Mike Bloomfield

Mike Bloomfield was an American Blues Guitarist, mentored by the like of BB King, Bob Dylan and Muddy Waters. His early death – aged 37 from a drug overdose– cut short a talent that denied expectations that he would be the standard bearer for years to come.

This release is slightly odd in that it pairs a total turkey with a great album. Bloomfield’s debut solo album ‘It’s Not Killing Me’ lacks confidence and features Bloomfield’s vocals but very little of his guitar on release, one review stated that "it makes about as much sense as Led Zeppelin having Jimmy Page sing lead while Robert Plant played tambourine!". The other disc, ‘Live At The Old Waldorf’, culled from a number of sets that he played there in ’74, ’76 & ’77 is superb and shows his talent as a pure and classic Blues player.

‘It’s Not Killing Me’ features songs mainly written by Bloomfield and features Bloomfield on vocals as well as guitar. Ther is some good playing on the album, but it plays as though he was trying escape the image most people had of him as a fiery Blues player and band member – he had been in Electric Flag and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band – and suffers from lack of a dissenting voice. It charted at #127 in the US and not at all in the UK and propelled him into years of drug addiction and only sporadic appearances.
A number of those were at the Old Waldorf and the second album shows Bloomfield doing what he did best – playing some outstanding guitar and slide as part of a band, playing covers and giving them new life and fresh perspectives.

It is a worthy release, the first CD fascinating for its weaknesses but the second is worth paying for as an example of a real talent that blossomed occasionally and was lost too soon.