It's great reading posts from fellow Bloomfield fans. He was the first guitar god for me, predating Hendrix by a couple of years. One thing about his playing is that I can tell it's him after about 4 or 5 notes. His tone and phrasing were totally distinctive, and we all know that it's hard to do that in the blues! Maybe Albert King is the second most like that I know, followed by Albert Collins, then BB King. In my book and heart, Bloomfield's was the best blues guitarist who has ever played, espcially because of the way he stretched the genre, starting with East-West.

I have a photcopy of the rare book that a blues nut made for me about 15 years ago. It's a great read. I think the best all-Bloomfield album, if you want to capture is essence is "Don't Say That I Ain't Your Man! : Essential Blues, 1964-1969" It has stuff from the Butterfield band, Electric Flag, Super Session, his collaboration with Gravenites. It's a great, great compilation. But, East-West, in my book, is still the best album he was on, followed by the Flag's first album with the outstanding version of "Killing Floor" opening it up.

I only saw him twice. First was the Electric Flag Dec 1967 at Winterland, the second is when he came onstage to jam with Johnny Winter at Fillmore West, I think in 1970. After that, I heard he had kind of lost it and I had branched out into all kinds of other music.

Long live the memory of Mike and may he RIP.