Re: [Harp-L] Butterfield, some more thoughts

[PL500@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 8/28/04 6:53:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
blittlehales@xxxxxxxxx writes:
I'm 53 years old and bet that, like me, a lot of harp players on this
list got really started on harp by Paul Butterfield. It seems as if
time has not diminished the impact of his music, at least up to the
Better Days period. And yet, especially among younger harp players,
Butterfield has very little influence today. 

I can't tell you how many young players have dissed him to me, saying,
he couldn't tongue block, he didn't learn Little Walter songs
note-for- note, he couldn't sing (!) and he abandoned blues. 
Indeed, 

Butterfield and his band were the cream of the crop back in that time. How 
odd that for someone that "couldn't sing", play Little Walter note for note, and 
"abandoned" blues put out some of the most defintive music of that period. 
It's influence was felt by many people of that time (Allman Bros., Blood Sweat 
and Tears). Butters was a great musician period and I doubt many of those who 
try to clone the Walters (Big and Little) would be able to hold much of a 
candle to Butters when it came down to it. Butterfield was a bonafide badass, not 
because of technique or tone, but because of the sheer soul and energy that he 
put into his playing. When Butters threw down a solo or even stated the 
melody, it was done in such a way that was completely honest and sincere. Notice in 
Butterfield's playing the complete lack of cheesy cliche ridden licks and 
phrasing; who the hell was playing like this? 

Some of the most soulful playing by Butterfield is on the instructional CD 
that he put out in the 80's. His solo amplified performance on "Caress Me Baby" 
is intense, also his duets with Happy Traum on Guitar are killer ( For the 
life of me I wish he would have released some of this stuff on a record). Butters 
was on top of his game with these recordings, and his instructionals on it 
are insightful. 

Andrew