photos by Greg Cristman

The career of Texas-born blues guitarist Johnny Winter has known its share of peaks and valleys. He was signed to Columbia Records in 1969 and has left an enormous footprint in the genre of blues-based rock, working and performing with folks like Jimi Hendrix, Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton.
But Winter has also been sidetracked by hard drugs, depression and management problems. Moving past all that proved the toughest challenge of his life, but he's now been clean for several years, and his guitar licks have benefited. [The Wire]

...clean for several years and reportedly now even off the metahdone. His 2011 schedule will have him all over North America and Europe, and at B.B. King Blues Club in NYC two more times this month. It's where he played on 1/4 and 11/11 with Andy Aledort (who is Guitar World's senior editor and plays guitar for Dickey Betts among other things). The pictures in this post are from the last NYC show and they continue below...

Continue reading "Johnny Winter & Andy Aledort @ BB King's (pics)"

"As this years holiday gift, Johnny Winter was told by his Guitarist/Manager Paul Nelson (2011 KBA recipient) that he had been slowly lowering his methadone dosage for 3 years without Johnny's knowledge and, as a result, Johnny is completely off of his 40 year addiction as of 8 months ago and is finally drug free! Johnny could not be more amazed, happier and healthier..." [Blues Foundation]

Your dad's favorite legendary blues guitarist Johnny Winter will be spending a large amount of 2011 on the road. He kicks things off this Tuesday, 1/4, at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, and he returns to the NYC venue three times this month for what has been dubbed "4 Weeks Of Winter...The Johnny Winter Residency" (January 4, 11, 18 & 25). All dates below...

Continue reading "Johnny Winter reportedly drug free for first time in 40 years, touring (dates)"

photos by Graeme Flegenheimer

"From the moment you set foot inside the main gate at the Fair Grounds Race Course, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is like a music and food lover's "Choose Your Own Adventure" novel, with nearly every option inciting pure sonic and culinary bliss. A morning beignet in the Gospel Tent with Arthur Clayton & Purposely Anointed? A lazy afternoon perked up by some Crawfish Monica and the Drive-By Truckers joined by Booker T? How about a stroll to the Gentilly Stage for the sounds of Spoon and the Dirty Dozen horns, stopping for a quick bowl of gumbo along the way? Etta James and a Soft Shell Crab Po-Boy, anyone? All signs point to yes...

...Now in its 40th year, the 2009 edition of Jazz Fest continues to ramp up post-Hurricane Katrina, expanding to its full complement of 12 stages, up from nine last year, and seven days, up from six in recent years. The event's first of two weekends boasted music from nearly 200 acts, including the likes of Dave Matthews Band, Crescent City native Wynton Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Joe Cocker, Erykah Badu, James Taylor, Earth Wind and Fire, Pete Seeger, Hugh Masekela, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Etta James and many more." [All About Jazz]

Jazz Fest ran from April 24-26 & April 30-May 3 at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, LA. More pictures from the first weekend of the festival below...

Continue reading "a set of pictures from New Orleans Jazz Fest 2009 "