Paul Butterfield
Blues / Blues / Blues
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Paul Butterfield
Chicago, Illinois
United States
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5122
Last Login:
8/16/2006
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| Paul Butterfield: General Info
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| Member Since | 6/28/2006 | | Type of Label | Major |
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| About Paul Butterfield |
Paul Butterfield came into the world in 1942, one year after the year mentioned in the song that Nick Gravenites wrote about him: Born In Chicago. Butter, as he was known to his friends, would study classical flute and went on to discover the blues, drawn to the sounds of the Chicago's South Side. The teenage Butterfield was known to have jumped on stage and plugged in to play with his heroes. Butter, along with compatriot Elvin Bishop, had an abiding passion for the music of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Junior Wells and the other core Chicago blues scene makers. Butter formed his own band with veteran Howlin Wolf side men Jerome Arnold (bass) and Sam Lay (drums). In 1963, Butterfield's group was hired to be the house band at Big John's; the first racially mixed group to become a house band there.
The Butterfield Blues Band was making a big name for itself, at least on the local scene and got a huge boost when guitarist Mike Bloomfield joined up in 1964. The classic Butterfield Blues Band, which lasted only two years, would go on to exert a tremendous impact throughout the music world. The band, under contract to Elektra, recorded but the results were unsatisfactory. After a false start, the vapors coalesced and the results, finally released by Elektra caused a huge sensation. The Butterfield Blues Band broke new ground, bringing the music to new heights. It was blues, to be sure, but with a harder edge. Blues/Rock and even rock were never the same.
More musical experimentation followed with their next album. East-West had more psychedelic overtones and explored raga-inspired territory that was far afield from not only traditional blues but also the underlying foundation of rock 'n roll. And, then it was over.
In 1967 Bloomfield left the band and went on to form The Electric Flag with Nick Gravenites and Barry Goldberg. Elvin Bishop moved up to lead guitar in the Butterfield Band with many noteworthy releases and performances to follow. The Butterfield Blues Band was succeeded by Better Days, a rootsy group headed by Butterfield and jug band veteran Geoff Muldaur.
Paul Butterfield's death in 1987 marked the end of an era of musical innovation that gave new life to the blues and influenced scores of players around the world.
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