Eric Clapton and Steve Windwood- Live at Madison Square Garden

In May 2009 PBS aired the Eric Clapton- Steve Windwood concert "Live from Madison Square Garden." Where the hell was I? How did I miss this?

Clapton and Windwood go way back. Windwood recounts that “I was 15 or 16 and he was 18 or 19, and he definitely looked after me. We played records and talked about music. From very early on, he took on a brotherly role."

Clapton moved on to Cream, making musical history. Windwood moved on to form his own band, "Traffic." They would become huge and leave a definite mark on the music scene with "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and other groundbreaking hits, such as "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys." The freindship between these two musical giants would continue to flourish.

In 1969, after the breakup of Cream, Clapton formed the legendary "supergroup" Blind Faith. The album was a smash and the music was fresh and exciting, uniting the ethereal sounds of Traffic with the searing guitar work of Clapton. Rounding out the band were Ginger Baker on drums and Rick Gretch on bass. "Sea of Joy" was a monumental step forward in music, combining blues, pop and even a bit of jazz for a new and unique sound.

The Blind Faith album was still on the charts when Clapton decided to move on. This strained relations between the two but over the years they have remained friends.

In late 2007 Clapton was thinking of doing something to revive the old sounds and he turned to Steve Windwood for assistance. As they explain on the DVD they each chose songs from one anothers catalogues for the performance. The resulting concert at Madison Square Garden on February 25th, 2008 is mind boggling.

Windwood alternates between an organ and guitar, delivering magnificent versions of "Had to Cry Today", "Well All Right" and of course, his signature hit "Dear Mr. Fantasy." This was one of the highlights of the performance for me. Clapton takes the initial lead, but Windwood takes it home with his searing licks that cut right to the bone.

Equally breathtaking is the Blind Faith tune "Can't Find My Way Home." Clapton and Windwood mix it up together like a couple of prize fighters. The audience wins.

They both shine when they tackle "Voo Doo Chile" by Jimi Hendrix. Wisely avoiding any attempt at imitating Hendrix, they serve up a wonderful mix of guitar and vocal.The result of this collaboration is astounding. Clapton had covered "Little Wing" by Hendrix when he was with Derek and the Dominoes. Windwood had played on the Electric Ladyland album with Hendrix.

The concert is about 2 hours long but leaves you wanting more. The whole performance is flawless and not to be missed. I don't know how this one slipped past me.