Paul Butterfield Band: Live at Rockpalast, 1978 (with Bobby Vega)
German TV Show Rockpalast has been going strong since 1976, and it’s always a treat when they release vintage shows on YouTube. A few weeks ago, they dropped this gem of Paul Butterfield and his band in 1978, which marked the blues legend’s first solo band performance in Europe.
The singer and harmonica player had a stellar band, including drummer Ernest Carter, guitarist Buzzy Feiten, guitarist Peter Atanasoff, and bass guru Bobby Vega. After the band dialed in their sounds, the bassist helped to kick things into gear with a killer intro to “Fair Enough.”
Vega, who has worked with everyone from Sly Stone to Joe Satriani, told us in an interview earlier this year that his time with Butterfield expanded his musical vocabulary.
“We play our experiences, so there were different things that I learned,” he said of developing his unique sound. “When I got gigs, I didn’t know how to play those gigs or those styles. I played with Paul Butterfield and I didn’t know how to play the blues when I played with Paul Butterfield. After the gig was over, I had a grasp on it and it became part of my DNA.”
Vega’s signal at the beginning of the set is high in the mix, and although the engineers eventually turn him down, there’s no denying he’s grooving hard for the whole gig.
See the song list below the video.
Song List:
- Fair Enough
- One More Heartache
- Fool In Love
- New Walking Blues
- It’s Alright
- Goin’ Down
- Born Under A Bad Sign
- Just When I Needed You Most
- Be Good To Yourself
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
