Last Sunday night (June 21st), I took advantage of a rare opportunity to see Johnny Winter in concert. To say that his that his at the Granada Theater was jaw-dropping good would be a complete understatement.  No, Johnny isn't the frenetic performing on stage that is was in the 70's.  He doesn't have to. To watch Winter walk out on stage and just start stomping out the blues was enough to still be mesmerizing. 

I am not a musician.  I don’t even play one on TV.  However, I’m one of those odd ducks that enjoy watching the techniques of great musicians as they perform their craft.  In watching Johnny do his "thang on the six strang", it’s obvious that he’s forgotten more about playing the blues than any of us would ever hope to know. Winter played his set list with such familiarity that he seldom glanced at the fret board as he played.  His long, slender fingers effortlessly flowed all over his guitar as he alternatively played lead and rhythm.

For me, the highlight of the show was Winter’s treatment of the blues standard, Red House. Watching him play the tune that Hendrix made famous made me feel that I was somehow watching a rare, historic event.  And to think his performance at Woodstock with his brother, Edgar, didn’t make the movie’s original cut!

Johnny’s band included guitarist and manager, Paul Nelson, who was almost equally as mesmerizing to watch as Winter; Scott Spray provided excellent, steady bass work while Vito Liuzzi pounded the skins as well as any great professional drummer I’ve ever heard. Consummate professionals all, their opening set almost made me forget that they were there to support Johnny Winter.

The opening act was a man that I had never heard of before but, I promise you, I’ll never forget. His name is Mike Zito and all I can say is “WOW!”.  Zito’s guitar work blew me away – especially when he performed the title cut from his latest CD, Pearl River.  There’s just something about a great guitar player that’s part of a great three piece band.  Zito joined Winter on the stage for one song but I could’ve watched them both jam all night.

Keep an eye on this guy  - he’s good – REALLY good!  While you're at it, you should probably go ahead and order Pearl River.  I'm going to.

This was the first concert I’ve experienced at the Granada Theater.  It’s an intimate and comfortable venue with comfortable chairs and dinner tables with descent food available at reasonable rates.  All of the staff that I came in contact with were helpful and friendly, making everyone feel welcome.  I’m looking forward to seeing many more shows at this place.  You should, too.

To find out if Johnny Winter is playing in your neck of the woods or to just keep up with the latest news about him, check out his website, www.johnnywinter.net. While you’re there, check out his store and bring your music library up to date.