Michael Bloomfield

Although his lanky Chicago-style electric guitar playing helped bridge the gap between the blues and rock in the mid-'60s, Michael Bloomfield resisted the guitar god status that was thrust at him, preferring to do session work and producing to anchoring a long-lasting touring and recording band. In the late '70s (and post-Butterfield Blues Band and Electric Flag) he recorded several low-key blues albums for small labels, and Celebrating the Blues gathers some of the best of the tracks from those sessions. True to form, Bloomfield avoids the flash stuff here, and plays the songs (most of which are Chicago blues standards) straight up, bringing in a certain unadorned elegance with his guitar lines. He also sings, which isn't a strong point, but it underscores the fact that he is doing music he loves without any thought of scoring a radio hit. High points include the bright rhythmic underpinning of "Don't Lie to Me," the near-reggae lilt of "Junko Partner," and the unassuming and ultimately graceful "Vamp in C" instrumental. It's not startling material, by any means, and not the kind of stuff that will convert non-believers into raving Bloomfield fans, but as a glimpse of a man playing the music he loved without commercial pressure, it's as telling as anything he ever recorded. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide