Steve Winwood: Live in Concert

Few ‘60s musical artists are still going strong nearly a half-century later—the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and Elton John come to mind—but Stevie Winwood (a veteran of the Spencer Davis Group, Blind Faith, and Traffic, before reinventing himself as a pop star in the ‘80s) is definitely a member of this select group and he displays his continuing musical vitality in this hour-shy entry in PBS's Soundstage series. Backed by an excellent band—including Randall Bramblett on sax and flute, Jose Neto on guitar, and Walfredo Reyes Jr. on drums—Winwood bows with the Blind Faith favorite “Can't Find My Way Home,” followed by a handful of fine Traffic cuts (“Empty Pages,” “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” and “Freedom Rider”), the solo smash “Back in the High Life Again” (unfortunately, “Higher Love” and other ‘80s hits are missing here), and a soulful reworking of Timmy Thomas' “Why Can't We Live Together,” moving between Hammond organ and acoustic and electric guitars. DVD extras include three bonus tracks (buried in the song list, and totaling nearly an extra half-hour): “Walking On” and “Different Light” from 2003's About Time and the Traffic favorite “Rainmaker.” Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo, Steve Winwood: Live in Concert has some disappointing omissions (chief among them being “The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys”), but this is still an excellent showcase for a stellar musician. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)