Roy Blumenfeld on The Blues Project, Evolution, and Live 2025 https://bluesproject.net/ Steve Yusko sits down with legendary drummer Roy Blumenfeld for a wide-ranging conversation about the origins, evolution, and ongoing life of The Blues Project. Roy traces the band from Greenwich Village in the mid-1960s to the new Live 2025 release, while also reflecting on musicianship, collaboration, and the larger cultural currents that shaped the music. He also shares stories about the players who cycled through the band, the role of timing and space in drumming, and how his background in community, storytelling, and spoken-word work fed into his approach to music. In this episode, Roy Blumenfeld walks through the early formation of The Blues Project, starting with late-night blues listening, impromptu jam sessions, and the transition from the Danny Kalb Quartet into a full band. He explains how the Cafe Au Go Go years helped define the groupโs sound and identity, with a residency-like run that put blues, folk, psychedelia, and improvisation in the same room. Roy breaks down the making of the Evolution record, including the independent recording process in Scott Petitoโs Catskill studio, the Kickstarter funding, and the albumโs mix of contributions from different band members. He talks about the importance of sound itself, describing how tone can activate memory and how a drummerโs job is to shape the entire musical conversation, not just keep time. Roy shares how early influences such as Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Dave Van Ronk, Sonny Igoe, Sticks Evans, Art Blakey, and Elvin Jones helped form his musical vocabulary. He reflects on collaboration as a core principle of his career, noting how The Blues Project kept evolving through different lineups and new musical partners like Chris Morrison, Mark Newman, David Aguilar, Ken Clark, and others. He revisits the bandโs later chapters, including C Train, the move to Colorado, and the eventual return to The Blues Project with new arrangements, new labels, and a more explicit live-band identity. Roy and Steve discuss the new Live 2025 album, how the current lineup came together, and why the bandโs chemistry feels especially strong now. He also touches on promotion in the modern music business, including social media, voiceover clips, and radio PSAs as ways to help a working band connect with audiences. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction to Roy Blumenfeld and The Blues Project legacy 02:43 - Revisiting Evolution and the bandโs studio approach 07:08 - How independent recording changed the process 11:39 - Community, Yiddish culture, and early storytelling influences 13:40 - Timing, silence, and spoken-word technique 15:28 - Drumming as musical conversation, not just keeping time 17:15 - The first Danny Kalb quartet sessions and the Cafe Au Go Go era 22:20 - What Greenwich Village felt like in the summer of the 1960s 25:10 - Finding an authentic personal style as a musician 26:35 - Lessons from Sonny Igoe, Sticks Evans, and Elvin Jones 29:56 - Monterey Pop, lineup changes, and the move toward the West 31:18 - Planned Obsolescence, C Train, and the next chapter 34:12 - Re-forming The Blues Project with new players and new goals 37:36 - Why The Blues Project was a trailblazing jam band 39:37 - The Sea Train and George Martin story 41:08 - Band ownership, lineup history, and the return of The Blues Project 45:45 - Live 2025, the current touring lineup, and the west coast run 48:56 - Recording live versions and choosing the strongest takes 50:52 - Promotion, voiceover spots, and radio PSAs 53:04 - Why the band feels stronger and more unified now 54:08 - Finding the right festivals and audiences for the next tour 56:31 - Royโs spoken-word & audio theater interests
