The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (LP, Music On Vinyl)

When you discount the original blues men from the United States, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band is arguably the finest example of raw blues essence. With white harmonica player Butterfield at the center, the racially integrated group started as one of the first authentic and genuine British blues combos. They were the real deal and paved the way for the upcoming British blues music movement in a in time when hit charts were still separated by colour of skin. Their first and eponymous album from 1965 contains a mix of electric Chicago style blues and rock & roll: raw, brazen and powerful, beautifully weaved together by Butterfields harmonica and scorching vocals. And more to their credit: the Paul Butterfield Blues Band single-handedly helped introduce more white listeners to the band’s influences, such as Muddy Waters and B.B. King.