Steve Miller - guitar, vocals
Boz Scaggs - guitar vocals
Lonnie Turner - bass
Jim Peterman - keyboards
Tim Davis - drums
(guest) Paul Butterfield - harmonica, vocals
Listen to more Steve Miller Band at Wolfgang's Vault.
Both of Steve Miller's parents were music buffs and family friend, Les Paul,
was among the first to teach and encourage Miller on guitar. When the
family moved to Texas, Miller was directly exposed to black music and
blues musicians and his initial high-school bands (one of which included
his friend Boz Scaggs) focused on Jimmy Reed-style rhythm and blues.
Like countless others before him, Miller was soon drawn to Chicago,
where he honed his guitar skills in the demanding Chicago blues scene,
eventually forming a band which included the likes of Barry Goldberg,
Charlie Musselwhite and Harvey Mandel.
The Steve Miller Band
headlined a four night run at Fillmore West that featured Pogo (Poco,
prior to being forced to change their name) and Sly & The Family
Stone as openers. In addition to capturing the Miller, Scaggs, Turner,
Peterman, Davis lineup at their peak, Chicago bluesman Paul Butterfield
also makes a guest appearance on several numbers, adding his distinctive
blues harp to the proceedings. The recording kicks off with an
extended rave-up on "Mercury Blues," one of the group's early signature
songs and the first of two to appear in this set from the Revolution
soundtrack. Following this, Miller invites Paul Butterfield to join in
and the musicians sink their teeth into "Blues With A Feeling." While
the guitar work cooks on this Chicago-style blues, it's the tight
cohesiveness of this band that is most impressive and Butterfield and
the Miller Band burn for eight solid minutes. The next number seems to
be a purely spontaneous blues supporting Butterfield and although looser
than usual, it's another strong performance from beginning to end. (the whole enchilada)
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