DVD Review - Johnny Winter "Live Through The 70's"

Johnny Winter LivePublished in The Message For The Week, January 14, 2009
In the world of the blues, Texas–born Johnny Winter is an unlikely master, the great white hope of electric blues guitar. For blues fans who never got to witness Muddy Waters, T–Bone Walker or Robert Johnson, experiencing Johnny Winter live is about as close as one could get to seeing one of the “original” blues masters.
On Live Through The 70's this DVD does just that, compiling spectacular live cuts from eight different Winter concert performances throughout the 1970's. A format that chronologically reveals Winter's progression from a more rocking blues guitarist early in the decade, into a much more smooth and soulful blues soloist by the end of the decade.
The package contains 14 tracks, including such live footage as a rare Danish TV and Royal Albert Hall appearance from 1970, a Don Kirschner's Rock Concert appearance (from Waterbury, CT of all places) from 1973, a 1974 Soundstage show from Chicago and a German TV Rockpalast appearance from 1979. Also included is an interesting television interview featuring Winter on Detroit Tubeworks in 1970.
One fascinating aspect of this vintage footage is the diverse range of guest musicians that appear in these various concerts including (of course) Johnny's brother Edgar Winter, New Orleans pianist Dr. John, legendary blues harpist Junior Wells, former Jimi Hendrix drummer Buddy Miles, bass player Tommy Shannon (who would go on to work with Stevie Ray Vaughn) and guitar legend Michael Bloomfield. The power and talent of these musical guests is a telling nod to the respect Winter commands within blues and rock circles.
Clearly there are several jewels in this garage–blues treasure trove, (too many to mention here) however this reviewer's favorite has to be the three–track Danish TV segment from the Gradsaxe Teen Club in which the Winter brothers perform a garage–rocking version of “Frankenstein”, (a song of course, Edgar would later make famous as a solo artist) a stripped–down version in which a very young Edgar starts on the keyboard, before hammering out a duel drum solo with Uncle John Turner, as then Johnny gathers it all into a soloing crescendo of blues guitar bliss.
This is simply classic blues material and highly recommended for any blues enthusiasts' archive.