The Blues Project is a band formed in 1965 in Greenwich Village, New York City, lasting with its original line-up until 1967. While their songs drew from a wide array of musical styles, they are most remembered as one of the earliest practitioners of psychedelic rock, as well as one of the world's first jam bands.
In 1965 Danny Kalb joined with Steve Katz and Andy Kulberg, Roy Blumenfeld and Tommy Flanders to form The Blues Project. Later, when Flanders left the band, he was replaced by Al Kooper. They recorded three studio albums, played quite frequently at the Cafe Au Go Go and Murray the K's last "submarine race-watching" spectacular at the RKO 58th Street theater in New York, and had several concert tours. In 1965 The Blues Project performed an eleven minute rendition of Muddy Waters' "Two Trains Running" in electronic form with Waters in the audience. When asked what he thought of it, Waters said, "You really got me." Kalb later said, "If I'd dropped dead at that point on the spot because of what we thought of Muddy Waters, then my life would have been well spent." Personalities, drugs and the 1960s lifestyle took their toll on the band. Katz left to join Blood, Sweat and Tears.
Guitarist Al Kooper is best known for helping organize Blood, Sweat & Tears (although he did not stay with the group long enough to share its popularity), for providing studio support for Bob Dylan when he went electric in 1965, and also brought together guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills to record the Super Session album.
Live at the Matrix is a 2 CD bootleg recording featuring the Blues Project's best lineup -- Kooper, Katz, Kalb, Kulberg, and Blumenfeld -- live at the Matrix club in September of 1966. The Matrix, a renovated former pizza shop, was a nightclub in San Francisco from 1965 to 1972 owned in part by Marty Balin of the Jefferson Airplane, and was a nesting ground for what eventually became known as the "San Francisco Sound" in rock music.
This small venue originally located on Fillmore St. in San Francisco, showcased artists the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Blues Project, Butterfield Blues Band, Country Joe & the Fish, The Doors, Electric Flag, Grateful Dead, John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Hot Tuna, Howlin' Wolf, Taj Mahal, Steve Miller Blues Band, Moby Grape, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Santana, Sopwith Camel, The Sparrow (just before they changed their name to Steppenwolf), Velvet Underground, The Wailers, Johnny Winter, and many more.
Since it was originally created and run by musicians, The Matrix was always popular with local and visiting musicians, so, on their off nights, many of them would come there to hear other groups they knew or just to hang out. Known musicians never paid a cover charge.
This CD includes The Blues Project performing a lot of the stronger material from their first and second albums and is very close in sound to the studio versions. Keep in mind it is less than studio quality, however very listenable for those who are true fans of early psychedelic blues/rock and its history.
Tracklist:
CD1
1-Intros
2-Louisiana Blues
3-Steve’s Song
4-I Can’t Keep From Crying
5-Caress Me Baby
6-Flute Thing 1
7-Wake Me Shake Me
8-The Way My Baby Walks
9-Love Will Endure
10-Jelly Jelly
CD2
1-Cheryl’s Going Home
2-You Can’t Catch Me
3-Talk
4-Shake That Thing
5-Talk
6-Catch The Wind
7-You Can’t Judge a Book
8-Talk
9-Flute Thing 2
10-Hoochie Coochie Man
11-If You Don’t Come Back
Personnel:
Danny Kalb - guitar, vocals
Steve Katz - guitar, vocals
Al Kooper - keyboards, vocals
Andy Kulberg - bass, flute
Roy Blumenfeld - drums
MUCH Peace n luv to my friends at 1337x and blazinseedboxes
Media Info:
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Channels: joint stereo
Samplerate: 44100
Encoder: LAME 3.97
MPEG-1 layer 3
**tyvm (silverado) cheers!