After Jason and those guys played the Butterfield Tribute at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, another group of musicians takes the stage, says "Out of the way, boys. This is how it's done" and proceeds to play the following...
(from Rob Paparozzi's Electric Butter tribute cd) ---------- The Iceman
Last Edited by The Iceman on Apr 28, 2015 11:51 AM
Rob was one of the small handful of players who would have been a good choice for the tribute band. That's partly because his style on diatonic is very indebted to Butterfield. Another way of putting that is that he's a much less original player, stylistically, than Jason is. He's a great player, a fluent and soulful player, but the power of his playing comes, significantly, from the way he echoes Butterfield rather than taking the next step beyond him.
Jason takes the next step, or two, or three, beyond Butterfield. I suspect that he could, if he wanted, play as narrowly within Butter's own style as Rob does here. But that's not really his thing. When Jason does "Driftin' Blues," he adds a lot of his own stuff even while giving you some Butterfield flavor. Rob, on the other hand, sticks more with the Butterfield flavor. But Rob would have been a good choice. If I were the casting director, so to speak, he would certainly have been on my short list.
Posting was not to compare Rob with Jason. It was more the overall approach to Butterfield. Rob has first class big band w/charts that are amazing and a true tribute to Butterfield in so many ways while the Rock and Roll band may have played a song of Butterfield's, but did not embrace so much of what was glittering in Paul's approach. ---------- The Iceman
Good version of the song with a solid Butter-style solo from Rob. He has the phrasing and the little nuances in the vibrato, sweet playing. The Charles Ford Band did a Paul Butterfield tribute album a number of years ago and did a version of "One More Heartache as Well." Andy Just is the harmonica player, a masterful one in an older style groove, and has smoothly mastered a Butterfield that comes off s natural and bouyant in ways you don't expect.
In terms of the band, Iceman, you're quite right. Rob has a knack for putting bands together. Bernard "Pretty" Purdie ain't chopped liver, as my grandmother would say. George Naha on guitar is an ace. He knows from talent.
IMHO, one pays tribute to someone by doing the honoree's material, but making it their own. A good example is a Loretta Lynn tribute I recently viewed. She loved the way all the ladies took her songs to heart and performed them well, but never being a copycat.
I'm sure if Butter or even SRV can hear the tributes, they would much rather hear where the music has come, than a copy of themselves. ---------- www.facebook.com/catfishfryeband
My understanding is that this was an induction for the Paul Butterfield Band, so I think something a little more perfect should have extended the spotlight to Elvin Bishop, Mark Naftalin, Jerome Arnold, Sam Lay, Billy Davenport and in particular, Mike Bloomfield. Bloomfield is arguably the finest guitarist of his generation, Bob Dylan said the best ever. His contribution to music extended well beyond the Butterfield Band. Nobody playing guitar on that stage that night and I am including the SRV induction, touched the intensity in which Bloomfield played. JR as a testimony to Butter, I get it. Rob P., I get that too. For Bloomfield, really, who could that person be?
I agree. Bloomfield was arguably the first guitar hero of the 60's .His playing on Highway 61 revisited put blues/rock in the spotlight for all to copy.
I would probably go with Mark Knopfler, Peter Green ( on a good day)or Mick Taylor.
I think they're both great. I also think that Rob's decision to hew a bit closer to Butterfield's style was a decision based on his own personal taste, rather than on ability.
I've always thought Robben Ford would be the man I would call for a a Mike Bloomfield tribute. Ford has often cited Bloomfield as a primary influence and inspiration, and Ford's own style, a blend of blues and jazz, seem an appropiate matche for the innovations that Bloomfield pioneered. ---------- Ted Burke __________________ ted-burke.com tburke4@san.rr.com
Guy Clark, jr, I enjoyed that Magic Sam inspired piece. And Robben Ford, an excellent choice, evidenced by his fine work on the Ford Bros Michael tribute. Jimmy Vivino would be the "east coast" choice, LA Jones springs to mind also. It's a short list.
I was in a reggae band with the drummer from Gary Clark's Band. Great drummer, good guy. Gary used to sit in with bands I was in when he was a teenager.
