A fantasy Indeed

For fans of classic rock, seeing Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood on the same stage Monday night had the significance of a rare astronomical event.The planets aligned this way in 1969 with the short-lived supergroup Blind Faith, and only a handful of times since. When the legendary musicians reunited at last year’s Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago for the first time since 1982, the natives went bonkers - and a three-night stand at Madison Square Garden seemed to be in order.Clapton and Winwood don’t have the volatile chemistry of, say, Jagger-Richards or Townshend-Daltrey. Instead, like a pair of well-worn shoes, the two strode down familiar roads, exploring blues, soul and rock in equal measures, taking their time and savoring moments. They dallied so long they even had to trim one song from their two-hour, 10-minute set, Clapton’s “Cocaine.”This wasn’t a Blind Faith reunion: Ian Thomas replaced Ginger Baker on drums, and Willie Weeks replaced bassist Rick Grech, who died in 1990. (Chris Stainton provided secondary keyboards.) With just one, six-song Blind Faith disc to draw from, Clapton and Winwood added covers and favorites from their separate careers. They also sneaked in a non-album Blind Faith nugget, “Sleeping in the Ground,” by the recently deceased bluesman Sam Myers. Overall, the show included 21 songs and nearly as many standing ovations.The opener, Blind Faith’s “Had to Cry Today,” a 10-minute slice of heavy blues-rock, set a collaborative tone. Winwood handled lead vocals, as he frequently did, while Clapton reined in his guitar until it was time for a dark-hued solo. Near the song’s end, the two stood side by side, peeling off highly complex guitar riffs that intertwined but never collided.Throughout the show, Winwood alternated between guitar, piano and electric organ while Clapton anchored center stage. Often, the two traded lead vocals. On the Blind Faith classic “Presence of the Lord,” an ethereal hymn halved by a wedge of acid-rock, Clapton’s husky growl provided a perfect counterpoint to Winwood’s angelic tone. Then came a mash-up: the piano-based instrumental “Glad,” from Winwood’s group Traffic, combined with Blind Faith’s chunky cover of Buddy Holly’s “Well ... All Right.”Though Clapton received the lion’s share of applause, some of the best moments came from Winwood, who played introspective, almost spooky versions of “No Face, No Name, No Number” and “Split Decision.” After Clapton’s solo acoustic take on Robert Johnson’s “Ramblin’ on My Mind,” Winwood responded with his own solo number at the organ, a beautifully fragile rendition of “ Georgia on My Mind.”The two found common ground with back-to-back Jimi Hendrix covers (“Little Wing,” “Voodoo Chile”), then again stood with their guitars - face-to-face, this time - for Blind Faith’s moody “Can’t Find My Way Home.” During the expansive Traffic chestnut “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” Clapton nodded approvingly as Winwood pulled high, keening notes from his guitar.The show ended with a nod to where it had begun, a lengthy version of “Crossroads.” Winwood initially grabbed a guitar, but checked himself with a laugh - he belonged on piano. Clapton stood in his place, and the two brought down the house with ease.