Touching Others Lives Part 3

Mike Bloomfield, Chicago Born musician, composer & guitarist,  took chances, at 14 he was not afraid to follow his thirst for musical talent that he could learn by, become part of and enjoy.  He also took the chance when he decided that heroin should course through his body.

From the pages of Mike Bloomfields Website: Bloomfield was quickly accepted on the South Side, as much for his ability as for the audiences’ appreciation of the novelty of seeing a young white player in a part of town where few whites were seen. Bloomfield soon discovered a group of like-minded outcasts. Young white players such as Paul Butterfield, Nick Gravenites, Charlie Musselwhite, and Elvin Bishop were also establishing themselves as fans who could hold their own with established bluesmen, many of whom were old enough to be their fathers.

In addition to playing with the established stars of the day, Bloomfield began to search out older, forgotten bluesmen, playing and recording with Sleepy John Estes, Yank Rachell, Little Brother Montgomery and Big Joe Williams, among others. By this time he was managing a Chicago folk music club, the Fickle Pickle, and often hired older acoustic blues players for the Tuesday night blues sessions. Big Joe Williams memorialized those times in the song “Pick A Pickle” with the line “You know Mike Bloomfield…will always treat you right…come to the Pickle, every Tuesday night.” Bloomfield’s relationship with Big Joe Williams is documented in “Me And Big Joe,” a moving short story detailing Bloomfield’s adventures on the road with Williams.

I believe one of the reasons that Mike Bloomfield touched the life of Al Kooper are in the similarities in the lives .  Both being Jewish, raised in big cities and having overwhelming passion for music was part of what was behind the success Super Sessions in 1968.  Bloomfield plays on side one of Super Sessions and it did push him back into the spot light - but his missing in action antics prompted Kooper to have Steven Stills sit in on side two, drugs and insomnia enveloped Mike Bloomfield, truly a part of music scene, known well to many past musicians.

It was this chance that Bloomfield took that ended his life, with a stunning career playing with greats such as Paul Butterfield Blues Band, backing up Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Al Kooper, just to name a few.

To know that my brother’s life has affected so many is very gratifying. Although Michael has been gone for many years, his presence is still perceptible, his energy continues to burn so brightly. How amazing is that? I welcome you to post any questions you may have wondered about regarding Michael and I will do my utmost to answer them.

Allen Bloomfield, January 2003