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Michael Bloomfield - If You Love These Blues: An Oral History (Book)

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I gotta confess, I never really appreciated the depth of Mike Bloomfield's talent when he was in his heyday. Oh yeah, I was a fan of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and of the Electric Flag, but I never did buy wholly into the "Bloomfield as guitar god" mantra that many of my slightly older friends and schoolmates did. Perhaps if I had been just a little older when he was at his zenith, I would have understood just how musically important he was!
If You Love These Blues was brought to my attention by one of the book's authors who had e-mailed me about one of my reviews on amazon. His description of it sounded interesting, so I took a chance and ordered it here. Am I ever glad I did! Not only did I get a book chock full of interesting stories and anecdotes about Bloomfield and those who surrounded him, I also got a magnificent CD of previously unissued 1964 Bloomfield recordings, from the vaults so to speak.

The book:
If You Love These Blues is not a traditional biography, rather it is a compilation and arrangement of interviews of Bloomfield himself (before his death, of course), his colleagues, his intimates, and some of his important acquaintances given over the years as Bloomfield's life is explored from his youth until his untimely death. Some of the interviews of those important in his life were given years after Bloomfield's death and help the reader to form a retrospective impression of the sort of guy Bloomfield was.
At first I was skeptical about how this style of biography would work out, now I see that it was probably the best way to approach Bloomfield's story. The interviews and stories are not haphazardly arranged, but are in such an order as to give the reader a coherent overview of each important period of Bloomfield's life. The stories, reminiscences, and anecdotes are sometimes humorous, sometime tragic, but nearly always compelling. My favorite bunch of reminiscences are those revolving around Bloomfield and his experiences with some of the old giants of blues, particularly those of his wild trip to St Louis with Big Joe Williams and a couple friends.
Those most interested in the musical aspect of his life and the musicians that surrounded, influenced, or were influenced by Bloomfield will enjoy reading the comments of luminaries like Elvin Bishop, Jack Casady, Nick Gravenites, Al Kooper, Buddy Miles, Charlie Musselwhite,Mark Naftalin, and Carlos Santana among many others.
At the end of the book, there is a list of interviewees for quick reference, a comprehensive discography, and a selected critical discography.

The CD:
First, I've gotta say that even without the CD, the book was well worth the price paid. With the CD, the book is an incredible bargain. Take yourself back to 1964 and try to remember the kind and quality of the music that was popular then. Try to think of anyone at that time who was considered a legitimate guitar hero, then listen to this! Now how advanced is this for its day? You get nearly 45 minutes of primitive, searing blues that let you see just how far ahead of his contemporaries he was. Bloomfield often liked to play all the parts, and his experiments here with overdubbing showcase his massive talent. I like it all, but particularly enjoy Country Boy (with a young Charlie Musselwhite on harmonica), Intermission Blues (on which his piano play foreshadows Bob Hall's style on early Savoy Brown recordings), and the jamfest Gotta Call Susie that closes out the CD.

If you are a blues fan and if you love the blues style popularized by Michael Bloomfield and his colleagues, then you will buy this book! I cannot give it any higher recommendation.

If you loved Mike Bloomfield in the 60's, you'll probably feel as I did, that you need this book. It's much more comprehensive than Ed Ward's "Rise and Fall of an American Guitar hero" as regards Michael's childhood and teenage years in the suburbs of Chicago, and his forays into the blues world of Chicago's South Side. The story is narrated by Michael's family, friends and bandmates. It gives you a sense of Michael the person, but seems a bit disjointed at times , as the narration jumps back and forth between voices. The tone is a bit reverential, with none of the humor that Bloomfield would have insisted on, had he been here. The more lurid aspects of the story are somewhat played down, though various people address "the issue" from their points of view. Though there is more of the story of Michael the person, "If You Love These Blues" is less visually interesting than the Ward book (currently out of print). The small photos are scattered through the book, and there are no glossy photos, other than the riveting cover shot. In fairness, the pictures are rare (some are family photos). But there are too many photos of Bloomfield's friends, relative to the number of pictures of the books subject. The gist of the book? It's the age-old tale of the tortured artist. The image, especially that of the tortured blues guitarist is a powerful 20th century archetype, and if you relate to that, or if you are a fan of Michael Bloomfield the musician, you'll enjoy this. There is also a cd included, though I would rather listen to the recent "Don't Say That I Ain't Your Man" for musical references to the earlier periods of Bloomfield's recording career covered in the book. Bottom line? Enjoyable, a good introduction to one of the giants of American pop music in the 60's.

This is, and will probably remain, THE book on Mike Bloomfield. The only other book worth having is Ed Ward's "Rise And Fall Of An American Guitar Hero", which is out of print and very expensive in the secondary market; Ward's book also has some inaccuracies.

