STEVE WINWOOD : SOUNDSTAGE PRESENTS STEVE WINWOOD LIVE IN CONCERT

  1. Can't Find My Way Home
  2. Empty Pages
  3. Bully
  4. Glad
  5. Freedom Rider
  6. Back In The High Life Again
  7. Dear Mr. Fantasy
  8. Why Can't We Live Together
    Bonus Tracks :
  9. Different Light
  10. Walking On
  11. Rainmaker

Label : Koch Vision

Released : October 2005

Venue : WTTW Grainger Studio, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Recording Date : October 2003

Length : 81 minutes

Aspect Ratio : 16:9

Review (Amazon) : This is an excellent concert film, made for the TV series Soundstage and first airing, I believe, in September 2004. There is more than one version available on DVD - make sure to get the one entitled "Soundstage", rather than "In Concert", as this is over 80 minutes long and includes 3 extra tracks, among which is a great version of the "Low Spark" number "Rainmaker". The band inculdes Brazilian José Neto on guitar. Winwood has a wonderful voice and has been involved in some superb music - this would have made a great audio live album.

Review (ConcertsOnDVD) : In September 2004, the second season of the reinaugurated Soundstage series produced by WTTW, Chicago's public television station, presented a one-hour live concert performance by Winwood and his band, following the release in 2003 of his then-most recent solo album About Time. A DVD of the show was released in 2005, and Image has now issued the program on Blu-ray as part of a series of Soundstage concert releases. Live release from the British vocalist, keyboardist and Rock icon. Smooth delivery, high-spirited melodies, that velvet voice and a soul-stirring rhythmic foundation. All are the elements that Steve Winwood brings to this live concert featuring songs from the album About Time along with his classic hits including 'Why Can't We Live Together' and 'Back in the High Life'. Winwood also performs hits from his day with Traffic as well as current recordings that represent a tapestry of tastes woven after 40 years in music.

Review (HomeTheaterSound) : PBS's decision to return Soundstage to its schedule in 2003 after a hiatus of more than 15 years was good news to anyone who enjoys seeing live music on television. The network brought the show back with style. Though presented here in fullscreen editions, the performances were filmed widescreen in high definition and the sound is multichannel. So far, the emphasis has been on musicians from the classic rock era or performers who fit that mold (Sheryl Crow, Chris Isaak), with the only surprise being a broadcast that featured Wilco and Sonic Youth. Soundstage usually presents each performer for a full hour, which gives the viewer a good sense of what the artist's live shows are like. Steve Winwood appeared on the show in October 2003, when he was touring in support of About Time, his first release in six years. His five-piece band included two players from that recording, guitarist Jose Neto and drummer Walfredo Reyes, plus Randall Bramblett (Sea Level, Gregg Allman) on reeds and Edson A. Da Silva on percussion. This is the kind of band that's so heavy on skill and inventiveness that it's a pleasure to watch them. They can take a tune out to ten minutes and never descend into mindless noodling. Reyes and Da Silva are particularly effective on the four Latin-influenced tunes from About Time and on a radical reinterpretation of "Rainmaker." Bramblett plays Chris Wood's parts perfectly on the Traffic songs Winwood covers, but his solos are unique and fresh. Winwood looks and sounds terrific, and the recording captures nicely the spinning Leslie speaker on his Hammond organ. A key to the band's overall sound is Neto, a fine soloist and an absolutely swinging rhythm player. The song selection leans heavily towards songs by Traffic and tunes from the then recent disc. It would have been nice to hear more songs from Winwood's solo career, but otherwise this is an outstanding live performance, well captured by director Joe Thomas and the camera crew at WTTW in Chicago. I do have a couple of minor quibbles with this disc. The bonus material is not accessible through the main menu. You have to go to the song list and click through to the extras. The three extra tunes on are listed incorrectly. On the plus side, it is beautifully shot and the recording captures the crackle and spark of live music.