Released 26.9.2011

This album returns Johnny to his roots by paying homage to the iconic blues heroes whose pioneering music influenced Winter’s own signature sound and style. Roots is the follow up to his Grammy-nominated I’m a Blues Man. A host of special guests join Winter trading licks in honoring his idols, including Sonny Landreth, Vince Gill, Warren Haynes, John Popper, Jimmy Vivino, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, John Medeski and Johnny’s brother Edgar Winter.
Among the 11 tracks that together represent a veritable history of the Blues, are songs by the genre’s elder statesmen including a version of Robert Johnson’s 1936 recording “Dust My Broom.” Winter pays respect to the greats who came to prominence in the late 1940s and ‘50s including Elmore James “Done Somebody Wrong,” Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Further On Up The Road” and Chuck Berry’s first hit single, “Maybellene.” Also featured is “Come Back Baby,” written by Walter Davis and made popular by Ray Charles, Jimmy Reed’s 1961 hit, “Bright Lights, Big City,” and Muddy Waters’ version of “Got My Mojo Working.” Brother Edgar guests on “Honky Tonk,” the one instrumental featured on Roots. Rounding out the collection are Little Walter’s “Last Night,” Larry Williams’ “Short Fat Fannie” and T-Bone Walker’s “T-Bone Shuffle.” This special project was directed by famed guitarist Paul Nelson who’s role is as both producer and performer on this recording.
Track listing and special guests joining Mr. Winter on Roots: 1) T-Bone Shuffle (featuring Sonny Landreth slide guitar) 2) Further On Up The Road (featuring Jimmy Vivino guitar) 3) Done Somebody Wrong (featuring Warren Haynes slide guitar) 4) Got My Mojo Workin’ 5) Last Night (featuring John Popper on harp) 6) Maybellene (featuring Vince Gill on guitar) 7) Bright Lights, Big City (featuring Susan Tedeschi on lead guitar/ vocals) 8) Honky Tonk (featuring Edgar Winter on sax) 9) Dust My Broom (featuring Derek Truckson slide guitar) 10) Short Fat Fannie (featuring Paul Nelson on guitar) 11) Come Back Baby (featuring John Medeski on organ)
About Johnny: Johnny Winter has been a guitar hero without equal. When you talk about Johnny Winter, you are talking about a person who walked ith the originators of the artform. A man who played Woodstock, jammed ith everyone from Muddy Waters to Jimi Hendrix to Willie Dixon to lbert Collins to John Lee Hooker to Janis Joplin to Steve Ray Vaughan – the list is full of endless icons. Signing to Columbia Records called largest solo artist deal of its time, Johnny immediately laid out the blueprint for his fresh take on classic blues a prime combination for the legions of fans just discovering the blues via the likes of Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton. Constantly shifting between simple country blues in the vein of Robert Johnson, to all-out electric slide guitar blues-rock – Johnny has always been one of the most respected singers and guitar players in rock and the clear link between British blues-rock and American Southern rock.
Johnny Winter has been the unofficial torch-bearer for the blues, championing and aiding the careers of his idols like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. Johnny had a special relationship with Muddy Waters and is often credited with revitalizing the legendary guitarist, where Winter produced and played on Waters’ Grammy-winning comeback album Hard Again, Grammy-winning I’m Ready (1978), Grammy-winning Muddy Mississippi Waters Live (1979) and also King Bee (1980). Johnny was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1988. Today Johnny Winter is enjoying an unparalleled resurgence performing to sold out shows worldwide even after a long life full of honors and accomplishments such as a triumphant appearance at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival with Derek Trucks, Buddy Guy and Clapton that has been immortalized on the Emmy award-winning DVD. In a ceremony with Slash presenting in Nashville, Gibson Guitars released the signature Johnny Winter Firebird guitar that has been his beloved trademark for years. A Live through the 70s DVD is a hit along with his Live Bootleg Series CDs that have all entered the Top 10 Billboard Blues charts. Two unique instructional DVDs have been produced by Cherry Lane / Hal Leonard to the gratitude of players around the world. Always one for special appearances he recently performed with the Allman Brothers at the Beacon Theater in Manhattan on the 40th anniversary of their debut. In addition Winter has been headlining such prestigious events as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Chicago Blues Festival, Swedish Rock Fest, Warren Haynes X-mas jam and Europe’s Rockpalast viewed bymillions just to name a few. Warner Bros. has now released a 40th anniversary DVD of Woodstock: 3 Days of Love and Peace the Director’s cut featuring, for the first time, Johnny playing his smoking classic “Meantown Blues.”
Winter continues to tour nationally and internationally with highly acclaimed band, performing more than 120 shows a year. His health has never been better as Winter has kicked all the demons that have been a part of his life since the ‘60s. A totally clean Winter recently toured Japan in April 2011 for his first shows ever in that country. Johnny Winter is the international ambassador for rocking Texas blues and still going strong!…. (megaforcerecords. com)