The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

I talked about the blues a little bit in my last post.  But Neil Young has nothing on these guys in the blues category.  This is my go-to blues album.  The album came out in 1965 and peaked at #123 on the Billboard charts.  Rolling Stone regards it was one of the greatest albums ever made.

In 1964, a friend of Elektra house producer Paul Rothchild told him that the "best band in the world was on stage at a blues bar in Chicago."  The band was The Paul Butterfield Blues Band.  Later than night the same person went and saw Mike Bloomfield ripping guitar at another bar in Chicago.

Sessions were quickly scheduled; a record was to be made that would include the band as well as the addition of Mike Bloomfield.  

The band played at The Newport Folk Fest and the songs were recorded for Rothchild to listen to. Rothchild was dissatisfied with the original two sessions and it would take a third before he was ready to have the songs mastered.

The album is the epitome of Chicago style blues.  With guitar solos by Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop.  Butterfield was on lead vocals and he played harmonica.  Mark Naftalin played keys and organ, Jerome Arnold was on bass and Sam Lay was on drums.  

The album is so important because it was one of the first blues album recorded by a white singer.  If you like the blues, listen to this album immediately.

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Born in Chicago"	Nick Gravenites	2:55
2.	"Shake Your Moneymaker"	Elmore James	2:27
3.	"Blues with a Feeling"	Walter Jacobs	4:20
4.	"Thank You Mr. Poobah"	Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, Mark Naftalin	4:05
5.	"Got My Mojo Working"	Muddy Waters	3:30
6.	"Mellow Down Easy"	Willie Dixon	2:48

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Screamin'"	Mike Bloomfield	4:30
2.	"Our Love Is Drifting"	Mike Bloomfield, Elvin Bishop	3:25
3.	"Mystery Train"	Junior Parker, Sam Phillips	2:45
4.	"Last Night"	Walter Jacobs	4:15
5.	"Look Over Yonders Wall"	James Clark	2:23