I love Paul Butterfield. He sort of modernized the harmonica and was one of the first people to utilize a non-tongue blocking technique. He has a distinctive tone and a distinctive way of attacking notes. Well, check out this video of him with Rick Danko (of The Band). INCREDIBLE stuff. A lot of what he does is what I am seeing in many modern blues players.
It's strange how players can influence you almost unconsciously too - I listened intently and much more frequently to many other harp players than I did to Butterfield when I began to learn the instrument. However, as my style - which is certainly very attacky - developed and matured it became very clear that his influence had crept in there without a doubt. Right down to settling on the fantastically punchy 545 as my mic of choice.
I now get told quite regularly that my playing often resembles Butterfield's in terms of tone and approach, even though I use both LP and TB and occasional OBs. No bad thing and clearly a huge compliment as far as I'm concerned!
Undoubdtedly a major influence on today's modern exponents of the harp.
Last Edited by on Feb 19, 2010 11:30 AM
Am I correct? Is that a pe54 mic. I have a mic that looks just like his. Wow! Is it one hot mic! My mic is from the 60s and one of the loudest /hottest mics in my collection.
Java, it seems like this was JUST added. My electric playing is heavily influenced by him, there are times when I have been playing and I just went, "woah, is Paul Butterfield still alive?"
When I was young I heard the track east/west, the first Indian/blues fusion...wow what a shock and his harp playing. This was the same time the Beatles were into sitar etc but this was much better!!
Dang, I've wondered where that footage got to; I know I've searched YouTube for it at least once. That is ca. 1982 IIRC: he came through my town with the guitarist @ stage right, and then showed up on a latenight network TV music program a few months later with Danko and this band.
At the club gig we saw, he was playing through two Mesa Boogies split out to either side of the stage and miced, a single 12"/EQ slider model that Kim Wilson also used a little around then. He either had strained his voice or couldn't hear himself, so it was a surprise/relief to hear him sing strongly and well on this TV show.
I meant: "I agree wholeheartedly with Zack et al's endorsement of Mr Butterfield, but that bouncing bassist is terrifically uncool". To say that I've never seen a bassist with less gravitas is overstating the point though. I have a Frank Zappa DVD where the bassist is even more bouncey.
Uh oh... am I going to get bollocked for making fun of Danko?
(By the way, Greg > sorry for the silence. Expect my email pronto)
Nice post Zach. I remember seeing Butter on this tour with Danko and Blondie Chaplin. I have seen a full video of this show on the net, but this clip is the best quality. I saw them @ Lupo's in Providence. It was on a Jewish high holy day, and I recalled it was a full throttle evening. But Butter was the star. The evening's highlights were his solos on "Sail on Sailor" and "Unfaithful Servant."
Here's Butter like you never seen him before.
Http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw7lbGqc4x8
Last Edited by on Feb 20, 2010 4:20 PM
"Live at the Blue Note in Boulder" is the full length video of the band. Butterfield saw his star rise in the wake of the Last Waltz movie. He was in the RCO All Stars with Levon Helm and then in the Danko band. While he was a powerful performer, the years were catching up with him and by the time I saw him at Tramps in NYC in the winter of '83, his poor health was catching up with him.
I made mention in another post that I saw him in 1975 with Better Days. That band was a real ensemble unit like The Band. Anchored by Billy Rich and Chris Parker, the band played deeply felt Americana Music with strong New Orleans synchopations. Amos Garrett, Geoff Muldaur and the amazing Ronnie Barron rounded out the band. I personally liked Better Days more than the later version of PBBB.
The three times I saw him, what really impressed me was that the guy walked out on stage ready to play because he meant business, truly a front man. There is a reason Bloomfield was scared shitless of Paul and it was because he was tougher than all get out.
well, that trip down memory lane makes me feel seriously old.....
Last Edited by on Feb 20, 2010 7:46 PM
I really like the "Mystery Train" track from the Last Waltz sound track PB with The Band). To me it has a raw energy, and I just love that sort of thing.
Really GREAT playing from Butters. I must get down to learing some of that.
I just got a 545S pistol grip landed from Ebay this week - wired the cable to make it high imp, and I was blown away by how good it was, nasty mic, cant put it down ( into a HG DT). Ive also got a sm57 with a imp. transformer, which doesnt compare in the slightest IMO.
