Johnny Winter has worked with Eric Clapton, Dr John, Ben Harper, Mark Knopfler, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and Aerosmith's Joe Perry on his second Roots album.
The follow-up to 2011’s covers set has just been completed, with a release date tentatively set for June or July. Two further similar albums, Roots 3 and Roots 4, are being planned.
Winter’s manager and guitarist Paul Nelson tells Billboard: “We started this series of traditional songs that Johnny grew up on. I knew it was an easy formula for him to digest. It was educational.”
Winter himself adds: “I like playing songs from when I was first getting into music. That’s just fun to do those songs, lot of good memories. It’s just to bring it to the people of today who haven’t listened to the old music. It’s better than anything they hear today.”
A documentary detailing the 70-year-old’s troubled past, entitled Johnny Winter: Down And Dirty, premiered at South By Southwest in Texas last week.
