Discography 1979-1981

Discography & Performance History
By David Dann

1979–1981

1979

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD
Michael Bloomfield, g, v; David Kessner, p; David Shorey, b; Bob Jones, d, v.
Unknown venue, Ottawa, ON; January(?) 1979

Unknown titles Live performance

Personnel as above.

Unknown venue, Rouyn, QC; January 19, 20, 1979

Shake, Rattle and Roll                         Private recording
Maria Elena
Crosscut Saw
Rocking in the Same Old Boat (BJ, v)
Love Walk (BJ, v)

Personnel as above.
Unknown venue, Quebec City, QC; January 21, 1979

Unknown titles                                     Live performance

Personnel as above.
Cafe Campus, Montréal, QC; January 22, 1979

The Sky Is Crying (BJ, v)                      Private recording
Sweet Hurricane (BJ, v)
Rocking in the Same Old Boat (BJ, v)
Love Walk (BJ, v)
Moving Down the Back Roads (BJ, v)
Snow Blind
Orphan Blues

This is the brief Canadian tour that Bloomfield complained bitterly about in his April 1979 interview in Guitar Player magazine. “It was hellacious,” was his observation, noting that “Nothing worked ... everything was frozen solid.”

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD
Michael Bloomfield, g, v; Austin Delone, p; David Shorey, b; Bob Jones, d, v.
Earth Tavern, Portland, Oregon: February 20, 1979

Big Chief from New Orleans Live performance
Blue Ghost Blues
Saturday Woman
She Took My Money
Kansas City Blues
Rock Me, Baby (incomplete)
Stand By Me
Feel So Bad
Moving Down the Back Road, Baby

IN THE SUMMER of 1979, Bloomfield checks himself into a state mental hospital and spends a month or more there attempting to overcome his dependency on the drug Placidyl.

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD/WOODY HARRIS

Michael Bloomfield, g; Woody Harris, g.

Mill Valley, CA; July 9-13, 1979

I’ll Overcome “Bloomfield/Harris,” Kicking Mule KM-164

I Must See Jesus

Great Dreams of Heaven

Gonna Need Somebody on My Bond

I Am a Pilgrim

Farther Along

Have Thine Own Way

Just a Closer Walk with Thee

Peace in the Valley

These titles were recorded in producer Norman Dayron’s living room.

Personnel as above.

McCabe’s Guitar Shop, Santa Monica, CA; October 12, 1979

Unknown titles Live performance

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD
Michael Bloomfield, g, p, v; chorus including Anna Rizzo, others*.
Boarding House, San Francisco, CA; May 12, 1979.

Money Honey Private recording
Sea of Love
Beat Up Motherferyou
I Can't Be Satisfied
Shining On
Maria Elena
My Home Town
I'm Leaving Baby
Sugar Bee
Prescription for the Blues
John, John on the Battle Ground*
Honky Tonk Angel
Whining Boy
Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
I'm a Fool for a Cigarette
Come On in My Kitchen

These titles come from two casual sets played by Bloomfield as an opener for Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks. Norman Dayron recorded them, and Bloomfield played guitar along with a recording of himself on piano for “Maria Elena.”

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD

Michael Bloomfield, g, v; William Mylar, g.

The Other Cafe, San Francisco, CA; 1979.

Unknown titles Live performance

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD & CHICAGO BLUES POWER

Michael Bloomfield, g, v; Ron Butkovich(?), g; Applejack Walroth, hca, v*; Monty Starr, p; Steve Mallory, b; John Chambers, d; King Perkoff, ts, v; unknown, bar; unknown, v+.
The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA; December 1979

Lights Out Live performance
Honky Tonk, Pt. 1
Guitar King
Sunshine Special*

Born in Chicago (partial)

Personnel, date as above, omit Bloomfield.

I Love You So*
Play Boogaloo+
Better Keep It to Yourself+
We Don’t Need No Music

Personnel, date as above, add Bloomfield.

Every Night They Play the Blues

Personnel, date as above, omit Bloomfield, add Nick Gravenites, v, g.

You've Got to Be Tough as Nails
Blue Highway
Chicken Shack

Chicago Blues Power was the name Bloomfield gave to his back-up band. According to Steve Mallory, the band performed on and off with Bloomfield for about a year at various venues including the Sweetwater Cafe in Mill Valley and Cal State U. in Chico, CA.

