Johnny Winter and Bushmill's 21-Year-Old Single Malt

Johnny Winter (born February 23, 1944) is an American Blues giant. I first became acquainted with his music when, as a blues loving sixteen-year-old, I purchased an album entitled, “Progressive Blues Experiment” by this little known blues guitarist. There wasn’t a single cut on the album that didn’t blow me away, and I’ve been a fan ever since. Winter toiled in relative obscurity until December, 1968 when Mike Bloomfield invited him to sing and play a song during a Bloomfield/Al Kooper concert at the Filmore East in New York. Apparently representatives of Columbia Records, which released the smash Bloomfield/Kooper Super Session album, were at the concert. Winter performed B.B. King's "It's My Own Fault" and, within a few days, was signed to a contract.

He gradually rose through the ranks hitting a pinnacle around 1970, but his career took a downturn while he recovered from a heroin addiction. By 1973, he was back on the music scene going strong. Beginning in the late 70’s he fulfilled a dream playing with Muddy Waters and actually produced three Grammy-award winning albums for him.

Both he and his brother Edgar were born with albinism, which, as causes progressive vision problems, even blindness. You can see he has problems walking on stage in the number with Butch Trucks and he remains seated during his current performances. He remains one of the greatest bluesmen to ever pick up the guitar.

Highway 61: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvNUTqDJJaI

Be careful with a fool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tyg5SJDpiQ

Sound of the bell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1E1EH6bXfA

Mojo Boogie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL2UY2Uq7Tk

Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM7Z5aKBjWM&feature=related

Mean Town Blues (Woodstock, 1969): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6XTCuPDrqE&feature=related

Jumpin Jack Flash: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQPlU5q1CBI

Dust My Broom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDijzVJkK-M

Still alive and Well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdB3msFJWyM

Rock Me Baby: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s14EhF3PiE

Bad Girl Blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwtbno7ciC4&feature=related

Good Time Woman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc4YAr42G78&feature=related

Going Down Slow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1YwVrxC7Hc

Rollin and Tumblin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js8bASk_mxE

A hard driving blues playing guitarist like Johnny Winters doesn’t really go with any wine that I know. So I’m going to step out of character and pair him with a very special Irish Whiskey, one that I’ve only sipped in bars as it’s about $120.00 a bottle and I don’t normally drink whiskey. However, Bushmills 21 Year-Old Single Malt (yes, I too, was surprised to see Irish whiskey’s come in single malts) is quite exceptional. As the name implies, it’s aged for 21 years through a complex process moving from bourbon barrels to sherry casks and finally Madeira drums for the finishing touches. I’m not a connoisseur of the nuances of whiskeys, but to me, this one is exceptionally smooth with a nose and palate of pecans, butterscotch, and a touch of honey. As I said, I’m no expert, but I could be convinced to pop for a bottle of this. And trust me, it’ll mate perfectly with the music of Johnny Winter.

Cheers!

Chickenfoot & Arista Toboni Pinot Noir

Chickenfoot is a supergroup made up of former Van Halen Band members Sammy Hagar (vocals) and Michael Anthony (bass), Guitar god Joe Satriani, , Red Hot Chili Peppers Drummer Chad Smith.  Hagar, Anthony, and Smith were fooling around jamming at a club when someone asked them when they were going on tour. They needed a guitarist, and Sammy wanted the best, so he approached Satriani. While each of them have their own careers, the main motivation for Chickenfoot is four guys having fun. As for their music, it’s kinda like Godzilla on Red Bull. Get ready to rock!

Oh Yeah: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKkxxLEBwBo

Soap on a Rope: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNr-fnz0fXY&feature=related

Sexy little thing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPLe15wOP5Q&feature=related

Big foot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZwfakOO9ck&feature=related

Down the drain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd0qVum3ElY&feature=related

My kinda girl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3LMaaSrLWc&feature=related

Avenida Revolution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8A3bD-uzxM&feature=related

Bitten by the wolf: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mubjv6apvC4&feature=related

Learning to fall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3vJXEjmJjs&feature=related

Future in the past: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A16ghCx2cKc&feature=related

Get it up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKe4zO20syQ&feature=related

Highway star: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vzfSi0pxu8&feature=related

Haven’t posted for a while as I’ve been traveling and then caught a bug that’s had me down for a week. But while I was traveling, I tried a few wines that I probably couldn’t afford by the bottle. I got in late to San Francisco and the only place open for food was the hotel bar where I had a glass (actually two) of a 2006 Arista Toboni Pinot Noir ($12.00/glass but the bartenders were extremely generous with what they considered a glass. They were probably about 8oz each). The wine was a deep ruby red with aromas of cherry pie, vanilla, and a touch of cinnamon. Good structure with flavors of bing cherries that transitioned into darker berryland. The Toboni was silky smooth and a nice way to cap a long flight. However, I think I’m going to have to drink something with a higher alcohol content tonight to help kill whatever is living in my chest, sinuses, and throat. Maybe Cognac. Die you gravy sucking bugs!

