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The Blues Project were a rock band from New York City originally active in the mid-60s.
Founding members Danny Kalb (guitar/vocals) and Roy Blumenfeld (drums) had brought back the Blues Project name in 1971, with the help of Don Kretmar (bass/sax), who had recently been with Blumenfeld in Seatrain. After the disappointing Lazarus, they got themselves three new members - keyboardist David Cohen (who had been a member of Country Joe & The Fish from 1965 to 1969), guitarist Bill Lussenden, and original lead singer Tommy Flanders (who since originally leaving the Blues Project in 1966 had released one obscure solo album).
With this new six-man line-up (with three founding members), the band recorded a self-titled album which was released in 1972. It was some solid if somewhat uninspiring blues-rock, featuring two Willie Dixon tunes and a cover of Tim Hardin's "Danville Dame". Though it was an improvement on Lazarus, it still did not do too well, and later that same year the band officially disbanded.
Lazarus (1971) <|> Reunion In Central Park (1973)
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The Blues Project were a rock band from New York City originally active in the mid-60s.
The Blues Project originally broke up in 1967. Or rather they metamorphosed… Remaining members Roy Blumenfeld (drums) and Andy Kullberg (bass) got together with new musicians and became Seatrain. Blumenfeld only stayed with Seatrain for one album, and by 1971 had met up again with original Blues Project guitarist Danny Kalb. The two of them reformed the band, sort of… Joining them on bass and sax was Don Kretmar, who had come with Blumenfeld from Seatrain. This trio (presumably with the help of friends and session guys) recorded one album under the Blues Project name. It didn’t sound much like the original Blues Project albums of the mid 60s, and was mostly driven by Kalb, who was never a particularly distinctive singer. Indeed it sounded more like a Danny Kalb solo album than anything else, and it’s probably fair to say it’s the least interesting record to be put out under the Blues Project name.
Planned Obsolescence (1968) <|> Blues Project (1972)
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The Blues Project were a rock band from New York City originally active in the mid-60s.
By the time the Planned Obsolescene was released, the Blues Project was no more... In fact, it wasn't actually the Blues Project who recorded this album!
The original band had gone their seperate ways, so drummer Roy Blumenfeld and bassist/flautist Andy Kulberg relocated to the West Coast and started a new group with lyricist Jim Roberts, guitarist/vocalist John Gregory, violinist Richard Greene and saxophonist/bassist Don Kretmar. Due to contractual problems their first album was released under the Blues Project name.
It took the stylistic fusion the Blues Project had originally begun on certain numbers on Projections, and moved it forward so that their blues roots were left far behind. The result could probably be called prog rock - a unique and intelligent blend of rock, jazz, folk, psychedelia and classical... A defining part of the sound was Greene's virtuoso fiddle playing, alongside the use of both flute and sax in the instrumental lineup. One unusual thing was their use of Roberts as a dedicated lyricist for the group, rather than as a performing memmber. With the exception of a cover of Rudy Clark's "If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody", all the songs on the album were band originals.
By the time they came to record their next album, the group was called Seatrain. The Blues Project name itself re-surfaced in 1971, when it was reformed by Blumenfeld and original member Danny Kalb.
Live At Town Hall (1967) <|> Lazarus (1971)
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The Blues Project were a rock band from New York City originally active in the mid-60s.
Live At Town Hall was the last album from the classic lineup of the Blues Project - Danny Kalb (lead guitar/vocals), Steve Katz (guitar/harmonica/vocals), Al Kooper (keyboards/vocals), Andy Kulberg (bass/flute) and Roy Blumenfeld (drums). Despite the name, it is not actually a live album, but rather a mix of live and studio songs, including three numbers from their second album. It was during the making of this album that the band began to fall apart - Kooper left the during the recording. Soon after its release the band had pretty much drifted apart. Kooper and Katz went on to form Blood, Sweat & Tears, whilst Kulberg and Blumenfeld formed Seatrain (though the first Seatrain album, Planned Obsolescence, was actually released under the Blues Project name due to contractual obligations).
Nevertheless they did manage to put together a fine record before disintegrating. Of particular note is the live version of "Flute Thing", which features lots of solos and Kulberg's electric flute. Also included is Kooper's "No Time Like The Right Time", the closest thing they got to a hit single (it got to #73).
Projections (1966) <|> Planned Obsolescence (1968)
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The Blues Project were a rock band from New York City originally active in the mid-60s.
The Blues Project's debut album had been almost entirely blues-based. However it did feature a couple of covers by contemporary singer-songwriters, and this resultant folk-rock sound was expanded upon on their second album (also their first to be recorded in the studio), which featured their best-known lineup of Al Kooper (keyboards/vocals), Danny Kalb (guitar/vocals), Steve Katz (guitar/harmonica/vocals), Andy Kulberg (bass/flute) and Roy Blumenfeld (drums).
Projections featured an experimental mix of rock, R&B, folk and jazz. It could perhaps be described as among the earliest examples of American psychedelic rock, released the year that the genre first took off. The music was certainly much more complex than that of their debut. All members were given plenty of room to show off their instrumental skills, the new direction even letting bassist Kulberg play flute on a couple of songs (the instrument he began on before he took up the bass). They also moved away from cover songs, as the album featured mostly originals.
However a divide was beginning to develop behind the scenes. Kalb has originally been the band's leader, but now the other members were beginning to become more important. It's worth noting how the singing is shared throughout the album - whilst Kooper and Katz sang the new experimental originals, Kalb sang on the traditional blues covers. Soon this stylistic division would begin to pull the band apart.
Live At The Cafe Au Go Go (1966) <|> Live At Town Hall (1967)
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The Blues Project were a rock band from New York City originally active in the mid-60s.
The Blues Project were formed in New York City during the mid 60s, by ex-folkie guitarists Danny Kalb and Steve Katz, singer Tommy Flanders, bassist Andy Kulberg and drummer Roy Blumenfeld. They were introduced by producer Tom Wilson to Al Kooper, who had recently risen to prominence through playing organ for Bob Dylan. Kooper sat in with them, and was then surpised to be asked to join the band as their keyboardist. With this six man line-up they started to build a name for themselves in New York, playing raw and gritty R&B, with lots of lengthy improvisation and jamming. They got themselves signed to Verve Records, and began recording their debut album live at the Cafe Au Go Go in late 1965. However during the recording Tommy Flanders left, leaving them to finish the album without him. Kalb, Katz and Kooper took up the vocal duties between them.
The album came out in 1966, featuring Flanders on just a few songs. It mostly consisted of cover songs, including classics such as Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" and Willie Dixon's "Back Door Man" and "Spoonful". However amidst all the R&B, there were two songs from then-contemporary folk singers - Donovan's "Catch The Wind" and Eric Andersen's "Violets Of Dawn". These two moments of folk-rock hinted at where their music was soon to take them.
The album was a moderate success, and led to a national tour.
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