Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood to reunite for NYC shows
Eric Clapton has announced three concerts in New York City reuniting the legendary guitarist with Steve Winwood , his former bandmate in '60s supergroup Blind Faith.
The Madison Square Garden dates--set for Feb. 25, 26 and 28--come on the heels of the impromptu reunion between the two at Chicago's Crossroads Guitar Festival earlier this summer, where Winwood joined Clapton during his set for several songs, a set that included a few tunes from Winwood's old band, Traffic.
"I have wanted to play with Steve for a long time," Clapton said in a press statement. "I consider him a friend and a truly gifted musician. Our set at the Crossroads Festival this summer was a real treat, so I expect these shows will be good fun for us and for the fans."
Tickets for the three shows will be made available initially to American Express cardholders, and can be purchased through Ticketmaster during a pre-sale event that begins Nov. 12. If any tickets remain, on-sales to the general public will begin on Nov. 19. Check Clapton's official fan club portal for more information as it becomes available.
Blind Faith, which initially placed the pair together, came about in 1969, after the breakup of Clapton's group Cream, and while Winwood's Traffic was on hiatus. The group, which also included Cream drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Ric Grech, released one self-titled album before splitting.
"I'm very excited about these upcoming shows with Eric," Winwood said in a statement. "Blind Faith was a long time ago and we have both come a long way since then. It was a wonderful experience for me to play at Crossroads this summer and I'm really looking forward to exploring some more music together in February."
Clapton's latest album, "The Road to Escondido," pairs him with his hero J.J. Cale. The 2006 release, which runs the spectrum of blues, rock, country and folk, is streaming at Clapton's website.
Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood
February 2008
25-26, 28 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
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