Brother Johnny


Brother Johnny is a studio album by American musician Edgar Winter. It was released on April 15, 2022, via Quarto Valley Records. The recording sessions took place at Capitol Studios and at EastWest Studios in Hollywood, and at Infinite Spin Recorders. The album was produced by Ross Hogarth and Winter, with Bruce Quarto serving as executive producer. It features contributions from Andrew Duckles, Billy Gibbons, Bill Payne, Bobby Rush, Bob Glaub, Charlie Bisharat, David Grissom, Derek Trucks, Doug Rappoport, Doyle Bramhall II, Gregg Bissonette, Harry Kim, Jacob Braun, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Walsh, John McFee, Josefina Vergara, Keb' Mo', Kenny Aronoff, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Michael McDonald, Phil X, Ringo Starr, Robben Ford, Sean Hurley, Stephen Kupka, Steve Lukather, Taylor Hawkins, Tim Pierce, Waddy Wachtel, Warren Haynes, and Wayne Bergeron.
The album peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Current Album Sales, number 33 on the Top Album Sales, and topped the Top Blues Albums chart in the United States. It also reached number 6 on the Swiss Hitparade, and topped the UK Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart Top 30. On February 5, 2023, it won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. It was ranked as the eighteenth best guitar album of 2022 by Guitar World readers.
The album is served as a tribute album to musician and Edgar Winter's brother, Johnny Winter, who had died on July 16, 2014, in Switzerland at the age of 70.

Critical reception

Brother Johnny was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 69, based on four reviews.
Writing for The Telegraph, Neil McCormick wrote: "it may be billed as a tribute to a lost star, but this Winter wonderland serves as a reminder that the blues is still very much alive and kicking". Hal Horowitz of American Songwriter wrote that the album "should send blues fans, or those new to his catalog, back to the initial recordings to appreciate the guitarist's talents at their most inspired". Hugh Fielder of Classic Rock magazine wrote: "the results, from the likes of Billy Gibbons, Joe Walsh, Joe Bonamassa, Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, are impressive. But ultimately you don't learn as much about Johnny himself as you would from listening to the originals of the 17 tracks presented here".
In a mixed review, Mark Blake of Mojo resumed: "for every peak there's an occasional trough".

Track listing

Personnel

  • Edgar Winter – lead vocals, organ, keyboards, piano, saxophone, mellotron, synth, clavinet, alto and tenor saxophone, producer
  • Joe Bonamassa – slide guitar, lead vocals & guitar
  • Sean Hurley – bass
  • Gregg Bissonette – drums
  • Kenny Wayne Shepherd – guitar solo, lead guitar
  • Philip "Phil X" Xenidis – backing vocals, rhythm guitar, supporting vocals, additional rhythm guitar, guitar solo
  • Kevin "Keb' Mo'" Moore – vocals & guitars
  • Billy Gibbons – lead vocals & solo guitar
  • Derek Trucks – slide guitars
  • David Grissom – guitar
  • Joe Walsh – lead vocals, lead guitar
  • Bob Glaub – bass
  • Michael McDonald – lead vocals, supporting vocals
  • Tim Pierce – acoustic and electric guitar, rhythm guitar
  • Ringo Starr – drums
  • Kenny Aronoff – percussion, timbale solo
  • John McFee – slide guitar, supporting vocals
  • Bill Payne – organ
  • Steve Lukather – guitar solo
  • Doyle Bramhall II – lead vocals & guitars
  • Waddy Wachtel – rhythm guitar
  • Taylor Hawkins – lead vocals
  • Doug Rappoport – guitars
  • Stephen Kupka – baritone saxophone
  • Wayne Bergeron – trumpet
  • Harry Kim – trumpet
  • Warren Haynes – lead vocals & guitar
  • Robben Ford – guitar
  • Emmett "Bobby Rush" Ellis Jr. – lead vocals & harp
  • Jacob Braun – cello
  • Charlie Bisharat – violin
  • Josefina Vergara – violin
  • Andrew Duckles – viola
  • Ross Hogarth – producer, engineering
  • Peter Brownlee – engineering assistant
  • Chad Gordon – engineering assistant
  • Jeff Fitzpatrick – engineering assistant
  • Marciel Miranda – engineering assistant
  • Mitchell Miller – engineering assistant
  • Bobby Tis – additional recording
  • Bruce Sugar – additional recording
  • Casey Wasner – additional recording
  • Brendan McCusker – technical engineering assistant
  • Nigel Lundemo – technical engineering assistant
  • Richard Dodd – mastering
  • Bruce Quarto – executive producer

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