Paul Butterfield Blues Band

On colored vinyl! 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...

New Kevin Gray cut on Colored Vinyl! Fresh from their triumphant appearance at the Monterey 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...

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band was quickly signed by Elektra Records and began work on their debut album. In the midst of recording, Bloomfield, Arnold and Lay were drafted to be part of Bob Dylan's backing band as he infamously "went electric" at the Newport Folk Festival in July 1965. Returning to their recording duties, the band began their third attempt to complete the album under the direction of Elektra house producer Paul Rothchild. Fortunately, the third time proved to be the...

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...