It's a cold Thursday winter night, and I'm off to the Phoenix Concert Theatre for what’s advertised as "An Evening of Blues You'll Never Forget." Legendary Texas guitar slinger Johnny Winter is playing a rare Toronto performance. I've seen a lot of blues artists over the years, but Johnny has always slipped through my fingers. So, hearing him live for the first time is a big deal. The show will open with special guests: one of Canada’s greatest guitarists, David Gogo from Nanaimo, B.C., and London, Ontario, sax man Chris Murphy and his band.
When I arrived at the Phoenix, there were only a handful of people in the large room, but it soon started to fill up. I instantly noticed that the crowd was made up mostly of the older generation—mostly men—fans who had grown up with the Johnny Winter sound. Scattered throughout were a few younger men, probably future guitar wannabes. By the time the Chris Murphy Band got on stage, a fairly large crowd had gathered. Chris, who’s featured on a number of local recordings and has a new CD coming out soon, has a decent voice and can blow that horn with the best of 'em. He began his performance with a tribute to one of his favourite sax players, Motown recording artist Jr. Walker, then honked his way into the New Orleans standard "Sick and Tired." Gary Kendall on bass sang an early Eddie Jones, a.k.a. Guitar Slim, tune, "Certainly All." Chris had the crowd stirring with his version of "Gonna Rock Tonight." After their rockin' set, it was time for the band to retire and make way for David Gogo.
By the time David Gogo hit the stage with his four-piece band, the theatre had reached standing-room-only status. I should mention, though, that there wasn't a single chair to rest on in the main floor area—only a few in the upper balcony. David started ripping into his sunburst Gibson SG with "Going Down to Louisiana / Mojo Hand," his vocals sounding powerful, thanks to the vintage Shure microphone near his lips. The tempo slowed down for "It's A Man's World," and after switching to a Les Paul Jr., he cut into "Do What You Wanna Do." Grabbing his ever-popular Montreal Canadiens-decaled Stratocaster, he played "Do What You Wanna Do" again. It was time to boogie with Magic Sam’s "I Feel So Good." Then, with a slide on his finger, he did "Hoochie Coochie Man," the Muddy Waters classic. At one point, he slid a beer bottle up and down the neck of the guitar and ended the song with a long picking solo. David Gogo showed everyone why he's one of the finest guitarists this country has to offer. But the time had come to close the curtains once again for the main act of the night: Johnny Winter.
The drapes opened for the final time, and Johnny Winter was introduced to the waiting crowd. They began to cheer, knowing he was the man they had come to hear. The Lone Star legend from Texas walked across the stage with the aid of a cane, looking quite frail. But once he settled into his chair, yelled out a "Yeah!" and struck the first notes of Freddie King's instrumental "Hideaway," he took hold of both the stage and the audience. While this wasn’t the Johnny Winter of old, it was clear we were going to get some straight-ahead blues from this band—and they were the perfect band to back Johnny. With James Montgomery on vocals and harmonica, Scott Spray on bass , and Wayne June on vocals and drums, they brought old-time rhythm to Johnny’s vocals and guitar playing. Johnny broke into two of my favourite tunes from the past, delivering great versions of Lazy Lester's "Sugar Coated Love" and Frankie Lee Sims’ "Boogie Real Low." Throughout the set, James Montgomery took the lead with some impressive harp licks and sang James Cotton’s "Good Time Charlie," Bo Diddley’s "Mona," and "Got My Mojo Working"—first recorded by Ann Cole and later popularised by Muddy Waters. Drummer Wayne June contributed as well, performing the timeless Jimmy Wilson classic, "Tin Pan Alley." Johnny also played Fats Domino's '50s hit "Sick and Tired," and the early '60s track for which Johnny has become known: "Johnny Guitar," originally recorded by Johnny "Guitar" Watson. Of course, with the crowd roaring, Johnny had to come back for an encore. He strapped on his iconic Gibson Firebird, grabbed a slide, and thanked the audience with his closing tune, "Sure Had a Wonderful Time." And indeed, everyone at the Phoenix sure did.
The night's performance by all the bands proved that classic blues is still alive and well, enjoyed by many in a world filled with so much "now" music. Was it a night as advertised? I think so—three great blues bands sticking to traditional songs, and finally, I got to see and hear one of the legends of the blues, Johnny Winter.
At the end of the night, I noticed plastic cups everywhere—the crowd must have consumed a large amount of beverages to quench their thirst for the blues. It was then I knew: it was going to be a hot Winter.
Sail on...
Eddy B
