Vivino Brothers: Blues Band

Back in 1970, Winter also joined forces with his younger sax-and-keyboard playing brother, Edgar, on their versatile project, Second Winter. It was in that same spirit that Jimmy Vivino (longtime guitarist in the house band for Late Night With Conan O’Brien) joined forces with his sax-playing brother, Jerry, on Blues Band. Together the Vivino Brothers run through soulful funk, like Jerry’s instrumental “Fat Burns,” a N’awlins-inspired rendition of Little Richard’s “Slippin’ & Slidin,'” with some righteous vocal harmonies by the brothers, along with instrumental versions of Curtis Mayfield’s “Pusher Man” and Sly Stone’s “Family Affair” that sound like they could be break songs for Late Night. Jimmy displays his command of country-blues on “Knockin’ Myself Out,” alongside Jerry’s clarinet and James Wormworth’s washboard, then turns around and delivers with T-Bone Walker-styled hipness on the soul-jazz organ quartet offering “P.D. Bop.” The brothers throw down in gritty fashion on Van Morrison’s “Feedback Out on Highway 101,” a funky tune also covered in the ’70s by Johnny Winter. And Jimmy testifies, in full B.B. King mode, on Lowell Fulson’s slow blues, “Sinner’s Prayer.” Throughout, Jimmy and Jerry exhibit solid musicianship and a special kind of chemistry that exists only between brothers.

Originally Published March 1, 2001