Even after his death,
Paul Butterfield
's music didn't receive the accolades that were so deserved. Outputting styles adopted from
Howlin' Wolf
and
Muddy Waters
among other
blues
greats,
Butterfield
became one of the first white singers to rekindle
music through the course of the mid-'60s. His debut album,
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
, saw him teaming up with guitarists
Elvin Bishop
Mike Bloomfield
, with
Jerome Arnold
on bass,
Sam Lay
on drums, and
Mark Naftalin
playing organ. The result was a wonderfully messy and boisterous display of American-styled
, with intensity and pure passion derived from every bent note. In front of all these instruments is
's harmonica, beautifully dictating a mood and a genuine feel that is no longer existent, even in today's
music. Each song captures the essence of
Chicago blues
in a different way, from the back-alley feel of
"Born in Chicago"
to the melting ease of
Willie Dixon
's
"Mellow Down Easy"
to the authentic devotion that emanates from
Bishop
"Our Love Is Drifting."
"Shake Your Money Maker,"
"Blues With a Feeling,"
"I Got My Mojo Working"
(with
Lay
on vocals) are all equally moving pieces performed with a raw adoration for
music. Best of all, the music that pours from this album is unfiltered...blared, clamored, and let loose, like
music is supposed to be released. A year later, 1966's
East West
carried on with the same type of brash
sound partnered with a jazzier feel, giving greater to attention to
's and
Bloomfield
's instrumental talents. ~ Mike DeGagne