| The
Paul Butterfield Blues Band nailed it right out of
the gate with their smoking self-titled 1965 debut,
which spotlights the blues-guitar genius of Mike Bloomfield
alongside Butterfield's impassioned vocals and wailing
harmonica, abetted by a rock-solid supporting cast
of Elvin Bishop on rhythm guitar, keyboardist Mark
Naftalin and Howlin' Wolf's rhythm section, Jerome
Arnold on bass and drummer Sam Lay. The Butterfield
Blues Band's first shot was the perfect set-up for
the more exotic stylings of 1966’s East-West,
which finds them adding elements of modern jazz and
the music of India, most notably on the landmark title
track, which paved the way for much of the musical
experimentation of the late ‘60s. |
