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Johnny Winter
I’M A BLUES MAN
(Virgin)
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This legendary Texas guitarslinger still has a way of snapping to life on stage, but play this CD, his first disc of new material in eight years, back-to-back with the recent reissues of his first and second albums, Johnny Winter and Second Winter (Columbia/Legacy), and it’s obvious that long-time ill health has taken a toll on his vigor as a singer and performer. And yet, there are some extremely satisfying turns on this otherwise bar-band-level outing. For one thing, Winter has gotten into his stone-blues roots again, and he turns in a rare acoustic slide version of fellow Lone Star State legend Hop Wilson’s "That Wouldn’t Satisfy" with the sweet, lovely simplicity of a street-corner singer. There’s also a rough, brawling rendition of Lazy Lester’s "Sugar Coated Love" that furthers the argument for the Louisiana swamp bluesman’s status as an influential early rocker. But gone are the days of his warp-speed solos and growling vocal command. At best, in tunes like "Lone Wolf," velocity is traded for gravity, and when Winter howls through the "The Monkey Song," he’s only underlining the tune’s leering double-entendre humor. Harmonica ace James Montgomery, who has joined his touring group, is a perfect accompanist, adding just enough personality to enrich the guitarist’s work. Former Stevie Ray Vaughan keyboardist Reese Wynans also beefs up the mix. (Johnny Winter appears this Saturday, July 24, at the Arlington Regent Theatre, 7 Medford Street in Arlington, with opener the Julien Kasper Band; call 781-646-4849.)
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