CANDYE KANE "SUPERHERO" Source: Edmonton Sun Date: 07/2009 Writer: Jeremy Loome

Candye Kane: Superhero

In the blues world, nothing says perserverance like having a band stick together long-term --or seeing a guy still out on the road after decades, humping gear from paycheque to paycheque for one more day.

It's been a long time since Johnny Winter had to lift his own amp; but in recent years, after a lifetime of antisocial behaviour and drug abuse, he could hardly lift a finger.

With the worst of those times behind him, Winter is back on the road, blowing away fans again with his lightning quick fingers, slowed by arthritis but hardly diminished in power.

Meanwhile, my second CD recommendation is Superhero, by West Coast blues shouter Candye Kane.

Although some of the production overaccentuates her admittedly strong pipes -- a more driving band never hurts -- it's still some of the best of her impressive career.

In Winter's case, his renewed roadwork makes it a great time to revisit his lengthy career, and the new The Johnny Winter Anthology from Shout! Factory does that. Two years after immortalizing Buddy Guy in an excellent set, the Los Angeles label has produced a double-disc package of winter sure to please both blues fans and rock guitar devotees. It should be noted this is about the sixth time that a Johnny Winter set has been released. It's also one of the best.
It covers over 30 years of recording, starting with his earliest tracks in Texas back in 1964. In fact, these early recordings -- versions of Rollin' and Tumblin', Be Careful with A Fool, Country Girl --display a purity of approach, still dominated by blazing guitar riffs and his scratchy-but-soulful vocals, but much more restrained than the soloing in later rock cuts. At the point in his career when one might assume Winter was most inclined to "audition" for his fans,
Winter instead was putting out truly spectacular blues cuts.

Of course, that playing eventually got him "scouted" at a bar gig by a young Rolling Stone magazine, and, one big break later, the rest is history.

It's a complete one, too. Once you get past classics, including his haunting recasting of Bob Dylan's Highway 61 revisited, there are a number of previously unreleased live cuts, including a wicked '50s rock medley, Mean Town Blues, Hideaway and Jumpin' Jack Flash.

Kane's Superhero, meanwhile, is a loving tribute to human perseverance itself ... and a good time, to boot.
Having had the requisite tough times requires not only to sing the blues with soul and conviction, but to really believe those words, Kane's amazing decimation of a cancer that was supposed to kill her came after a huge outpour of support from her fans and other artists.

She also penned most of the songs on Superhero during her illness to keep her spirits up and show the big 'C' who was boss.

There's really strong work here; I put a hex on you and I'm a bad, bad girl are both straight-ahead blues thumpers. There's big band work here, and fantastic elements of Tex-Mex from guitar sideman Laura Chavez. Superhero is a lot of fun.