Edgar Winter, Brother Johnny, album cover

Edgar Winter

By Mike O’Cull

Rock immortal Edgar Winter and Quarto Valley Records have teamed up to release Brother Johnny, an absolutely blazing all-star tribute album dedicated to Edgar’s equally-immortal sibling, deceased blues guitar legend Johnny Winter.

Set to come out April 15th, 2022, the record boasts a “who’s who” of A-List musicians who either knew or were inspired by Johnny performing new renditions of songs taken from Johnny’s large body of work. Two new Edgar Winter tunes are also part of the sequence. In addition to Edgar, the album contains appearances from the likes of Joe Bonamassa, Doyle Bramhall II, John McFee, Robben Ford, Billy Gibbons, David Grissom, Taylor Hawkins, Warren Haynes, Steve Lukather, Michael McDonald, Keb’ Mo’, Doug Rappoport, Bobby Rush, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Ringo Starr, Derek Trucks, Waddy Wachtel, Joe Walsh, Phil X, and Gregg Bissonette. Producer Ross Hogarth did a fine job of capturing the many hot combinations that emerged from this talent pool and the set ended up being everything you’d want it to be and more.

Though new to us, this record has actually been brewing for quite some time. Edgar was first approached about it shortly after his brother passed away on July 16, 2014 after playing what would be his final gig at the Cahors Blues Festival in France. “Many people immediately started trying to convince me to do a Johnny Winter tribute album,” Edgar explains, “But I was totally devastated, and the timing just didn’t feel right to me. It wasn’t until after I completed the Rock ‘N’ Blues Fest, a tour we were meant to do together with our respective bands, that the idea of a tribute record started to take form.”

Eventually, Edgar connected with Bruce Quarto, founder and owner of Quarto Valley Records. Quarto was and remains a loyal and enthusiastic fan of Johnny, classic rock, and blues music. It was his positive energy that made Edgar realize that the time to pay musical respects to his departed brother had finally arrived.

The record that Edgar and Quarto brought to life is jam-packed with high-powered interpretations of some of Johnny Winter’s best-loved songs from the best musicians in the business. “Mean Town Blues” is a snarling blues/rocker with Joe Bonamassa ripping on slide guitar and the hard-hitting drums of Gregg Bissonette. Edgar’s vocals top the track off perfectly and push the band well past the boiling point.

Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” long a staple of JW’s repertoire, gets positively lit up by Edgar and Joe Walsh on lead vocals, Bob Glaub on bass, and the always-combustible David Grissom on guitar. Grissom takes full control of this one, playing those licks we love with power and his own originality. It’s a big blast of true rock and roll that Johnny would have loved to hear done in his honor.

“Highway 61 Revisited” rocks just as hard with guitarists Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Doobie Brother John McFee providing the six-stringed fuel. Edgar shines on piano and lead vocals, making Dylan’s quasi-biblical lyrics sound as apocalyptic as ever. His voice is still all there and he gives the impression that he’s ready to sing for another 50 years. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Hoochie Koo” is an instant transport to 70s rock heaven until super-guitarist Steve Lukather sends it into outer space with a solo that’s better experienced than explained. The performances on these tracks are uniformly superb and every player involved clearly did their best to honor one of the top blues artists to ever come out of Texas.

Other outstanding cuts on Brother Johnny include “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Stormy Monday Blues,” and Edgar’s new song “End Of The Line.” A record like this is the ultimate tribute that could be expressed to an artist of Johnny Winter’s stature and every cut here sizzles with the same kind of intensity Winter put down every time he touched his guitar. Prepare to love it at first listen.

Pre-order Brother Johnny here 

Listen to “Mean Town Blues”