 |
| |
|
I just keep learning about music all the time. I'm very lucky and blessed that I get to play music and do something I like for a living. It never ceases to amaze me how much there is to music. -Steve Winwood |
|
|
| |
|
Photo of Blind Faith
"Something I've strived to do since the early Traffic days is combine different elements of music – rock, folk, jazz – to try and create something that's different. That's something I've always tried to do, and still try for to this day," says Winwood. "In many respects, I'm a rock musician but I'm not sure the music I play is rock. The intention is to share one's musical mind but whether I always achieve that or not I'm not sure [laughs."
 Winwood & Clapton :: 02.25.08 :: MSG by Gene Shaw |
Winwood recently reunited with Eric Clapton in a series of shows that revisited their Blind Faith material for the first time in a serious way since the early '70s. Given the band's abrupt, fractious end, for many fans that project always seemed like unfinished business.
"It was. I think Blind Faith came unstuck a bit when we played live. We came under a lot of pressure from executives to modify the music when we played live, and that was our undoing in many ways because it led to a lot of dissatisfaction," observes Winwood. "I think we did manage to get on the record what was our initial idea for the band. Luckily, the record sort of stands up for what we wanted to achieve."
"For Eric and I, the question was raised early on when we were planning these shows about whether this would or would not be a Blind Faith reunion. It was decided that it wouldn't be," continues Winwood. "It was a re-collaboration between Eric and myself that would allow us to touch on music from throughout both of our careers and not just limited to Blind Faith."
A number of his compositions like "Low Spark" and "Dear Mr. Fantasy" have become part of the fabric of the jam band world, taking on new lives in the hands of other musicians.
"I'm quite happy for other bands to cover my material," says Winwood. "It's interesting to hear other people play my songs. For instance, when we did Jim Capaldi's tribute concert a couple years ago there were lots of guests on tunes Jim and I had written together. Through other people's interpretations of them I actually learned quite a bit. And the other day we did the [David] Letterman show and they've got a great band that was playing versions of my songs. I listened to how they approached them and then later perhaps I may use a little bit of what they do in my approach to these songs."
 Steve Winwood |
Winwood holds an electric guitar on the cover of Nine Lives, a reminder of his six-string prowess. Though much more recognized as a keyboardist, his affinity for guitar, and sometimes blinding skill with one, goes back to the very beginning of his musical life.
"The last album, About Time [2003], was the first time I didn't play guitar at all. So, on this one I felt it was okay to have the guitar, though I'm still playing quite a bit of organ," Winwood says. "It doesn't always work in my favor that I'm both a guitarist and a keyboardist. People don't know what to think of me as. One thing I love about the [Hammond] B-3 is it enables me to play the bass on it at the same time, which gives me a bit more control over the sound of the band."
This summer will find Winwood on the road with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers starting May 30 in Grand Rapids, MI. Plans are already in place for the two bands to intermingle during this tour, so we can begin speculating on what "I'm A Man" might sound like with Petty belting out the machismo or how "Forty Thousand Headmen" would change with Mike Campbell guesting on guitar or even how "Runnin' Down A Dream" could pick up speed with Winwood chapping the Heartbreakers asses on guitar or organ. Happy thoughts all.
"We got the offer from Tom to open for him, and it will be interesting to see how his audience reacts to what I'm doing. I know it's a slightly different demographic so we'll see what happens with that," laughs Winwood.
On a brave new morning, smiling at the sky
Every shadow of the past whispers goodbye
There is hope, if you can see
Here's a slice of vintage Winwood with Traffic doing "Dear Mr. Fantasy" live in Santa Monica in 1972:
And here's he is with Eric Clapton and Derek Trucks doing "Can't Find My Way Home" at the 2007 Crossroads Festival:
JamBase | Worldwide
Go See Live Music!
| 