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD
Michael Bloomfield, g, p, v; others unknown.
The Sleeping Lady, Fairfax, CA; 1979(?)

Unknown titles Live performance

A fan reported that Bloomfield was too drunk to perform during this gig and that he refused to play guitar, sitting at the piano and singing incoherent songs while his band eventually left the bandstand. The patrons at the club demanded their money back and the management reluctantly complied.

IN THE WINTER of 1979, Bloomfield moves to New York City to be near Christie Svane. She gets him an apartment on Desbroses Street which he shares with her mother.

*KINKY FRIEDMAN

Friedman, v, g; Michael Bloomfield, g; others unknown.

The Lone Star, New York, NY; December 1979.

Unknown titles Live performance

1980

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD

Michael Bloomfield, g, p, v; others, if any, unknown.

The Lone Star, New York, NY; 1980

Unknown titles Live performance

Personnel probably as above.
The Ear Inn, New York, NY; Spring(?)1980

Unknown titles Live performance

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD/WOODY HARRIS

Michael Bloomfield, g, p, v; Woody Harris, g; Maggie Edmondson, cello, v.

The Main Point, Bryn Mawr, PA; April 5, 1980

Unknown titles Live performance

Personnel as above.
The Bottom Line, New York, NY; April 7, 8, 1980

Don’t Brush My Teeth Live performances

John, John on the Battle Ground

Other unknown titles

This performance was filmed for French television. Audience member Michael Capasse joined Bloomfield along with three others on the vocal for “John, John.” Harris told Jan Mark Wolkin that Michael was very nervous prior to the show because he’d learned that former Blues Project guitarist Danny Kalb was in the audience. As result, Harris said, Bloomfield’s playing was exemplary. He also stated that following this show, he and Bloomfield performed in Boston; Amherst, MA; Washington, DC; the Quiet Knight in Chicago; and at McCabe’s in Santa Monica, CA.

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD
Michael Bloomfield, g, p, v; others, if any, unknown.
The Other End, New York, NY; July 4, 5, 1980

Unknown titles Live performances

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD/WOODY HARRIS
Michael Bloomfield, g, p, v; Woody Harris, g; others, if any, unknown.
The Main Point, Bryn Mawr, PA; July 12, 1980

Unknown titles Live performance

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD
Michael Bloomfield, g, p, v; Bob Greenspan, g.
No Exit Cafe, New York, NY; 1980

Unknown titles Live performance

Bob Greenspan recalled this performance in an interview with Bill Keenom. He said it occurred sometime in 1980, and that Bloomfield was booed off the stage, presumably because he refused to play “Super Session” material.

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD TRIO
Michael Bloomfield, g, p, v; probably Woody Harris, g; Maggie Edmondson, cello, v.
101 Greene St. (Greene Street Cafe), New York, NY; July 31-August 3, 1980

Unknown titles Live performances

Personnel as above.
Jonathan Swift’s, Cambridge, MA; Summer(?) 1980

Unknown titles Live performance

BLOOMFIELD travels to Europe for a tour of Italy and Scandanavia in the late summer of 1980. His poor health and a mixed reception from audiences who are expecting him to recreate the Super Session sound combine to make the trip a difficult one.

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD/WOODY HARRIS
Michael Bloomfield, g, p, v; Woody Harris, g; Maggie Edmondson, cello, v; Fabio Treves, hca, v.
Mascheroni, Italy; September 1980

Shake, Rattle & Roll Live performance
Mean Mistreater
Sloppy Drunk
Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?
God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind)
Kathleen (Catholicism Made Easier)
Look Over Yonders Wall
Country Mechanic
Farther Along
At the Cross
Instrumental
Gonna Need Somebody on My Bond
John, John on the Battle Ground

According to Harris, his and Bloomfield’s performances were frequently filmed while they were playing in Italy; this one is probably the one issued on an 80-minute Italian video. Thanks to René Aagaard for many of these and the following listings.

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD/WOODY HARRIS

Michael Bloomfield, g, p, v; Woody Harris, g; Maggie Edmondson, cello, v.

Firenze, Italy; September 8, 1980

Bloomfield Introduction Bootleg CD

She’s Gone, Gone, Gone

Alabama Women

I Was Born in the Woods and Schooled in the Lion’s Den

Bartender’s Blues

Tryin' to Get to You

Spike Driver’s Moan (partial)

Frankie & Johnny

Jesus on the Mainline

Louise

At The Cross

Great Dreams of Heaven

Finger Fat

Knockin’ Myself Out

I'll Overcome

Gonna Need Somebody on My Bond

Country Mechanic

Personnel as September 8.
Unknown venue, Italy; September 9, 1980

Unknown titles Live performance

Personnel as September 8.

