I can safely say that the music of Steve Winwood (who I had the pleasure of hearing last night on the first stop of his brief U.S. tour) has had a huge impact on my development from his teenaged output (when he was still going by Stevie) to more recent live work. It’s difficult to characterize it, though, in large part because his career has been so wide-ranging. Does my fondness for his “blue-eyed soul” singing when he was 16 manifest the same way as my inability to resist the ‘80s pop hits that were all over the radio in my youth? Does either occupy the same part of my brain as that which picked apart his piano playing on “Glad” and “Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” when I was in high school or the part that in my 30’s tried to figure out if what he was playing as an accompanist to Eddie Harris differed meaningfully from what he was doing on those tunes?

Unless there’s a neuropsychologist in the house, I’ll just let that be a benignly unsolved mystery and will just get to the task of sharing a diverse range of things he’s done that have particularly moved me, while acknowledging the absurdity that I’m leaving off so much that is particularly iconic (e.g. “Gimme Some Lovin’,” “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” “Presence of the Lord,” etc.) and/or commercially successful (for someone my age, tunes like “While You See A Chance” and “Don’t You Know What the Night Can Do” and “Roll With It” and “Back in the High Life” and “The Finer Things” [gasp] were ubiquitous), not to mention plenty of additional lesser-known but fascinating music.

Here we go, in chronological order

1 ) “Goodbye Stevie” from You Put the Hurt On Me (EP) by Spencer Davis Group (1965)

While perhaps not revolutionary, the level of proficiency and soul in Stevie’s barrelhouse piano and vocals would be impressive regardless of his age. And for age 17 … wow.

2 ) “I’m A Man” (single available on various compilations)by Spencer Davis Group (1967)

I’ve always found a certain irony to a teenager writing and singing “I’m A Man,” but a) by 1967 it was technically true and b) man, woman, boy, or platypus, any being who can wail (on voice and organ) like this can declare whatever the heck they want as far as I’m concerned.

3 ) “Voodoo Chile” from Electric Ladyland by Jimi Hendrix (1968)

Bold statement alert: while acknowledging Hendrix sessions that either weren’t recorded (apocryphal stories abound, for example, of jams with Larry Cornell or John McLaughlin) or never came to pass (the Miles Davis/Gil Evans session that Jimi’s death sadly pre-empted), of things that DO exist, I’ve never heard anyone go toe to toe with Jimi on the level that Steve does here in his simultaneously iconic yet underrated guest appearance on organ.

4 ) “Can’t Find My Way Home” from Blind Faith by Blind Faith(year)

I may have eschewed some of his biggest hits, but come on. I have heard many and varied versions of this deep, moody song, but the original acoustic version by “supergroup” Blind Faith shines above them all. Resistance is futile.

5 ) “Empty Pages” from John Barleycorn Must Die by Traffic (1970)

This whole album was foundational to my development, from the infectious boogie piano of “Glad” to the folksy and super-dark title track. This one, aside from just being an irresistible song, features an extended electric piano that is one of my favorites of his (and now when you hear me drop some of these licks in a jazz solo I’ll consider myself busted).

6 ) “(Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired” from Shoot Out the Fantasy Factory by Traffic (1973)

The song title here isn’t exactly a formula for … well, for inspiring music, and yet here we are. The low key melancholy in his voice is deep, but it is in a sense secondary to his slow, mournful lead guitar work, possibly the deepest blues I have heard him play on that instrument.

7 ) “Night Train” from Arc of A Diver (1980)

While not the most famous song on the record, this is my all-time favorite example of “one man band” Winwood. Throughout the album he is responsible for keys, bass, drums, and guitar and the results feel particularly organic here.

8 ) “Valerie” from Talking Back to the Night (1982)

I am far from immune to the ‘80s hits, and whatever thought I might have on how the production on this one has aged, it’s still filtered through the Steve Winwood sense of songcraft and groove, with results (especially with his sometimes subtle and sometimes soaring vocals) that are as catchy as catchy gets. As a bonus we get probably my favorite pop synth solo ever by anyone – not complex, it is simply melodic perfection.

9 ) “I Need Thee Every Hour” from Men and Angels Say by Ashley Cleveland (2005)

This is a comparatively obscure one (honestly gospel singer Ashley Cleveland would not be on my radar but for this song) but wow is it a beautiful intimate performance, with Steve’s organ and harmony vocals providing a pitch perfect complement.

10 ) “Higher Love” from Greatest Hits Live (2017)

I have always adored this song and Steve’s (and Chaka Khan’s) amazing vocal performances on the original hit single version. And I’m ambivalent about the ‘80s synthy production. But here’s the best of both worlds with an organic live performance of the tune with Steve still in great voice and his live band grooving deeply.