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Mike Bloomfield

Mike Bloomfield
Mike Bloomfield:Mike Bloomfield album cover
Born July 28, 1943
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Alias(es) N/A
Genre(s) Blues, Blues-rock
Affiliation(s) The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Bob Dylan
Electric Flag
Years active 1964 - 1981
Official site www.mikebloomfield.com
For the astronaut, see Michael J. Bloomfield

Michael Bernard Bloomfield (July 28, 1943 – February 15, 1981) was an American musician, guitarist and composer, born in Chicago, Illinois, into a well-off Jewish family on Chicago's North Side. The Bloomfield fortune was built on the back of his father's invention -- the sugar holder ("shaker") with a flapper lid, (which the family also manufactured and distributed, along with salt & pepper shakers, and the classic revolving pie display, discovered by his uncle).

During his teenage years he ventured to the blues clubs on the South-Side and found his true calling. Here he connected with Paul Butterfield and Elvin Bishop, and in 1964 joined the Paul Butterfield Blues Band which included Howlin' Wolf rhythm section alum, Sam Lay and Jerome Arnold. Their electric Chicago Blues was inspiring, and gave way to a generation of white bluemen, namely John Mayall & the BluesBreakers. Bloomfield's work on the band's self-titled debut, was and the subsequent record East-West, brought wide acclaim. Especially popular was East-West's thirteen-minute title cut, an instrumental combining elements of blues, jazz, psychedelic rock, and the classical Indian raga. Bloomfield's innovative solos were at the forefront.

He was a session musician who became famous through his work with Bob Dylan during his first explorations into the "electric Dylan" phase. Bloomfield's sound was a major part of Dylan's sound, as featured especially on Highway 61 Revisited. His guitar style bridged blues influence with rock and folk.

Through his session work, Clashing with the ego of Butterfield and, as he revealed much later, intimidated by the harp player, Bloomfield left the band to form the short-lived Electric Flag in 1967 with longtime Chicago cohort Nick Gravenites on vocals. The Electric Flag was supposed to build on the innovations of East-West and accordingly featured an expanded lineup complete with a horn section, which allowed the group to add soul music to their laundry list of influences. The inclusion of drummer Buddy Miles, with his gravelly voice and great stage presence, also gave Bloomfield license to explore soul and R&B like he had not be able to in adhering to his Chicago blues roots. The Electric Flag debuted at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival and issued a proper debut album, A Long Time Comin', in 1968. Critics complimented the group's distinctive, intriguing sound, but found the record itself somewhat uneven. Unfortunately, the band was already disintegrating; rivalries between members and shortsighted management—not to mention heroin abuse—all took their toll. Bloomfield himself left the band he'd formed before their album was even released.

He also made an impact through his work with Al Kooper on the album Super Session in 1968 whom he'd played with in the Dylan band, and cut Super Session, a jam-oriented record that spotlighted his own guitar skills on one half and those of Stephen Stills on the other. Issued in 1968, it received excellent reviews and moreover became the best-selling album of Bloomfield's career. Super Session's success led to a sequel, The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper, which was recorded over three shows at the Fillmore West in 1968 and released the following year; it featured Bloomfield's on-record singing debut. He continued with solo work and back-up work from 1969 through 1980.

During the late '70s, Bloomfield recorded for several smaller labels (including Takoma); through Guitar Player magazine, he also put out an instructional album with a vast array of blues guitar styles, titled -If You Love These Blues, Play 'Em as You Please. Through the seventies, Bloomfield seem satisfied to play in local Bay Area clubs either sitting in with other bands, or using his own "Michael Bloomfield and Friends" outfit. But clearly, his best performing days were behind him and most of the decade was spent battling drugs and his own deep insecurities.

On February 15, 1981 Bloomfield was found dead in San Francisco in his parked car. According to his friends, the size of the heroin dose that killed him meant that he probably did not drive to this spot and overdose, rather that the lethal dose had been administered somewhere else and he had been driven to this spot to avoid complications for his drug-ingesting cohorts. In any case, the official cause of death was ruled an accidental drug overdose.

He used Fender guitars, but is most commonly associated with the Gibson Les Paul because that is what he used at the height of his popularity with the Electric Flag and Super Session. His axe of choice before and after this time was the Telecaster. His use of the Les Paul influenced many others to use it in much the same way, using the front pickup and making judicious use of the guitar's inherent long sustain. For example, observe Duane Allman and Dickie Betts of the Allman Brothers in the period of 1969-1971 and Bloomfield's influence is evident. He was also well-renowned for his vibrato.

He is considered by many to be one of the most influential and pioneering white American blues guitarists. He is also a big influence to Robben Ford.


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1943 births | 1981 deaths | Accidental deaths | American blues guitarists | Chicago musicians | Drug-related deaths | Jewish-American singers | Session musicians

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