Naples, Italy; September 12, 1980

Bloomfield Introduction Bootleg CD

Dark Road Blues

Prison Bound

Have You Seen Somebody

Bartender’s Blues

Knockin’ Myself Out

Tryin’ to Get to You

Better Stop Drinkin’ that Wine, Sonny Boy

Frankie & Johnny

Feelin’ Good/In a Brand New Automobile

Finger Fat

Louise

Great Dreams of Heaven

Great Dreams of Heaven, reprise

Gonna Need Somebody on My Bond

Shake, Rattle ’n’ Roll

Personnel as September 8.

Mestre Teatro, San Marco, Italy; September 13, 1980

Bloomfield Introduction Bootleg CD

Dark Road Blues

Arkansas Moonshine Baby

Chains of Love

Bartender’s Blues

Tryin’ to Get to You

Frankie & Johnny

Feelin’ Good

Look Over Yonders Wall

Louise

Over the Rainbow

Finger Fat

At the Cross

I'll Overcome

Great Dreams of Heaven

Gonna Need Somebody on My Bond

Knockin' Myself Out

Personnel as September 8.
Castel d’Azzano, Verona, Italy; September 14, 1980

Bloomfield Introduction Bootleg CD
Dark Road Blues
Alabama Woman
Chil’en, Chil’en, Chil’en
Bartender’s Blues
Tryin’ to Get to You
Hey, Good Lookin’
Frankie & Johnny
Feelin’ Good
In a Brand New Automobile
Louise
Over the Rainbow
Finger Fat
Over the Rainbow
I'll Overcome

Knockin' Myself Out
Gonna Need Somebody on My Bond
Country Mechanic
Closing Remarks

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD

Michael Bloomfield, p, v.

Palasport Stadium, Torino, Italy; September 15, 1980

Dark Road Blues Mama Barley 0001

Prison Bound Blues

*FABIO TREVES BLUES BAND

Treves, hca; Michael Bloomfield, g, v; Claudio Bazzari, Chuck Fryers, g; Silvano Borgatta, p; Tino Cappelletti, b; Dave Baker, d.

Palasport Stadium, Torino, Italy; September 15, 1980

Shake, Rattle & Roll Mama Barley 0001

Five Long Years

Don't You Lie to Me

The Yonker Blues

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD/WOODY HARRIS

Michael Bloomfield, g, p, v; Woody Harris, g; Maggie Edmondson, cello.

Mariahissen, Stockholm, Sweden; September 23, 1980

Linin’ Track Live performance

Frankie & Johnny

Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out

Other unknown titles

Personnel as September 23.

Uppsala Musikforum, Stockholm, Sweden; September 24, 1980

Unknown titles Live performance

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD
Michael Bloomfield, g, kybds, v; Jon Cramer, p; Harry Oden, b; Tom Rizzo, d; Ben Perkoff, ts; Derrick Walker, ts, hca; Hart McNee, bar.
San Francisco, CA; October 27-November 29, 1980

Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’ “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’,” Takoma TAK-7091
Linda Lou
Papa-Mama-Rompah-Stompah
Junker’s Blues
Midnight
It’ll Be Me
Motorized Blues
Mathilda
Winter Moon
Snowblind

Producer Norman Dayron has said that he objected to releasing Jon Cramer's "Snowblind" on this recording, but Bloomfield insisted that it be included. Tom Rizzo is Anna Rizzo's brother.

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD
Michael Bloomfield, g, v; others unknown
Unknown venue, San Jose, CA; 1980(?)

Unknown titles Live performance

A fan recalled attending this performance, describing it as one of Bloomfield’s last, with only 50 people in the audience.

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD
Michael Bloomfield, g, v; others unknown
Pete’s Tavern, Bellingham, WA; November 16,1980

Unknown titles Live performance

This two-set show was billed as Bloomfield’s “only Northwest appearance.” Thanks to Peggy McVickar for this listing.

*BOB DYLAN

Dylan, v, g; Michael Bloomfield, g; others unknown.

