These three pantheon musicians, all from Chicago, guided the course of the second wave of modern Chicago blues–and brought the sound to California. The Electric Flag was a burning band that combined blues, rock, soul, psychedelia, and jazz made their live debut at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.
he band reached its peak with the 1968 release, A Long Time Comin’, a fusion of rock, jazz, and R&B styles that charted well in the Billboard Pop Albums chart. Their initial recording was a soundtrack
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These three pantheon musicians, all from Chicago, guided the course of the second wave of modern Chicago blues–and brought the sound to California. The Electric Flag was a burning band that combined blues, rock, soul, psychedelia, and jazz made their live debut at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.
he band reached its peak with the 1968 release, A Long Time Comin’, a fusion of rock, jazz, and R&B styles that charted well in the Billboard Pop Albums chart. Their initial recording was a soundtrack for The Trip, a movie about an LSD experience by Peter Fonda, written by Jack Nicholson and directed by Roger Corman.
Band member bios:
Barry Goldberg: Chicago Blues Hall of Fame inductee. Goldberg has recorded a ton of sessions with everyone, from Duane Allman and Phil Spector to Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Percy Sledge. He also performed with Bob Dylan and founded the Steve Miller/Barry Goldberg Band. He wrote “I’ve Really Got to Use My Imagination ” for Gladys Knight & The Pips, and produced soundtracks for many films including “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” and “Forrest Gump.” He is a member of The Rides (Stephen Stills, Kenny Wayne Shepherd).
Nick Gravenites: Also a member of the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame, Gravenites has appeared on over 40 albums as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer for Quicksilver Messenger Service, John Cippolina, Howlin’ Wolf, Otis Rush and James Cotton. He wrote and played with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band with Mike Bloomfield including their seminal songs, “Born in Chicago,” and “East-West.” A founding member of Electric Flag with Bloomfield and Goldberg, he also wrote and sang, “Grooving is Easy.” He wrote, “Buried Alive in the Blues ” for Janis Joplin.
Harvey Mandel: Legendary blues, jazz, rock, and funk guitarist and musical innovator also known as “Snake.” His tapping technique has proved vastly influential. He’s recorded with the Rolling Stones, toured and recorded with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, was a member of Canned Heat with whom he played Woodstock, and was the original guitarist with Charlie Musselwhite’s Southside Blues Band.
With Roy Blumenfeld (Blues Project) on drums and Rick Reed on bass and horns.
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