The Blues Brothers were a duo consisting of actors Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. Both were writers and actors in the American talkshow Saturday Night Live from its inception in 1975 to 1979. They were close friends, and Aykroyd was able to convince his friend to play the bluesmen dressed in black. The style was inspired by various notable blues singers, like John Lee Hooker.
Briefcase came out in 1978, two years before the movie came out in 1980. It was a recording of a live performance in Los Angeles, opening for comedian Steve Martin. With 3.5 million records sold, it was one of the highest selling blues records of all time.
When John Belushi created the characters, he based them on blues friend Curtis Salgado. The two met in the late 70s when Salgado was making a movie. This album is dedicated to him.