For many people, Mike Bloomfield is someone they know from the famed "Super Session" album from the late 1960s. Others may know him from the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Few, however, realize the true breadth and depth of his recording career or his intelligence and humanity. This book goes a long way to painting a picture of who and what Mike really was.

This book is basically a long collection of quotes and remembrances of Mike by the people who were part of his life. In a loose sense of the word, it is a biography. It captures, more importantly, Mike as a person and the truly extraordinary person he was.

The CD is worth the price of the book alone, containing three solo acoustic tracks from Norman Dayron's apartment in January 1964 and four live performances from October 1964 (three electric and one piano).

The discography is about as good and up to date as is available. I am working on a proper discography, which I hope to have published within a year.

If you like Mike Bloomfield or his music or are just plain curious about this extraordinary human being, this book is absolutely essential.

Although he is relatively unknown today outside the guitar community, in his time Mike Bloomfield was as huge an influence as Clapton and possibly Hendrix. I remember hearing the first Butterfield album (I borrowed it in return for the first Blues Project album). This was the most stunning guitar player I ever heard (the sentiment of a million or more players and fans). Contrary to popular belief, the 60s blues revival began with Butterfield, not the British blues bands. Bloomfield was the driving force of that band. His importance can not be over stated. Bloomfield's playing was central to the development of horn based rock, raga rock, folf rock (Dylan's gunslinger on Highway 61) and almost every other blues flavored style of the period. San Francisco Acid Rock was even reportedly an attampt in part to copy the improvisational excursions of the Butterfield band. Bloomfield's playing is felt in every important blues rock guitar player up to the advent of Stevie Ray Vaughan. For that reason alone, this book is long overdue and a must read for anyone interested in American music. To boot, Bloomfield was a virtual encyclopedia of the blues form (reflected in his later work).

Wolkin and Keenom's book provides a good overview of Bloomfield's work and accurately captures the spirit of the period of music covered. The narrative style, culled from interviews with a host of contemporary musicians, is a feast of more obscure information and frames a clear image of what he may have been like as a person. Carlos Santana's preface is a heartfeld and loving tribute to a mentor and musical colleague. A lengthy discography is provided.

Two concerns with the book: more (and better reproduced) pictures would have made it a more enjoyable experience for a book of this type. Also, when is someone going to write a book which delves deeply into his guitar style. After all, that is why he is so important. In fact, Fender should rename the Telecaster after him for all the instruments he sold!

My thanks to Jan Mark Wolkin & Bill Keenom for this wonderful book on the great Michael Bloomfield. For any musician/guitarist with even a passing interest in the blues this is must reading. The book is not one man's opinion but rather a collection of interviews of those closest to Michael over the years. What better source? You have a "fly on the wall" perspective on the life of this giant of American music. Michael is one of the genuine blues masters and was completely accepted by the greats (King, Wolf, Muddy, etc) as one of their own. B.B. King considered him a son. While the English guitarists were listening to the American blues greats, Michael had been sitting in and playing with these same greats since he was a young teenager. He was also central in introducing these greats to large white audiences through his connections with the great rock impresario Bill Graham of the Fillmore East/West venues. The book even comes with a CD of unreleased privately recorded tunes that are a wonderful addition to any Bloomfield collection. For those new to Bloomfield I would also recommend "Essential Blues 1964-1969- Don't Say I Ain't Your Man!" and Nick Gravenites' "My Labors and More" for great examples of this man's exquisite touch, phrasing and depth of emotion when playing the electric slow blues. You will not regret buying this wonderful read on one of the greatest players to ever pick up an electric guitar. I noticed that a good portion of this book was based on the transcripts of original on camera interviews conducted by Bob Sarles of Ravin' Films for an upcoming documentary of this great musician! Check out Bob's other work, including films about Jefferson Airplane and John Lee Hooker (...) Stay tuned! I hope this review helped.

While England's guitar-heads may have crowned Eric Clapton as "God", America was no slouch--providing the world with the most brilliant Michael Bloomfield. If you,like me grew up wearing out copy after copy of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and East-West lps, you'll definately want to purchase Wolkin and Keenan's book. It's as complete an oral history of Bloomfield as has ever been written. There is no glossing over the man's talent or insecurities, which led to his young and sorrowful death. The only failing of the book is the lack of introduction to the many people introduced in the telling of Michael's life-often leaving the reader with the job of having to play detective. The many "rare" photos included help provide a wonderful visceral feel to the book. And the accompanying CD, featuring rare-unlreased 1964 performances is well worth the price of the book. If you love blues or rock and grew up grooving to the string benders of the 1960s & 1970s, you'll want to read about Bloomfield and his incredible life.

