NOV. 7-13, 2013 NISWONGER Unwrap Entertainment BLISS! SONOS HANDBELL ENSEMBLE Sunday e DEC. 1 --------------------------- Cover Story • Johnny Winter -------------------------- e3:00 PM eTONY ORLANDO CHRISTMAS Saturday DEC. 7 Back Under the Bright Lights 7:30 PM By Mark Hunter products Nelson’s unwavering friendship started in the aftermath of a glowing feature and guidance as they are of Winter’s repu- in Rolling Stone magazine. e For a time there was no brighter light tation and masterful guitar work. Nelson, a From there Winter settled in. The next DAVE KOZ & FRIENDS CHRISTMAS in the blues-rock galaxy than Johnny Win- Berklee College of Music graduate, first met year he released his self-titled debut, which ter. In the late 1960s and early 70s Winter Winter in 2000 while both were recording in featured original, rock n’ roll tunes alongside Tuesday blazed across the sky like a comet, earning the same studio. blues classics like King’s “Be Careful With DEC. 10 comparisons to Jimi Hendrix for his blazing “We had met at a big studio on the East a Fool” and Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Good 7:30 PM style and Eric Clapton for his ability to blend coast,” Nelson said, recalling their first Morning Little School Girl.” Winter played blues and rock into a cohesive art form. meeting. “I was recording for the WWF, and at Woodstock in 69 and in 70 released John- Winter eventually drifted from view. Health Johnny heard me in the other room. He came ny Winter Live And, his most famous record. e problems took their toll. But like a comet, in and told me he liked the way I played and After that he fell apart, becoming addicted to POINT OF GRACE CHRISTMAS he’s coming back around. His 2011 release asked if I’d play on the album he was record- heroin and dropping into a deep depression. Roots featured guests such Sonny Landreth, ing. When we got into the studio to record Though he continued touring and recording, Sunday Warren Haynes, Susan Tedeschi and Derek together, a musical friendship blossomed it wasn’t the same old Johnny Winter. His DEC. 15 Trucks. His next release, Step Back, comes friendship with Muddy Waters led to Winter 7:30 PM out in December and again features a host of producing albums for Waters in the mid 70s, legends, including Clapton, Billy Gibbons, JOHNNY WINTER one winning a Grammy and another getting e Lesley West, Joe Bonamassa, Mark Knop- 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15 nominated. fler and Brian Setzer. At 69, Winter is once “That was fun,” Winter said. “I’d known TICKETS: 419-238-6722 again lighting up the cosmos. C2G Music Hall Muddy since the late 60s. I knew his stuff npacvw.org Johnny Winter and his excellent band 323 W. Baker St., Fort Wayne backwards and forward. I knew everything come to Fort Wayne’s C2G Music Hall on Tix: $39.50 adv., $44 d.o.s, about him. In the studio, he wanted to do ev- Friday November 15. It will be an all-blues erything in two takes. And he did. I’ve been eEnjoy The View Close To The Stage. thru Wooden Nickel Music show, with the exception of a few rock hits very lucky.” CLOSER THAN YOU THINK thrown in for good measure. And it will be a Stores, Ticketmaster His health problems persisted, and show you won’t want to miss. when he and Nelson met up, Winter was FT. WAYNE Winter is not writing new material. In- & www.c2gmusichall.com having problems walking and weighed just stead he is retracing the songs that got him 90 pounds. With Nelson’s help and encour- interested in the blues, and from the sound and that bloomed into a friendship. It just agement, Winter got sober and his health US RT 127 US RT VAN WERT of it, he’s having a great time getting back happened. I had studied with Steve Vai and improved. Since then things have looked to his roots. I spoke with Winter and Paul Steve Khan. Johnny just happened to be in up. In 2004 his CD I’m a Bluesman earned US RT 30 Nelson, who is his manager and producer as the studio that day.” a Grammy nomination, and he’s released a well as guitarist with Winter’s band, about Nelson knew all of Winter’s music, he series of live records. He’s been touring at a Roots and the current arc of Winter’s career. said, and he jumped at the chance to record heavy pace, making regular circuits of North LIMA Roots does not revolve around show- with the man who had produced Grammy- America and