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
blues music through the course of the mid-'60s. His debut album, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, saw him teaming up with guitarists
Elvin Bishop and
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
blues, with intensity and pure passion derived from every bent note. In front of all these instruments is
Butterfield's harmonica, beautifully dictating a mood and a genuine feel that is no longer existent, even in today's
blues 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 and
Butterfield's "Our Love Is Drifting." "Shake Your Money Maker," "Blues With a Feeling," and "I Got My Mojo Working" (with
Lay on vocals) are all equally moving pieces performed with a raw adoration for
blues music. Best of all, the music that pours from this album is unfiltered...blared, clamored, and let loose, like
blues music is supposed to be released. A year later, 1966's East West carried on with the same type of brash
blues sound partnered with a jazzier feel, giving greater to attention to
Bishop's and
Bloomfield's instrumental talents. ~ Mike DeGagne, All Music Guide
