Patrick, Robben and Mark Ford are three brothers whose music has been deeply affected by the artistry of Michael Bloomfield. Their group, the Ford Blues Band, has been acclaimed as one of the best in the business. This brief interview with Patrick was done following the release of the brothers' CD tribute to Michael, "In Memory of Michael Bloomfield," and prior to their performance of selections from it at the San Francisco Blues Festival in 2003.

You have a lot of projects going on – one of them is a series of Mike Bloomfield tributes, following up your Bloomfield tribute album. Tell us how those came about, and the influence of Bloomfield on you and anything you think fans would like to know.

Several years ago, I decided it was time someone gave both Butterfield and Bloomfield some serious recognition, and I called my brothers Mark and Robben to see if they would like to join me in recording a tribute to each. We brothers first heard both Paul and Michael on that first Paul Butterfield Blues Band LP, and our lives changed forever. That was our first real introduction to the blues world and it has been our base ever since. We studied those early Butterfield LPs religiously, and did the same with Michael's work after leaving the band. Mark started playing the harp because of Butterfield; Robben's guitar style was greatly influenced by Bloomfield; and beginning with Sam Lay, Butterfield had one great drummer after another.

When Michael left the band we could not wait to hear what he would do next, and the Electric Flag was everything we hoped for and more. Even through his rough times, live and on record, we always wanted to know what he was doing, were always waiting for another moment of brilliance. So we did the Butterfield recording first because it would allow Mark to be involved and then brought Chris Cain in to help us with the "In Memory Of
Michael Bloomfield" CD. Those two recordings are among the happiest and most rewarding experiences of my life. To be playing songs like "Groovin Is Easy," "It's About Time," "Peters' Trip" and so on was incredible. And the material felt like going home. I had a great time picking which songs to do and then recording them was just pure joy. The little interview segments were added so it felt like Michael was involved on some level.

Tell us about the September Bloomfield tribute – how it came together, who will be there and all we need to know.

Tom Mazzolini was a big Bloomfield fan and when he heard our release he asked me in to do his radio show to showcase it. During that time he asked if we might like to do a tribute at the San Francisco Blues Festival, and it all came together from there.

For the SFBF we will have the whole package just like on the recording. The Ford Blues Band (myself, Volker Strifler, Dewayne Pate, and Andy Just), Robben Ford, Chris Cain, Mark Ford, two keyboard players (John R Burr and Tony Lufrano), two horns (Tom Poole and John Lee Sanders), and Mz Dee and Regina Espinoza on backup vocals. In addition the guests will include Nick Gravenites on two songs, Al Kooper on two songs, and Joe Louis Walker on a song.

We have now done the show three or four times and I must say it is great fun.

Michael demonstrates his fire-breathing trick, a stunt he often performed while playing "East-West" with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 1966.

Photo courtesy of

Deborah Chesher