Before his death earlier this year, Johnny Winter recorded one last album, a collection of blues standards featuring some famous collaborators. That album, Step Back, is coming out this fall on Megaforce Records, but fans eager to hear Johnny’s guitar one more time can give a listen to the first song released from the album right now: an electric version of the Elmore James classic “Can’t Hold Out (Talk To Me Baby).”
Winter is as great as ever on the song, singing with gravelly, bluesy aplomb. Harper, as we all know, can hold his own on these kinds of songs, and his smooth, soulful voice acts as a great counterpoint to Winter. You can listen to the song now on Rolling Stone‘s website.
Harper also wrote a tribute to Winter for RS in which he described the guitarist’s impact on his career: “The blues means everything to me, and Johnny Winter meant everything to the blues. There is not one note, lick or riff that I will ever play that doesn’t owe an unpayable debt to Johnny Winter. I play the way I play because I couldn’t play like Johnny Winter.” You can read the whole tribute here.
Step Back comes out on September 2nd.
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