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Roy Blumenfeld Biography

roy-blumenfeld
  • Born: May 11, 1944 in New York, NY [The Bronx]
  • Years Active: 1960s-1990s
  • Member of: Seatrain
  • Genre: Rock & Alternative

Roy Blumenfeld had a ringside seat from his drum kit on some of the most exciting musical events in New York City during the mid-'60s. Born in the Bronx in 1944, he reached his teens as the first wave of American rock & roll was being created. He took up the drums and found himself drawn to blues, R&B, and jazz. Blumenfeld linked up with bassist Andy Kulberg through work with Al Kooper on the latter's early solo recordings for the Elektra Records sampler What's Shakin'. In 1965, he joined guitarist Danny Kalb in the latter's new band, which, with the addition of Kooper to the lineup, became the Blues Project. Blumenfeld was one of the longest serving members of the renowned group, whose mixture of R&B, blues, jazz, folk, and rock & roll influences made them a major cult band of the '60s, and a huge influences on generations of other musicians. He was there past its end: with Kulberg, he formed Seatrain out of the ruins of the Blues Project in 1968. He played on folk singer Mark Spoelstra's self-titled album for Columbia Records in 1969, and also on the subsequent Blues Project reunions. Blumenfeld worked with Nick Gravenites in the '70s and Robert Hunter at various times in the '80s and '90s, but his most visible gig was with Kooper on the live shows that became Soul of a Man. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

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