If the latest reviews of his performances are any indication, the Winwood that old fans will witness is a well-rested, spiritually secure veteran who has released his first new album, “About Time,” in six years. The CD release finds the former keyboard and guitar wunderkind following his own muse that is not that different from what fans of the erstwhile Traffic experienced before the group disbanded: exotic musicianship with imagery-laden, quasi-spiritual lyrics, driven by soulful jazzed up grooves bolstered by riffs from Winwood’s ever-present Hammond B-3 and piano, with an occasional display of guitar superstardom.
With him onstage will be José Neto on guitar, Jay Davidson on saxophone and flute, Karl Vanden Bossche on percussion and Richard Bailey on drums.
Beginning in the early sixties and lasting through nearly four decades, Winwood has remained a respected rock artist and musical innovator. After a celebrated time with the Spencer Davis Group (“Gimme Some Lovin’”), Winwood formed the formidable quartet Traffic, whose albums cut a unique path between progressive rock and pop. Following a slight diversion to be one of the superstars of Blind Faith, Winwood created three more Traffic albums and began a successful solo career that extended the groove-based music of Traffic’s latter days.
According to press releases, About Time is meant to be a “fresh, contemporary” album that has the B-3 at is core, replacing the bass guitar as the provocateur of pace.
“A couple of years ago I decided that I was going to make a record without a bass player,” said Winwood. “That in itself, just making that decision, immediately dictated the sound and flavor of the record…I was keen to take the style of those early organists like Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, and Groove Holmes, who were brilliant exponents of the style known as ‘kicking the B,’ and combine that with elements of World Music and Rock.”
The musicians he chose to play with reflect that kind of thinking, while adding a jazz feel to the proceedings. Guitarist Neto has spent time with Latin percussionist Airto Moreira and singer Flora Purim. Drummer Reyes played on Traffic’s 1994 tour. On the album, the trio plays alone on four of the songs, with Denson on flute and saxophone on a couple of the tracks and, on the remaining six songs, Vanden Bossche and Bailey on additional percussion.
And then there was the recording itself, meant to be a clear reflection of the rich experience of live performance.
“It was a different experience for me. Just putting people in a studio and setting microphones up,” said Winwood. “It sounds a bit stupid really because that’s what recorded music should be about…It was the first time in 27 years that I recorded tracks without loops or a click. I was keen to pare down the album’s sound to its primary elements and I feel this strategy…has contributed a lot of life and vibrancy to the music on About Time.”
The concert in Milwaukee is the last of a 28-concert, 26-city tour that began in late May.
Photos courtesy of Steve Winwood
Powered by AkoComment 2.0!
