Josh Bloomfield: Capital Region Timekeepers: A Memorial – by OP Callaghan

Capital Region Time Keepers: Josh Bloomfield January 2023

By OP Callaghan

I met Josh Bloomfield in 2011.

He was playing drums in the Chris Busone Band and I happened to bump into them one night in Troy. Upon being introduced to Josh, he immediately replied “OP?  Good to meet you; I’ll bet no one ever made fun of that name!” When I finally stopped laughing, we fell into a long chat about Josh’s favorite subject; music.  Josh was a true music fan, all genres. Mark Emanation, who played with Josh in Soul Sky cites Donny Hathaway as one of Josh’s influences. He loved, lived and breathed music. Josh was a talented drummer and singer, who played with multiple local acts. We lost Josh on September 15, 2020 on his 41st birthday.  For this month, I would like to interview some of his closest friends, so please welcome Josh Bloomfield!

First up, Josh’s best friend and musical brother, Jeremy Walz, of Soul Sky and Capital Region Blues Network.

RRX:  When did Josh start drumming?

JW: Josh was given his first drum set at around age 5 from friends of his parents who thought it would be funny to have him drive his mom and dad nuts with the banging.  Always nice to have friends with a sense of humor!  It wasn’t until middle school that he seriously took up the drums, playing in Doyle Middle School’s jazz band.  At the time his family lived in a 2nd floor apartment and the drums were set up in their dining room on the weekends.  His mom and dad always supported Josh playing as much as he wanted in that apartment and they had a great neighbor Billy who lived below them who liked to hear Josh play.  I remember him telling stories of jamming to whatever music was being played in either their apt, or Billy’s below.

RRX:  Who were some of his influences?

JW: Early on he liked to listen to Joe Cocker, Allman Brothers, BB King, Marshall Tucker Band, ZZ Top, J Giles, Bob Seger, Earth Wind & Fire, then got into Jimi Hendrix, Band of Gypsys, Cream, The Band, Van Morrison, Tower of Power, the Motown and Stax artists who put out so many great tunes. He got into hard core in high school.  There were a bunch of great Troycore bands so that was a pretty big scene for a time. He then got into Government Mule, Black Crowes, JJ Grey, Derek Trucks Band and some of newer bands playing rock n roll like they meant it. As far as drummers specifically, Buddy Rich of course, Elvin Jones, Clyde Stubblefield, James Gadson, Matt Abts, Butch Trucks & Jaimoe, Big Eye Willie Smith, Bill Bruford, Ginger Baker, Benny Benjamin, Pistol Allen, Steve Jordan, Dennis Chambers, Jim Gordon, David Girabaldi, Billy Cobham, Richie Hayward, Vinnie Colauita are some of the ones I remember us talking about a fair amount.  He loved good music of most genres played with authenticity.

RRX: When did you guys start playing together?

JW: I first saw him play at a Northeast Blues Society jam at Everydays on Central Ave. Maybe 2000? We met that night, but really started hanging out and playing after meeting a few more times. We jammed a ton at those NEBS blues jams run by Steve Katz, mostly when it had moved to Bourbon St. down the road. I think the first band we really were in together was the Brown Shuggie Blues band. It’s funny to think back on those days, Eric Kreplin was the harp player in that band and he and I still hangout and play blues together from time to time.  There was a handful of really good young players at those jams, Matt Mirabile and Elijah Scott for example, and Josh was jamming with those guys when we met. Love those guys to this day.  Josh and I went to Memphis, TN together twice with two different bands.  What road trips we used to have.

RRX:  What did he do for a day job?

JW: When Josh was in school he worked at a local store making sub sandwiches. After graduating he worked for Time Warner as a line man.  His last job was for UAlbany as groundskeeper, doing landscaping, roofing and plowing.  He really hated that job by the end though.

RRX:  What did he like to do for fun?  Did he play any other instruments?

