Johnny Winter
Roots

Music must speak for itself, nothing else matters. The artist should be recognized for their creative and emotional qualities, and everything else should take a back seat. But finding oneself (figuratively) in front of an albino redneck, on the brink of anorexia, and with a peculiar gaze might spark innate curiosity. Johnny Winter, the redneck in question, has represented a steady point in American blues rock for several decades, from the glory between the '60s and '70s to the honesty of his recent works. Today, in his sixties and with more than one foot in the nursing home, he continues to passionately deliver classic blues, directly retrieved "from the roots".

This "Roots" (2011) is a collection of classics reinterpreted by the Texan with the collaboration of friends/colleagues/relatives, and in a handful of tracks, he reminds us how a screeching guitar, an exhausted voice, and the classic twelve bars can stir the soul. Especially noteworthy are the opener "T-Bone Shuffle," this version of Muddy Waters' "Got My Mojo Workin'" (always a mentor to Winter), and the participation of his brother Edgar on saxophone. Clear production, laid-back atmosphere.

The high-volume live rocker is dead (too many years of excess have undermined his already fragile physique), and he has been resurrected in classic attire. Let’s hope he gives us many more years of delightful nostalgia.