Cheers!

Bruce Cockburn & Château Cadillac Cuvée du Pin Franc

Bruce Cockburn, born May 27, 1945, is one of the finest folk singer/guitarists of the modern day. His style ranges from jazz to rock to folk and is infused with poignant lyrics that harken back to the days of protests against the Viet Nam war. But he pushes the concept farther to protest the stupidity of any war.   

Raised as an agnostic, Bruce became a devout Christian early in his career and many of his recordings from the 70s refer to his Christian beliefs, which forms the core of his concerns for human rights and environmentalism expressed in his later works. Through the 1980s Cockburn's songwriting became more urban, more global, and then more political; he became heavily involved with progressive causes. These concerns became more evident in 1984, with Cockburn's US radio hit, “If I Had a Rocket Launcher.” He wrote the song a year earlier following a visit to Guatemalan refugee camps in Mexico that were attacked by Guatemalan Helicopter gunships.

More recently, Bruce added two more awards, contemporary album of the year and solo artist of the year, to his long list of honors. And lastly, for you guitar buffs, Bruce plays acoustic guitars custom made by fellow Canadian Linda Manzer.

Pacing the cage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAcqr3MYMmM

The last night of the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02TUsZzF6es

If I had a rocket launcher: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOjHior0RfU&feature=related

Lovers in a dangerous time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKjgJ3oLJqE&feature=related

Iris of the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XCw4juhAdI&feature=related

Call it democracy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68zccrskOqQ

After the rain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ8X8YvKLAY&feature=related

Incandescent blue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URRkJv2RY_E&feature=related

Wondering where the lions are: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL4CdHd9ma4

Night train: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvPYnYup47I&feature=related

Get up Jonah: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bwlLGsl-TY&feature=related

Maybe the poet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcUiOADXfsI&feature=related

Drive away: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGQL21dIUAA&feature=related

Château Cadillac has become one of my favorite Bordeaux Supérieur producers. The estate crafts excellent-quality wines for the price, but its 2009 vintage stands out as one of its recent best. This wine has an abundance of fruit and spice and the perfect balance of concentration and complexity. Unfortunately, it’s not often found in the U.S., but check on line as I did/do.

Cadillac's wines are Merlot driven, 70 percent in this case, with smaller portions of Cabernet Sauvignon (28 percent) and Cabernet Franc (2 percent) rounding out the blend. Given the spectacular 2009 vintage, the fruit was more complex and intense than usual, allowing winemaker Patrick Soye to use a higher percentage of new oak barrels for this wine, providing great spice and long, gorgeous length.

While its price ($16.00) may imply that it's a Tuesday-evening sipper, this Bordeaux is really much more. Pair this at your next dinner party with steak or duck, gift it to a good friend and certainly park a few bottles in your cellar for savoring later.

The 2009 Château Cadillac Cuvée du Pin Franc is a dark brick-red, with an intense, spicy nose of plum, cherry, boysenberry, anise and earth. It’s a medium-bodied wine, soft on the palate, with round, berry-fruit flavors complemented by vanilla, cocoa and a touch of oak. Soft, silky tannins lead to a smooth, round finish on black cherry flavors. It’s a great choice for kicking back on the weekend with the music of Bruce Cockburn.

Cheers!

Joe Bonamassa & Storybrook Mountain Zinfandel

It’s been a loooonnnngggg week and nothing helps me unwind better than some driving blues guitar, and Joe Bonamassa is one of the premier blues guitarists around. He was born and raised in New Hartford, NY, where his parents owned and ran a guitar shop. With a great-grandfather and grandfather who both played trumpet, and a father who plays guitar, Bonamassa credits his parents with fostering an appreciation of music in his life as early as he can remember. When he was a young child, he would listen to his parents' record collection, and recalls sitting with his parents on Saturdays, listening to Guitar Slim, Bonnie Rait, Jethro Tull, Eric Clapton, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.

