Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the exclusive premiere of a previously unreleased 1964 recording by the late Mike Bloomfield.
Although he often is overshadowed by Eric Clapton and Fleetwood Mac's Peter Green, Bloomfield — and his Sunburst 1959 Gibson Les Paul — set the pace for the disruptive fervor of the 1960s youth revolution with his greasy mix of Chicago blues and freak-out frenzy.
The track, which you can hear below, is a demo performance of "Hammond's Rag," Bloomfield's tricky, fingerpicked salute to guitarist Merle Travis. It is included on From His Head to His Heart to His Hands, an impressive, career-spanning box set that will be released February 4 via Sony’s Legacy imprint.
The box, which includes three CDs and one DVD, includes an assortment of previously unreleased recordings, such as Bloomfield’s first demos (including "Hammond's Rag"), which were recorded for legendary A&R man John Hammond. It also includes Bloomfield’s final live performance, which took place at a Bob Dylan concert in 1980.
In addition to a focus on his solo material and his time with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and the Electric Flag, the box offers a healthy serving of Bloomfield’s session work for other artists, including Dylan, Muddy Waters and Janis Joplin.
The DVD features a new documentary, Sweet Blues: A Film About Michael Bloomfield, which combines vintage audio interviews and live performance footage alongside new interviews with Bloomfield’s friends.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
