lined up to be part of Brother Johnny.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Walsh then straps on his guitar to add tasteful six-string textures to the piano-led ballad 'Stranger,' sung by Michael McDonald and also featuring Ringo Starr.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd then returns, in the company of John McFee, to up the guitar ante in another renowned Johnny Winter clover, 'Highway 61 Revisited.'
Other featured covers recorded by, or associated with Johnny Winter, include 'Jumping Jack Flash' (featuring Phil X), a funky 'Memory Pain' (featuring Warren Haynes), a piano backed 'Stormy Monday Blues' (accompanied by the smooth guitar licks of Robben Ford) and 'Got My Mojo Working,' the latter featuring Bobby Rush on harmonica.
Robert Johnson’s acoustic blues 'When You Got a Good Friend' (featuring Doyle Bramhall II) and Henry Glover’s lovely piano & horns blues 'Drown In My Own Tears' also make an appearance, as they did on Johnny Winter’s acclaimed & self-titled second solo album.
'Rock 'n' Roll Hoochie Koo,' written by Rick Derringer (as was 'Still Alive and Well') and here featuring a slick and sizzling solo from Steve Lukather, is another Johnny Winter staple that couldn’t not be on the album.
Feisty rocker 'Guess I’ll Go Away' (featuring equally feisty guitar licks from Doug Rappoport), takes on added song title poignancy by featuring a lead vocal from Taylor Hawkins, who passed just weeks before this album’s release.
Heartfelt piano & string quartet ballad 'End of the Line,' written and sung by Edgar Winter, could only be the album's closing remark.
You can’t help but think Johnny Winter would be quite moved by Edgar Winter’s tribute of brotherly musical love – and not a little honoured by the luminary list of musicians who lined up to be part of Brother Johnny.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