JW: Other than drums, he played harmonica, or harp as the blues cats call it.  He was decent and could hold his own blowing through a 12 bar Chicago shuffle. He was also a great singer. Started singing in high school, soul stuff from what his mom told me. When we had a trio, he started out doing almost all the singing and sounded good doin’ it. He used to love playing pool and was pretty damn good too. I remember seeing pictures of him fishing with his dad, played the occasional round of golf, and he boxed for a while, but music was his real passion. He was also just a big people person.  He loved to hang out, laugh, and have a good time. Could be at someone’s apartment listening to music, sitting on a stoop telling stories, or hanging at a pub with a pint. He seemed to know everyone, and they all had at least one good inappropriate funny story to share when they saw him. He liked people to feel included when they didn’t know anyone and would find a way to make that happen. We used to go to Lake Placid a fair amount, for a bunch of years. Playing at Delta Blue in the Northwoods Hotel. We’d play Friday and Saturday nights, occasionally Sunday afternoon as well, spend the weekend up there and they’d take great care of us. Food, drink, rooms, kind of anything we wanted. It was great to have so much free time up there and he made a bunch of friends who would always come hang out when we were around. He loved going to see live music, locals shows and national acts, as long as it was good, he wanted to be there. We went to Mountain Jam down at Bethel Woods a few years back and had the best time. We camped out in tents for the weekend as you do, and of course befriended our camping neighbors. Great music, great friends, and great adventures made him happy.

Mark Emanation (Ernie Williams and The Wildcats, Soul Sky) fondly remembers the first time he met Josh.

ME:  Josh was like 18 years old and sitting in with Ernie Williams. He looked 12, and could play really well, but it was like he became a student of Ernie’s. He really supported local music and other musicians.  When Ernie passed away and the news was out there interviewing all of the people who turned out to pay their respects, there was Josh Bloomfield, being interviewed, and he’s talking about musicians encouraging other musicians. I thought to myself, “this kid gets it!”

RRX:  How did you guys start playing together?

ME:  He was out at one of our gigs, and he told my wife that he was going to be in a band with me. So, he did!

RRX:  Tell us about playing in a band with Josh.

ME:  Josh had this hunger for knowledge, and he loved to talk about music.  We would be on the road to overnight gigs a lot of the time, and with not much to do when you’re not playing. But Josh and I would have these long, intense conversations about music.  He loved it all.  But we would talk about life too. He wrestled with some things in life, and when he got sick, it gave him a new perspective.

RRX:  What was Josh’s best quality as a musician?

ME:  He approached music, and playing in a band, as a team sport. He was so much of a cheerleader, and a motivator. He made you want to play a little better. I miss him so much. I was away when he was near the end.  He sent me a text, to let me know, so I was able to get back and see him.

Josh touched so many lives in the scene. In addition to playing with Tas Cru and Albert Cummins, as well as Murali Coryell, Josh was a fixture with the local blues scene. Local bass legend Steve Aldi told me, “Some of the best gigs I ever played were with Josh.” Chris Busone of the Chris Busone Band said “Josh was a rock. Sometimes rocks get a little wet, they get slippery, but not Josh!  He could be gruff, funny, sensitive, wildly insensitive, and always my friend. My brother. My drummer.”

Frank Daley (Bo Diddly, Daley Brothers) remembers the last time he saw Josh.

“We were playing Powers Park, and in the middle of a solo I looked over at him. He was frail, and had come to grips with the inevitable, but was playing this last show. I started tearing up, and he looked like he was getting choked up, but then gave me a look as if to say “knock it off, pussy!” and we smiled. At his last gig, although he was frail, he played and sang the best I’d ever heard him.

Matt Mirable played with Josh and said, “Josh always had my back no matter what”.

Joe Daley (Super 400) remembers the same Powers Park gig. “I had the honor of playing side by side with Josh on his last gig, in our Allman Brothers Tribute Band. He was really frail and sick but he dug deeper than I can imagine; nothing was going to stop him from playing that day. We played two sets, and I could sense him getting weaker towards the end. We ended the show with “Whipping Post” and he always sang that one. I looked at him at the end of the song as he sang the very last line. That may be the most courageous thing I’ve ever seen.

Mark Emanation sums it up best. “The tragedy of his illness, was able to show that there was love in this world. Seeing how much he was loved, was so inspiring.  He struggled with life sometimes, and seeing how much he was loved, and how the community came out for him, was inspiring to me, and to Josh. I still visit his grave two or three times a week.”

We miss you Josh.