Guitar World / Nothin' But The Blues An in-depth guide to the snarling, sliding sound of Johnny Winter. By Andy Aledort / photographs by Michael Halsband As Reported in "There ain't no one alive that knows more blues licks than Johnny Winter," says no less an authority than Winter's own late-Sixties drummer, Uncle John "Red" Turner. Red knows first-hand the depth of Winter's immersion into the blues idiom. "Johnny had thousands of blues records-more blues records than I'd ever seen and he studied every one of them." Tommy Shannon, the other half of Winter's Sixties rhythm section, adds, "Johnny had this wall of blues records; it was really incredible - everything from the most rural field hollers to the musical sophistication of Bobby 'Blue' Bland, B.B. King and Guitar Slim. Johnny could sit and play along with every single one of these records. He knew them all inside and out." Winter's guitar playing can best be described as an amalgam of blues guitar's greatest players, intertwined with his unique, fire-breathing approach and sound. Elements of the Kings-B.B., Albert and Freddie-are blended with such disparate influences as Otis Rush, Jimmy Rogers, Hubert Sumlin, Robert Johnson, Son House, Lightning Hopkins, John Lee Hooker and T-Bone Walker. Winter successfully assimilated the stylistic elements of these influences while forging a distinctly original blues/rock guitar style, one that cut new ground, yet retaining the heart and soul of his roots. His soloing style is earmarked by blazing speed, crystal-clear articulation and a consistently spontaneous flow of ideas, while his melodic inventions are delivered with pure rhythmic drive. Winter's lines effortlessly spin into each other, creating the impression of constant and relentless forward motion. CLICK HERE for descriptions, charts, sound files. Click on image to see the full size photo