Description
The Port Chester soundboard series, which has been consistently releasing masterpieces and highly acclaimed works, has released its latest installment: the Steve Winwood edition. This recording captures the “April 24, 2015 Port Chester performance,” and is the first time this soundboard recording has been released. For those unfamiliar with this series, it features soundboard recordings made in the 2010s at the renowned Capitol Theatre near New York City. While the artists’ genres vary, they all share a common characteristic: a direct sound directly connected to the mixing console. We have introduced numerous masterpieces from artists such as Steely Dan, Reo Speedwagon, Yes, and Duran Duran. The J. Geils Band edition, the Peter Frampton edition, and the Steve Winwood edition (this release) have all been released simultaneously. In the 2010s, Winwood released several singles, but basically focused on live performances. Speaking of performances around this time, the classic pro-shot video “NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL 2013” has become a staple. This is a good opportunity to take a broader look at their tour schedule and get a sense of what they were up to at the time. 2013 – June 17th – July 18th: Europe (17 shows) ← *NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL 2013 – August 23rd – 31st: North America #1 (6 shows) – October 17th – 26th: North America #2 (7 shows) – December 4th – 15th: North America #3 (9 shows) 2014 – June 14th – 29th: North America #4 (11 shows) – August 3rd – November 11th: North America #5 (37 shows) 2015 – April 17th – May 3rd: North America #6 (11 shows) ← ★HERE★ A completely official-level soundboard comparable to the official GREATEST HITS LIVE. This is Steve Winwood from 2013 to 2015. 2015 was a year with fewer live performances, only “North America #6”. This Port Chester performance is the sixth show in the series, taking place approximately 1 year and 9 months after “NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL 2013.” This recording, capturing that show, boasts an incredibly high-quality soundboard recording. While all of the newly unearthed Port Chester recordings are directly connected to the mixing console, this one is so vivid and beautiful that it transcends “unearthed official quality” and can only be described as “perfectly official quality.” For example, the audio from the renowned pro-shot “NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL 2013” pales in comparison to this recording. From the nuances of Winwood’s voice to the overtones of Paul Booth’s saxophone and José Netto’s guitar picking, everything is raw, vibrant, and beautiful. Its exceptionally high level even rivals the genuine official live album “GREATEST HITS LIVE.” In fact, shuffling this recording and the official release in playback results in no discernible difference; it becomes difficult to tell which is the official one. It is literally “official-level.” A full live album that surpasses official releases in one continuous stream. No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that this work is “official-transcending level,” even beyond official-level. While “GREATEST HITS LIVE” was an edited live album that pieced together footage from several shows over many years, this work is a single, continuous live performance from just one night. In terms of realism, it “surpasses official releases.” So, let’s take a look at the contents of this full set. TRAFFIC (5 songs) – The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys: The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys / Light Up Or Leave Me Alone – Others: Pearly Queen (★) / Glad (★) / Dear Mr. Fantasy – Others (6 songs) – THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP: I’m A Man / Gimme Some Lovin’ – BLIND FAITH: Can’t Find My Way Home – Solo: Them Changes (★) / Dirty City (★★) / Higher Love *Note: Songs marked with “★” were not included in the masterpiece pro-shot “NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL 2013”. Songs marked with “★★” were not even included in the official “GREATEST HITS LIVE”. …and so on. The show opens with “I’m A Man” and closes with “Gimme Some Lovin'”. The album’s structure, featuring the gentle beauty of “Can’t Find My Way Home,” the gradually intensifying jam of “The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys,” and the exhilarating feeling of “Higher Love,” shares a similar concept with the official “GREATEST HITS LIVE,” but the way it unfolds as a single concert gives it a completely different level of impact. It’s also great to hear “Pearly Queen,” “Glad,” and “Them Changes,” which weren’t included in the classic pro-shot recording. “Dirty City,” in particular, is a repertoire track not even present in the official “GREATEST HITS LIVE,” and it’s delivered with a quality exceeding that of the official release. This is a shocking full live album that goes beyond mere first-time soundboard recordings and can be called a “complete stage version of GREATEST HITS LIVE.” It’s an absolute must-have, possessing literally official-quality sound and the reality of capturing an entire night’s performance. This is the first-ever soundboard recording of the “April 24, 2015 Port Chester performance.” This latest installment in the newly unearthed soundboard series is of official quality, seamlessly blending in with the official “GREATEST HITS LIVE” release even when played in shuffle mode. Moreover, unlike the official release which was a compilation of multiple shows, this album captures a single night’s live performance, possessing a realism that surpasses the official release. In every sense, this is an absolute must-have live album. Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY, USA 24th April 2015 SBD Disc 1(50:53) 01. I’m A Man 02. Them Changes 03. Pearly Queen 04. Can’t Find My Way Home 05. talk 06. Dirty City 07. The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys 08. Glad Disc 2(44:03) 01. Light Up Or Leave Me Alone 02. band intros 03. Higher Love 04. Dear Mr. Fantasy 05. Gimme Some Lovin’ SOUNDBOARD RECORDING Steve Winwood – Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals Cafe – Percussion Paul Booth – Saxophone, Whistle, Flute, Keyboards, vocals Rich Bailey – Drums Jose Neto – Guitar
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