Warfield Theater, San Francisco, CA; November 18, 1980

Dylan Introduces Bloomfield “Farewell Bloomfield,” Bootleg CD

Like a Rolling Stone

The Groom’s Still Waiting at the Altar

*THE USUAL SUSPECTS

Taj Mahal, v; Michael Bloomfield, g; Tom Stern, g; Markie Sanders, b; Doug Corrigan, d; Darol Anger, Ed Neff, vio; Joe Goldmark, ped stl; Nancy Hill, Tom Stern, Lee Parvin, bkgnd v.

San Francisco, CA; Late 1980

Blue Sea Blues “The Usual Suspects,” Tomistoma G8R

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD/WOODY HARRIS
Michael Bloomfield, g, p, v; Woody Harris, g; Maggie Edmondson, cello.
The Childe Harolde, Washington, D.C.; December 11, 1980

St. James Infirmary Live performance
Amazing Grace

Kansas City Blues
Other unknown titles

Jan Mark Wolkin, who was at this gig, recalled that an audience member asked Bloomfield to play a Beatles song in memory of John Lennon, who had been killed a few days earlier. Michael politely declined, saying he didn’t have any Beatle songs prepared, but then played “Amazing Grace” and dedicated it to Lennon.

Personnel as above.

Town Meeting House, Chester, CT; December 12, 1980

Sloppy Drunk Bootleg CD
Women Lovin’ Each Other
You Took My Money
Rx for the Blues/Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out
I Think He’s Hiding
He Gives Us All His Love
God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind)
Frankie & Johnny
Come Back Baby
Great Changes
Snowblind
Auburn Ravine*
How Green Was My Valley*
Reflections in the Water*
Nightsoil*
At the Cross**
Hi-Lo Waltz **
Over the Rainbow**
I'll Overcome**
Finger Fat**

These titles (*) are played by Harris and Edmondson alone, while these (**) are played by all three musicians.

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD
Michael Bloomfield, p, v.
Ira Kamin's home, Mill Valley, CA; December 31, 1980

Unknown titles Live performance

Ira Kamin recalled in an interview with Bill Keenom that the last time he saw Bloomfield was when Michael came to Ira's birthday party on New Year's Eve 1980. He was "so messed up," friends carried him in and then later had to carry him out. He spent the entire night playing piano.

1981

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD

Michael Bloomfield, g, p, v.

Catalyst Club, Santa Cruz, CA; January 31, 1981

Don’t Brush My Teeth “Last Call,” Bootleg CD

Dark Road Blues

Mean Mistreater

I Don’t Know

Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out

Roll On, Buddy/Kansas City Blues

TB Blues

Country Mechanic

Untitled Short Instrumental

Frankie & Johnny

Feelin’ Good

Come On in My Kitchen

*DOUG SAHM

Doug Sahm, v, g; Michael Bloomfield, g; Speedy Sparks, b; other members of the Sir Douglas Quintet.

Catalyst Club, Santa Cruz, CA; February 1981

Unknown titles Live performance

The Sir Douglas Quintet shared the bill with Bloomfield at the Catalyst Club. Bloomfield sat in one evening and performed “a few Dylan tunes” with the band.

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD

Michael Bloomfield, g, p, v; Bob Greenspan, g.

Belly-Up Tavern, Solana Beach, CA; February 1981

Unknown titles(?) Live performance

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD
Michael Bloomfield, g, p(?), v.
San Francisco State College, San Francisco, CA; February 7(?), 1981

Unknown titles Live performance

Bloomfield performed a solo acoustic set at SFSC’s student union approximately one week before he died. Thanks to Bryan Barrow for this listing.

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD

Michael Bloomfield, g, p, v.

KSAN-FM, San Francisco, CA; February 13, 1981

Interview with Tom Yates Radio series on guitarists

Portions of this interview aired in 1981(?) on one of 36 hour-long programs called “Guitar: A Rock Episode.” The series also featured Duane Allman, Ted Nugent, Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton and Robin Trower, and were produced by TM Special Projects of Dallas. A dozen radio stations around the country and Canada were signed to air the shows.

*MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD
Michael Bloomfield, g, p, v.
Student Union, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA; February 15(?), 1981

Unknown titles Live performance

A fan reported this gig as occurring on the day Bloomfield died. It may have actually been earlier in February. Thanks to Peggy McVickar for this information.

MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD dies of an overdose on February 15, 1981 in San Francisco. He is 37 years old.