That was certainly not the case on this Monday night, and it is clear that Winwood’s signature tenor vocals have not lost their edge. Sometimes when you see the iconic musicians of Rock ‘N’ Roll perform, their voices are a thin shadow of what they used to be and the shows feel soulless and uninspired. When Winwood picked up his mandolin and lead an extended intro of the 1986 hit “Back in the High Life” to start things off at the Warner Theater in D.C., the sold-out crowd was immediately hooked and captivated. Fantasy, to the good-timing point guard on the basketball team who can’t get enough of the song “Valerie”, everybody at school likes Steve Winwood. From the introspective trombone player in the school band who’s favorite album is Traffic’s cosmic Mr. Sure, Winwood could have ridden the coattails of his success in the Sixties and Seventies and elected to release obscure, bloated solo records in the aftermath of Traffic’s breakup, but instead he wrote some of the most catchy, Blue-Eyed Soul Pop songs of that era. Everything he released during the Eighties has aged well and stands up today, unlike a lot of the neon-covered, hair-sprayed anthems of that decade. In doing so, he managed to churn out infectious classics that include “Higher Love”, “Roll With It”, “While You See A Chance”, and “Back In the High Life”. After a prosperous career in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted, Prog-Psych band Traffic, he submerged himself into the world of Pop Rock. Why do we all want to be friends with Steve Winwood? For one, he has always forged his own unique career path without causing a media frenzy or self-righteous fuss. After decades of praise and accolades, Winwood somehow manages to avoid the veneer of inaccessibility that is associated with many renowned musicians of his caliber. Oh yeah, that and he is a Grammy Award winning multi-instrumentalist with an effortlessly soulful voice (Rolling Stone ranked him as #33 Greatest Singer of All Time). Winwood just seems to have a warm and humble sensibility that folks from varying circles all tend to gravitate towards. He ate lunch with the outcasts but was also the coolest guy at the party, without trying to be. He is the star athlete, 4.0 GPA student that went to your high school and was friends with everybody. ![]() Steve Winwood reminds me of that guy who excels at everything, yet somehow maintains a level-headed likeability.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |