At various times in his career, Steve Winwood had gone extended periods during which he rarely played live, the most recent from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. But since his exceptional return album, About Time in 2004, he has toured relentlessly in the States and Europe, including stints with Eric Clapton. I’ve seen … Continue reading Return engagement for Steve Winwood
From the opening double guitar lines of the Blind Faith classic Had To Cry Today, Steve Winwood’s and Eric Clapton’s performance on their recently released CD/DVD Live From Madison Square Garden is electrifying. Not electrifying in a showy, glitzy, glamorous sense, but in a musical sense. The two giants whose careers started in the 1960s … Continue reading Winwood, Clapton after all these years
After the breakup of Cream in 1968, it became a point of fascination to see what was next for the three members. Eric Clapton got together with Steve Winwood to form Blind Faith, which lasted from late 1968 to the end of the summer of ’69, producing one album and an ill-fated tour. He then … Continue reading Concerts, Vol. 12: Jack Bruce and Friends
Winter and spring of 1968 in Boston was a particularly memorable and remarkable time for me as far as the music to which I was exposed. My group Pulse opened for the Lovin’ Spoonful at the Back Bay Theatre; I saw Michael Bloomfield’s Electric Flag at the Psychedelic Supermarket, where I had earlier first seen … Continue reading Concerts Vol. 11: Traffic
Last year I picked five albums I considered the best of the year. This time I’m upping it to 10 with a few bubbling under and some added tidbits. 1. Already Free, The Derek Trucks Band: Traditional blues with modern sensibilities and influences from jazz, roots and world music, all played by an array of accomplished … Continue reading The 10 best for ’09
Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood began their 2009 tour together in New Jersey at the Izod Center Thursday night. A reprise of their three-night performance in February, 2008, which produced the CD and DVD Live From Madison Square Garden released last month, the two legends stuck to a similar set as in the MSG shows. … Continue reading On the road again
Last February, Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood played three sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden. It was the first time they had played specifically billed together since their successful, but doomed-from-the-start Blind Faith project in 1969. They had performed together in early 2007 at an English festival, Clapton joining Winwood’s touring band, and later that summer … Continue reading Blind Faith not needed for these two
Susan Tedeschi’s Back To The River, released late last year, quickly moved to the top of the Billboard Blues chart and remains near the top after nine weeks. But it appears to have been virtually ignored by most of the major rock magazines. That’s too bad because as much as this is a blues outing, … Continue reading Back to the blues
I love the question Adam asked on his This might hurt blog a couple of weeks ago about where you bought your first record. In that spirit, and in the spirit of Mojo mag, which asks these types of things all the time, I’ll list my top five albums of the year and ask you to … Continue reading It’s that time of year
It’s started snowing about two hours ago. I would usually be traveling in this stuff, but being inside is one of the great advantages of not having a job. Believe me, I’ve had my fill of trekking through this type of New England weather. Not that I dislike the weather. The change of seasons is … Continue reading Snow day