[Harp-L] Paul B.

["Tom Ellis" <tomsmics@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've been reading the posts on Butter, and a memorable quote came to mind.

A very famous French writer once said:
"An original writer is not one who imitates nobody, but one whom nobody can imitate."

This is another accolade that applies perfectly to Butter as a musician.  And also as a singer.  And also as a harp player.  And also as a band leader.

There are not many harp players around who fit into all of these categories.  Comments like that of Chris M. that started all of this Butterfield stuff are not only myopic, but are typical of players who only see/hear the harp player while forgetting that their purpose on stage is to make, or attempt to make, great music in combination with other musicians.  Butterfield never failed to meet this challenge, regardless of who he assembled for his groups.

There's a reason that Butterfield was the bandleader who appeared at Bill Grahams' Fillmores (East and West) more than ANY other performer.  He was a remarkable musician who always delivered great music.  

And, according to Graham, as well as Sammy Lay himself, the Butterfield Bands, especially Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield, did more to expose and push black bluesmen into the musical forefront during the 1960s and 70s than anyone.  It can easily be argued that if Butterfield hadn't come along most of Chicago Blues would have remained confined to Chicago and the surrounding cities, as it had during the 1950s and early 1960s.  Only the Stones had a similar impact, but, unlike Butter, they focused mostly on Muddy.  Butter and Bloomfield pushed Graham to book Walter, the Kings, Bland, Hooker, et al.  

Certainly Butter's end was tragic.  But his importance can not be overestimated.

And no one has come along since that plays with the visceral power and emotional presence Butterfield was always known for. Nobody.  Tom Ellis/Tom's Mics