Paul Butterfield Blues Band

1966’s East-West, the second album from the Butterfield Blues Band—and their last with lead guitarist Mike Bloomfield—found the group branching out from the electric blues and adding elements of modern jazz and the music of India, most notably on the landmark title track, which paved the way for much of the musical experimentation of the late ‘60s."Sundazed’s East-West packs a sonic punch, revealing the scorching guitars and gritty-sounding harmonica in all their ragged glory. During...

Fresh from their triumphant appearance at the Monterrey International Pop Festival in June 1967, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band entered the studio to record their fourth album, In My Own Dream. It chronicles the evolution of the band, continuing to add elements of jazz and R&B to its traditional blues approach. The horn section, staffed by David Sanborn, Gene Dinwiddle and Keith Johnson, was featured throughout the album, sharing the spotlight with guitarist Elvin Bishop and band leader...

One of the last truly fine outings by the band that started the avalanche of electric blues outfits is now available as a high-definition, exact-replica LP! The Butterfield Blues Band had reloaded by the time 1969's Keep on Moving was released on Elektra Records. Paul Butterfield startled the world with the addition of guitarist Buzzy Feiten, a man whose take-no-prisoners style turned out to be a muscular combination of the sound of his two predecessors, Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop. Led...

As young blues enthusiasts soaking up the Chicago scene in the early ‘60s, Paul Butterfield, Elvin Bishop and Mike Bloomfield frequently encountered one another in the South Side clubs. Butterfield and Bishop soon took their fandom one step further and formed their own blues combo, hiring away Sam Lay and Jerome Arnold from Howlin’ Wolf’s touring band. This quartet of neophytes and veterans began gigging at Big John’s, a folk club on the North Side. Meanwhile, Bloomfield was signed to Columbia...

When guitar virtuoso Mike Bloomfield left the Paul Butterfield Blues Band to form Electric Flag, many cynical scene watchers thought PBBB was down for the count. However, with Elvin Bishop’s magnificent metamorphosis to lead guitar player on The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw, those nattering nabobs were quickly quieted. The album, titled in honor of Bishop’s nickname, found the band moving in an R&B direction, aided by the addition of a horn section manned by David Sanborn, Gene Dinwiddle...