If You Love These
Blues, Play 'Em as You Please was an unusual project for Michael Bloomfield. Although recorded as a
blues guitar instructional album for Guitar Player magazine, it ended up being acclaimed as one of his finest solo recordings, of interest to both guitar players and the general listening public. Bloomfield had been in commercial and artistic decline for years prior to cutting this disc, and there's the sense that he welcomed the chance to get back to what he knew and loved the best, selecting and laying down material without having to worry about how well it would sell. That relaxed quality comes through on the performances, in which he goes through a wide assortment of electric and acoustic guitar styles, the songs specifically designed to illustrate guitar sounds associated with heroes like B.B. King, Jimmie Rodgers, the Carter Family, T-Bone Walker, Blind Blake, Guitar Slim, Lonnie Johnson, and others. The cuts with band backing are no-frills, straight-ahead affairs that avoid over-production, interrupted by a few showcases for Bloomfield's considerable and underrated abilities as an acoustic guitarist. His singing, as always, was merely serviceable, but suitably respectful of the material and the styles to which he was paying homage. Sprinkled throughout the program are brief, unobtrusive spoken introductions from Bloomfield himself succinctly explaining the songs, what they're examples of, and how they're being played. Long after it was made, it's still useful as a primer for aspiring
blues guitarists, but also reasonably satisfying as a
blues record on its own terms.
Tracks: -------
1. If You Love These
Blues (Michael Bloomfield) - 1:10
2. Hey, Foreman (Michael Bloomfield) - 2:53
3. Narrative #1 - 0:35
4. Wdia (Michael Bloomfield) - 4:11
5. Narrative #2 - 0:10
6. Death Cell Rounder
Blues (Michael Bloomfield) - 3:46
7. Narrative #3 - 0:05
8. City Girl (Michael Bloomfield) - 4:35
9. Narrative #4 - 0:19
10.Kansas City
Blues (Jim Jackson) - 3:28
11.Narrative #5 - 0:15
12.Mama Lion (Nick Gravenites) - 4:05
13.Narrative #6 - 0:09
14.Thrift Shop Rag (Michael Bloomfield) - 2:00
15.Narrative #7 - 0:14
16.Death In My Family (Michael Bloomfield) - 4:12
17.East Colorado
Blues (Stefan Grossman) - 1:34
18.Blue Ghost
Blues (Lonnie Johnson) - 2:18
19.Narrative #8 - 0:24
20.The Train Is Gone (Michael Bloomfield) - 3:23
21.Narrative #9 - 0:06
22.The Altar Song (Traditional) - 2:25
23.I'll Overcome (Traditional) - 4:00
24.I Must See Jesus (Traditional) - 4:38
25.Great Dreams From Heaven (Traditional) - 2:54
26.Gonna Need Somebody On My Bond (Traditional) - 4:23
27.I Am A Pligrim (Traditional) - 2:43
28.Just A Closer Walk With Thee (Traditional) - 3:09
29.Have Thine Own Way (Traditional) - 2:23
30.Farther Along (Traditional) - 2:35
31.Peace In The Valley (Traditional) - 5:03
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Tracks 1-22 rec. in 1976, originally released as 'If You Love These
Blues, Play'Em As You Please'; 23-31 rec. in 1979, orig. rel. as 'Bloomfield/Harris'
Mike Bloomfield plays electric slide guitar in tracks 26, 28, 30 and 31; acoustic slide guitar in track 29.
Personnel: -----
Michael Bloomfield - Electric, Acoustic, Slide Guitars, Bass, Piano, Vocals
Doug Kilmer - Bass
Tom Donlinger - Drums
Ira Kamin - Organ, Piano
Eric Kriss - Piano
Hart McNee - Baritone Saxophone
Ron Stallings - Tenor Saxophone
Roger Troy - Bass
Nick Gravenites - Guitar, Vocals
David Neditch - Drums
Woody Harris - Acoustic Guitar
All thanks to original releaser