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 group’s 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 Petito’s Catskill studio, the Kickstarter funding, and the album’s mix of contributions from different band members.
He talks about the importance of sound itself, describing how tone can activate memory and how a drummer’s 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 band’s 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 band’s 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 band’s 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 - Roy’s spoken-word & audio theater interests
