Week 23
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
(Elektra 7294-2)

Born in Chicago in 1942, Paul Butterfield was captivated by the blues at a young age. By his mid-teens he was sharpening his skills throughout the clubs of the South side. Sitting in with the still active legends of electric Chicago blues, he was as notable for his white skin as for his formidable skills and passion on the harp.

By age 21 Butterfield, on harp and vocals, was fronting his own band, which featured guitarist Elvin Bishop and a rhythm section recruited from Howlin' Wolf's band—drummer Sam Lay and bassist Jerome Arnold. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band established a residency at North Side club Big John's, and its commanding take on the contemporary blues was a quick regional success. Along the way, the quartet helped open the stage to additional performers from the city's still booming South and West side scenes.

The band's momentum increased with the addition of lead guitarist Mike Bloomfield. After some false starts and with the addition of organ player Mark Naftalin, the group recorded their debut LP in early 1965. Expectations for the LP were high even before its release, owing to the band's revelatory performances at the Newport Folk Festival, both on their own and when Bloomfield, Lay, and Arnold backed Bob Dylan for his highly controversial debut performance fronting an electric band.

Released in mid-1965, the debut LP was indeed revelatory, both culturally and musically. Featuring an integrated band at a time of increasing domestic racial tension, and showcasing a fierce style of blues firmly rooted in the contemporary Chicago scene, the album played a critical role in introducing blues to a new audience. Among rock fans increasingly introduced to the blues through British bands, the record was also a blast of domestic authenticity, directly opening the ears and stages of the youth culture to the legends from whom the band had learned, and inspiring countless bands to attempt the sound themselves. Nearly four decades later, it still sounds fresh and vital, and remains a dynamic document of a group of young, highly talented players making their mark upon the tradition.

Listen: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - "Last Night"
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