Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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BUTTERFIELD, Paul

(b 17 Dec. '42, Chicago; d 3-- 4 May '87, LA) Singer, harmonica player, bandleader. White teenager ventured to Chicago's south side to jam with blues legends Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Little Walter, Magic Sam etc; as black Chicago blues scene passed its golden age, formed own band '63 with ex-Wolf bassist Jerome Arnold and drummer Sam Lay, adding Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop on guitars, Mark Naftalin on keyboards; first LP Paul Butterfield Blues Band '65 on Elektra followed by Newport Folk Festival appearance with Billy Davenport replacing Lay on drums, after their set backing Bob Dylan in his controversial first electric performance. Second album stretched out from trad. blues: 13- minute title track of East-West '66 featured solos by Bloomfield and Bishop that helped establish the modern role of rock guitarists, since abused by many lesser lights. Bloomfield left; The Resurrection Of Pigboy Crabshaw '67 and In My Own Dream '68 turned in an R&B direction, retaining Bishop and Naftalin, with Phillip Wilson on drums, adding horns incl. David Sanborn on alto sax, Charles Dinwiddie (b 19 Sep. '36, Louisville KY) on tenor. Other LPs incl. Keep On Movin' '69, Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smilin' and two-disc Live '71. The band was an octet '71 with only Sanborn and Dinwiddie retained; Golden Butter/Best Of '72 was the last Elektra release. An Offer You Can't Refuse on Red Lightnin' label UK was a radio broadcast from '60s with Butterfield and Walter Horton; he had also played on Muddy Waters's Fathers And Sons '69. Disbanded blues band, formed Better Days with original lineup of Billy Rich, bass; Christopher Parker, drums; Ronnie Barron, piano; Amos Garrett and Geoff Muldaur, guitars (Garrett with Elvin Bishop Band '78; duo LP with Muldaur same year). Albums on Bearsville Better Days '72, It All Comes Back '73 well received; Put It In Your Ear '76 was an ambitious failure of too many styles and instruments: Butterfield experimented but never imposed himself to give the product identity. Appeared at the Band's Last Waltz party '76; toured with Levon Helm, then with Rick Danko; released North-South '81; old albums reissued on Rhino '87.