Europe. boating on the guitar or anything flashy. It’s winning records for Muddy Waters. Win- The pairing with Nelson has proved a simply a fabulous recording of blues stan- ter’s gotten to know all of the blues greats of good one, both sonically and professionally. dards played with love and affection for the the 50s and 60s, starting in 1962 with B. B. Nelson said he understands Winter’s style music. King. Johnny and his brother, the equally tal- and knows what to do with it. “I’ve been playing those songs since the ented sax and keyboard player Edgar Winter, “I know how to let him breathe,” Nelson 50s,” Winter told me, his Texas drawl mak- went to see B.B. King at a club in Beaumont, said. “Back in the day when he was playing ing his sentences seem like one long word. Texas. Johnny, just 17 at the time, convinced the rock stuff, he really didn’t like that stuff. “I know all those songs really well.” the King to let him play a few songs during Cutting heads and so on. Johnny didn’t like Winter’s fluid, steady guitar work and the legend’s set. Johnny Winter Live. We get along musically. his subdued vocals allow the songs to stand “He didn’t know if I could play or not,” I leave a lot of space for him.” on their own well-known legs while mak- Winter said. “I wouldn’t have let me play, but As for Winter, he doesn’t see much dif- ing them sound fresh. A neat trick. “T-Bone I bugged the crap out of him and he handed ference in how he plays. Shuffle,” “Further On Up The Road,” “May- me his guitar. After that we played quite a bit “It’s about the same thing,” he said. “I NISWONGER belline,” “Short Fat Fannie” and the rest of together. Newport in 69. Crossroads. We’ve haven’t really changed what I’m doing. I 10700 SR 118 S . Van Wert . OH the tracks come off like old friends who’ve remained friends for 50 years.” haven’t written anything for a long time. I npacvw.org 419-238-NPAC settled into themselves while retaining the Six years later Winter received what was hope to write some stuff just haven’t had any spark that made you like them in the first then the largest deal for a solo artist, a whop- new ideas. It would be nice to come up with f You Tube place. ping $600,000, when he signed with Colum- some original stuff.” Both Roots and Step Back are as much bia Records, the spoils of a bidding war that Take your time, Johnny. We’ll be here. 2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- www.whatzup.com ------------------------------------------------------------November 7, 2013 whatzup Volume 18, Number 15 ARTLINK ablo Picasso had his Blue Period. whatzup? We’ve got our Blues Issue, and you’re holding it in your hands. We’ve got a veritable blues/rock guitar legend on our cover – the one and only Johnny Re•Sale Winter.P And on the inside we’ve got a couple of ladies who bring a whole new flavor to the genre – first, British-born guitar phenom Joanne Shaw A sale of quality works of art Taylor; and next, our own Kat Bowser, who (in between gigs paying trib- as well as other unique items! ute to Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd) is putting the finishing touches on a blues album at Sweetwater Sound. You might call that a plethora of blues, and all of it makes for some A wide variety of items including mighty fine reading courtesy of Mark Hunter, Evan Gillespie and Michele original artworks by artists, art DeVinney. So read those stories (on pages 2, 4 and 5, respectively), and supplies and other unique items. then move on to our Picks for the week (Man on Earth and Satisfactzion To donate items call Artlink, 260- with Mickey Factz on page 10), and then scour the calendars and perhaps 424-7195. Proceeds raised will read the theatrical previews and reviews on pages 18 and 19. And don’t benefit Artlink’s programming. forget the ads. They’re informative, and they help keep the lights on at World Headquarters. So figure out where to go and what to do and mark your calendar (whether on paper or in the cloud) accordingly. All we ask in return for all the good November 8, 2013 stuff we bring you each week is that you help us spread the word by telling 6-9 p.m. everyone you meet when you’re out and about that whatzup sent you. Sale will continue on Saturday, November 9, 12-6 p.m. • features DIRECTOR’S NOTES ......................18 9 to 5: The Musical CURTAIN CALL ...............................19 300 E.