- East-West · 1966
- The Paul Butterfield Blues Band · 1965
- The Paul Butterfield Blues Band · 1965
- The Paul Butterfield Blues Band · 1965
- The Paul Butterfield Blues Band · 1965
- Farewell Song · 1982
- The Paul Butterfield Blues Band · 1965
- The Paul Butterfield Blues Band · 1965
- The Paul Butterfield Blues Band · 1965
- East-West · 1966
- East-West · 1960
- East-West · 1966
- The Paul Butterfield Blues Band · 1965
Essential Albums
- Just as the young British men in The Rolling Stones were enamored with the electric blues music that came out of Chicago in the '50s and early '60s, so were the young American men who lived in the heart of it. Bassist Jerome Arnold and drummer Sam Lay were hired from Howlin' Wolf's backing band, and lead guitarist Mike Bloomfield had been plucked from a crosstown rival by producer Paul Rothchild; together they formed 1965's most imposing modern blues band behind singer and harmonica player Paul Butterfield. Rothchild's discerning ear forced the band to record the material several times before an acceptable debut album could be issued. The songs are played loud and proud, to the point of near-anarchy at times. Several Bloomfield originals are thrown in, but the main draw is the band's interpretive ability. The group breathes fire into Elmore James' "Shake Your Moneymaker" and Junior Parker's "Mystery Train" and does two Little Walter cuts—"Blues with a Feeling" and "Last Night"—mighty proud.
Albums
- 1996
- 1969
- 1968
- 1966
Artist Playlists
- His trailblazing '60s sound has echoed throughout the decades.
- Psychedelic influences and funked-up takes on blues classics.
- Slow-burning blues majesty and brisk harmonica lines.
Live Albums
Compilations
About The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
One of the most influential blues acts of their time, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band introduced a gritty, authentic brand of electric blues to the rock audience, and could incorporate jazz, world music, R&B, and psychedelia into their performances while staying true to their roots. The act featured three musicians who would put a strong, highly individual stamp on the music -- harmonica player Paul Butterfield and guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop -- and the tough, fluid sound they conjured on 1965's The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and the more exploratory approach of 1966's East-West carved out a path dozens of blues-rock acts would follow. The group evolved into a sound more beholden to soul and contemporary R&B on 1968's In My Own Dream, then folded after 1971's Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smilin', with Butterfield forming the short-lived Better Days and recording solo before his death in 1987.
- ORIGIN
- Chicago, IL, United States
- FORMED
- 1963
- GENRE
- Blues