Butterfield live long

["alciere" <alciere@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Just got East West Live and Strawberry Jam-thank you J.P. Strawberry Jam has 
a lot more harp on it-pretty much straight forward blues very well done. 
Since it was recorded around 1966, I'd say Butterfield couldn't have been 
playing more than 10 years. His tone and technique are wonderful. Vibrato to 
die for. Butterfield shines as a band leader. His solos really work the 
crowd into a frenzy and his singing is great. I really like the minor key 
jazzy playing on the title tune-Strawberry Jam. Some of the nicest electric 
harp I've heard. Inspirational. The sound quality is rough but this kind of 
music sounds better when it's not too pristine. 

East West Live is for Butterfield fans. I loved it, but some people may have 
problems with 45 minutes of just one song, albeit in 3 different 
versions.Still, for me this is the Holy Grail, this is what I play. It's 
very hard to find improvisational rock harp. East West 3 the 28 minute 
version (yes 28 minutes!) has some beautiful, very melodic harp, far removed 
from the stereotypical riff laden blues harp typical on many rock records. 
It's also nice to see a harp playing band leader give so much time to the 
rest of the band. Again, the sound quality is rough. 

So I would recommend Strawberry Jam to anyone that likes Chicago blues 
electric harp playing. I put it up there with Junior Wells's Hoodoo Man-high 
praise indeed.If you play improvisational rock, you need to hear East West 
Live. 

Thanks again J.P. 

Rainbow Jimmy
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