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

Continuing my Touching Others Lives Series, I give to you the focal point of the drawing.  Which is being placed in the center of my recycled, thrown away, let’s put it in the landfill, discarded item, that I am going to transpose into a usable, conversation piece with a stunning array of art!

Let me introduce you to - Al Kooper, a survivor of the rock and roll lifestyle, we picked up his book called Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards when we were in Austin.

Al Kooper was, what’s called a Session Player, having to know how to play anything, anytime, when the phone rings, a musician for hire.  Now with his band Funky Faculty, he has laid down so many tracks on Teen Records, that we are not even aware of whose behind the music.

Touching Others Lives, in a quiet existance of which so many of us are not aware of the impact and the music he added to our lives.  Playing on This Diamond Ring performed by Gary Lewis & The Playboys.  The story of how Al came to play with Bob Dylan on Like a Rolling Stone is something only his words do justice, pick up the book. Blood Sweat and Tears, started in the head of this session musician, creating a marriage between blue’s,  rock and a horn section.

Can you imagine a man of this stature teaching you music? Well, for a short while he did teach but with a disease that took 2/3rds of his eye sight, he had to give that up.  He is still sought after for tours & lectures as well as DJ’ing

This is a man who has Touched Others Lives, when you are sitting at your computer, or standing in line at the store, just think about those that you may never see behind the scenes, the one’s that in some off-handed way have touched your lives.  If the stock boy didn’t stock, we would not find what we need, if the IT Pro didn’t stay behind at work until 2:00 am, we would not have smooth running computers, there are so many more behind the scene’s people that we have in our lives, that each and every day.. they have touched our lives.

This is the start of a series of posts on touching others lives, my husband brought home a really unusual canvas for me last week, he finally got it prepped and it’s ready for me to lay down some lead to give it soul of rock and roll. This one, I will be selling!

I will leave out the details of what this discarded item is, and as my “Touching Others Lives” series goes on, I will continue to share each portion of this drawing, I will unveil the reused, recycled and refurbished item.

The first post here, is to make y’all think about those that have touched your life, even if for just a fleeting moment.  Like the Uncle that gave you a dollar when you were a child, and you headed to the local Ben Franklin Dime Store, coming out with a little jar of  liquid blowing bubbles.

The Aunt that you would visit, who always had Salerno Butter Cookies and Milk waiting on your arrival.  A Sister that would always be your ally when your other siblings tormented you with muddy worms and threatened to make you eat them.

Do we take the time as a human race these days to really understand why the people that are in our lives are there?

We do gravitate towards people with similar interests, but it is also very interesting to step outside that little circle of life we are in, and try something a little different, learn something from someone that we have no idea what they are talking about.Watch an old movie that we have never seen, but often heard the title.  Casablanca, It’s a Wonderful Life or Once Upon a Time in the West.

I sat last evening with a couple that grew up in theater, and had the notions of this post swimming through my mind before we even entered their colorful home.  The walls in the bathroom are papered with old clippings of past events, old entertainers, sheets of music.  Entertainment from years past, things and people that have touched their lives, they touched mine last night.  The excitement in John’s voice, when he heard I had never seen Casablanca, he couldn’t wait to share something he felt passionate about and went digging for the movie - he didn’t find it, so I guess I will be heading to Blockbuster soon.

How will that movie, and that moment touch my life, I don’t know yet, but as we continue each day of our lives, we all have something to learn from someone, and we all have something to teach someone.  It’s broadening our circles and our minds that will help us grow into better rounded people.  I have a thirst for knowledge, and learning, stepping into others circles if only for a short time, can really be an adventure that will open up so many possibilities.

As my recycled, reused “conversation piece” continues, I will touch on a icon in Rock History that opened doors for one heck of a lot of people, a name that is known to many and known little to others, and not known at all to some.