Johnny Winter / Us Tour 2010 Cervantes Ballroom Denver, CO USA (2CDR)

CD01:
01 Opening Instrumental
02 Hideaway
03 Sugar Coated Love
04 She Likes To Boogie Real Low
05 Good Morning Little School Girl
06 Miss Anne
07 Blackjack
08 I'm Tore Down
09 Lone Wolf
10 Don't Take Advantage of Me

CD02:
01 Red House
02 Boney Maroney
03 It's All Over Now
04 Mojo Boogie
05 Highway 61 Revisited

Lineup:
Johnny Winter: Guitar / Vocals
Paul Nelson: Guitar
Scott Spray: Bass

This release captures a live performance by the "Million Dollar Blues Guitarist" Johnny Winter during his US tour, recorded on September 30, 2010, at the Cervantes Ballroom in Denver, Colorado. Although he had previously cut a tour short in the autumn of 2009 due to health issues, he resumed touring in the fall of 2010, and here we hear a revitalized Johnny Winter. He had been touring with a full band—including a supporting guitarist—since late 2008, and the sheer enthusiasm of the crowd is astonishing. Matching that energy, the 66-year-old Winter unleashes explosive guitar work; one cannot help but marvel at how he manages to play with such high intensity. It is a non-stop parade of rock 'n' roll from the very start, keeping the audience's excitement at a fever pitch. Winter himself is clearly in the zone; during "Don't Take Advantage of Me," he even throws in a riff from Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze," showing just how fired up he is. The rendition of the blues classic "Red House" (famously associated with Hendrix) is a definite highlight. Even after the final song, "Highway 61 Revisited," ends, the crowd's chants of "Johnny" refuse to die down, though the show inevitably comes to a close. Regarding sound quality: although it is an audience recording, the balance is excellent, and Winter's guitar playing comes through clearly. The venue appears to be relatively small, resulting in a sound free of muddiness—making for a very enjoyable listening experience. Unfortunately, the sound is somewhat distorted for about 30 seconds after the opening performance begins, but it returns to normal after that, allowing you to enjoy a wonderful concert.