And then there was one. Paul Butterfield stands as the last remaining original member of his namesake collective on Keep on Moving. It’s hard to imagine it being any other way. Picking up where it left off on In My Own Dream, the Butterfield Blues Band wholly embraces R&B fervor — and indirectly dares any horn-accompanied ensemble of the era to match its energy, pulse, tightness, and flair. While going all-in on soul with a crack support cast on this 1969 set, Butterfield would pull the plug on the band just two years later. The group’s pursuit of funky, bluesy paths carved by rolling bass lines, stacked horns, buttoned-up rhythms, and harmonica blasts almost makes that decision unthinkable.

Sourced from the original analog master tapes and housed in a mini-LP-style gatefold package, Mobile Fidelity’s hybrid SACD makes Keep on Moving available in audiophile quality. Open and balanced, it underlines the dynamic liveliness and organic feel of Jerry Ragovoy’s production. As well as the palpable chemistry of the sessions recorded at his then-brand-new Hit Factory studio in New York. The prominence and positioning of the horn section — comprised of a young David Sanborn, Gene Dinwiddie, Trevor Lawrence, Keith Johnson, and Steve Madaio — particularly benefit from the newfound transparency and presence. This reissue’s clarity also exposes key details, accents, and textures germane to the music. Keep on moving, indeed.