After seeing Rory Gallagher play live, I sought out every electric blues album I could find. Super Session introduced me to Michael and captured the blues sound that I had been searching for. This book provides great insight into Michael's contribution to the Chicago Blues, the "day Dylan went electric," etc. The book consists entirely of interviews, which initially made me hesitant, but once I started, I couldn't put it down since they are very effective at personalizing the stories. I knew that Michael died tragically of a heroin overdose and that he was somewhat difficult & unpredictable, but this book really opened my eyes to the turbulent rollercoaster of his life and the lessons they provide. Michael was the quinessential bluesman whose life reflected what the blues are all about. I am not an emotional person, but I was vividly moved after reading the book. I wished he would have tried to fill the gaping hole in his life by getting down on his knees and seeking divine help rather than trying to fill it with the poison he chose instead.

If you're new to Michael's music, some of his electric blues masterpieces are 'Wintry Countryside' & 'Blues on a Westside' from the Filmore West album (now on Nick Gravenite's My Labors CD), 'Sweet Little Angel/Jelly Jelly' on Live at the Old Waldorf, 'It's my own Fault' (w/Johnny Winter) on the Filmore East CD, 'East-West' & 'I Got a Mind to Give up Living' w/the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and 'Texas' w/Electric Flag. Buy the book and treasure his memory. Buy the CD's and enjoy some great electric blues.

The first Paul Butterfield Blues Band album (and John Mayall's Hard Road) turned me onto the blues. This book provides many very personal recollections of the happenings and experiences of the involved people. While the book is about Michael Bloomfield, the wider picture is more interesting, particularly the details about the PBBB. The first 2/3rds of the book are absolutely fascinating. Once Michael moved onto less productive and less 'important' times, the book loses its impact. I look forward to another book about Paul Butterfield as well.

The cadence of this book moves at a tempo similar to Michael Bloomfield's life and music. Sometimes the words fly so fast they take away your breath; in other parts, every syllable inflicts white-hot pain in your soul. A floating, oral history biography isn't a new literary device, but it's certain the most excellent approach for someone so multidimensional as Bloomfield. Even the most hardcore fan will discover dozens of new stories in this book. To the newly initiated, the book explains a vital period of blues history. I surrendered to the book's spell, which is every bit as delicious and intricate as a prolonged Bloomfield solo on a good Saturday night. The bonus rarities CD is worth the price of admission alone, so how can you miss on this purchase?

I just watched the outakes of The Complete MONTEREY POP FESTIVAL from the Criterion Collection. WHY HASN'T THIS BEEN RELEASED BEFORE?. For those who saw The Monterey Pop Festival movie in '67-'68, when it was released, it contained 90 minutes that brought not only the California Sound of the 60's, but the most innovative acts in rock, to the world. Not only was it a culutural revelation but a revolution. Even Clive Davis, the super manager who is the most powerful force in pop music to this day, says the concert changed his life (he can be seen in audience reaction shots). Well, I gotta tell you all - this movie- now with the outtakes that you can watch and hear on DVD-- I believe is just as powerful as WOODSTOCK!!! HELLO, LOU ADLER! WHY DID WE HAVE TO WAIT SO LONG?

I was kid in a rock band in the 60's playing high schools in Ohio. Sure I was influenced by the Beatles, Stones, Animals-- the British Invasion. Soon our band finally understood these bands were influenced by Elvis, Chuck Berry, and the Blues greats-- Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, etc. Realize in farm-bound Ohio, the cultural education we got was mainstream. FM rock was still in its infancy and we were slaves to AM top 40. Somehow we heard of this band from Chicago that was creating a huge scene with their high energy blues music-- the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. And that they learned and/or played with the blues greats. So Michael Bloomfield became our hero and his place on the throne was cemented with SUPER SESSION.
This fascinating book.... this incredible oral history.... from many of the artists that surrounded Bloomfield follows the rise of blues-rock and his influence on the music of the time.
Before Hendrix, Page, and Clapton, there was Michael Bloomfield and he was an insecure but incredible force who's effect on many artists is now finally being documented.
If you love the music of the 60's you must read this book. IT IS GREAT!!!. It would make a great movie. MARTY, I HOPE YOU'RE READING THIS!
So get this book then you'll understand what was going on at the Monterey Pop Festival. Cause in it is not only a fantastic performance by Paul Butterfield Blues Band but also one with Bloomfield playing with The Electric Flag plus several cutaways of Bloomfield in other parts of the film. Also, the comment from David Crosby in the film about Bloomfield is priceless.