He received his first guitar from his father at the age of 4, and by age 7 he was playing Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix. He cites three recordings as his biggest influences: John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton, Rory Gallagher’s Irish Tour, and Cream’s Goodbye. As he says in the interview in the second to last link below, one day his father brought home a tape of Cream’s Goodbye concert at the Royal Albert Hall. He watched everything Clapton did and later learned the licks by heart. Life in the blues lane took off after that.

The last two links will take you to Joe’s entire 2011 two hour concert at the Royal Albert Hall. If you like the blues, you’re gonna like Joe.

Blues Deluxe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn09Xn9JF5s

Last Kiss: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0lIZHspjXU&feature=related

Stop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWty_lD1ZLA&feature=related

Sloe Gin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46UFXQVSnKs&feature=related

Woke up dreaming: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry4NCejMZ7E&feature=related

Had to cry today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IN-qpLNQ3w&feature=related

Dustbowl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDH8Zl09pCw

Acoustic Medley: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gItGaQBzsYQ&feature=related

Lonesome road blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10RyetlCG0g&feature=related

One of these days: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amPWsd4Sv54&feature=related

Just got paid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0APsJ9U3N0&feature=related

Cradle rock: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW6fFNkeNc0&feature=related

Royal Albert Hall Concert Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIXAywCS5Vs&feature=related

Royal Albert Hall Concert Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhWzpTMgNSU&feature=related

I’m pairing Joe with a 2008 Storybrook Mountain Mayacamas Range Zinfandel ($24.00). This wine is normally about $34.00, but my wine shop had a sale, so it qualifies for my review. It’s also one of my favorite Zins. The wine is deep purple with a bouquet of fresh picked blackberries tinged with exotic spices. The flavor is full of sweet blackberries, tart raspberries, and vibrant strawberries with black pepper accents. After a long week, this is the perfect wine for unwinding with some of the best blues guitar you’ll ever hear. Enjoy!

Cheers!

Alain Caron & Chad Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

I feels like this week just keeps dragging on and on, so who better to kick us through the last two days of the week than one of my favorite bassists, namely the Canadian Alain Caron. Alain’s career took off when he won an amateur music contest at the age of 11. At the age of 14 he discovered jazz, the musical style that became his passion in life.

In 1977, he began playing with a group of musicians who eventually formed the super fusion band UZEB. The group called Montreal its home and Alain began doing side work as a studio musician and jamming in jazz clubs when the group was idle. Eventually, this self-taught musician found his way to Boston’s Berklee School of Music where he performed nightly with the likes of David Kikovsky, Tom Harrell, Sal Nestico, Frank Tiberi, Jerry Bergonzi, and Bob Moses.

He returned to Montreal to focus mainly on UZEB as the group gradually evolved into a more mature band, playing sophisticated fusion. Between 1981 and 1990 UZEB recorded ten albums and sold over 400,000 copies, performing concerts in more than 20 countries.

Caron has toured with Mike Stern, Frank Gambale, Biréli Lagrène, Didier Lockwood, Tiger Okoshi, Billy Cobham, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Dennis Chambers, Alex Acuna, Don Alias and Gino Vannelli performing concerts in more than 30 countries

In 2007 The University of Quebec, awarded him an honorary doctorate and he is the only musician to have ever received this honor. As of today, Alain has released more than 20 records, solo or with the group UZEB as well as 25 recordings with collaborators or as a guest artist. He was ranked Best Bass player for 10 years in the row by magazine The Jazz Report. I could go on and on, but I think his music says it all. Enjoy!

Turkey loose:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5uin7Clzs4

No left turn on Tuesday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-Vbc4MOsq0&feature=related

Signal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1mhfXJp-y4&feature=related

Slam the clown: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bu8TVgRJtk&feature=related

D-Code: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL1Vc5-YHh4&feature=related

Solitude: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-ZuraldENM&feature=related

Trouble: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxwU0T52aY4&feature=related

Feel the bass day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR-oOUFWzxE&feature=related

Grand Café: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92j-4PSjd6g&feature=related

Cross Checking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4c_BlnZHVg&feature=related

The Bump: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-XoF9P9Cm4&feature=related

Donna Lee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK4Z1JFUX-g&feature=related

I’m pairing Alain with a 2009 Chad Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve from Napa Valley. Chad makes spectacular Cab’s and this one is especially good. The deep purple wine explodes with a bouquet of raspberry and boysenberry. It’s dense on the attack with lots of purple fruit, cassis, and supple tannins.  I bought a case of it thinking it would last through the winter. It won’t. It’s a wonderful pick-me-up for a dreary week, especially paired with the music of Alain Caron. Enjoy!

Cheers!