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