John Mayall's inestimable influence on the evolution of British blues stems more from his talents as a bandleader than from his own talents as a musician. While he's a very gifted instrumentalist, particularly on blues harp, and an adequate vocalist, it's his unerring ear for recognizing raw talent that's made John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, in all its incarnations, the legend that it is today.
Mayall had been playing music professionally since 1955, but it wasn't until he moved to London in 1963, with John McVie and formed the earliest incarnation of the Bluesbreakers, with John McVie on bass, that his reputation as a live act began to garner recognition. And it wasn't until 1965, when Eric Clapton left the Yardbirds to join the Bluesbreakers that both became synonymous with the blues in England. The album that followed, Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton catapulted them into blues rock legends.
Clapton went on to form Cream, and Mayall replaced him with Peter Green, who left to start his own band, Fleetwood Mac. Mick Taylor was brought in to the Buesbreakers, and he soon joined the Rolling Stones. A pattern was emerging. John Mayall's Bluesbreakers was not so much a band as it was a proving ground for raw talent, and the only constant in the lineup over its four-decade span is Mayall himself. He's always known what sound he wanted, and he's never been hesitant in coaxing it out of his proteges.
Essentially John Mayall is an aptly titled five-disc boxed set that reunites Mayall with some of the guitarists who earned their stripes under him, as well as showcasing his latest charges, most notably Texas guitarist Buddy Whittington. Comprising this set are four discs Mayall released from 1999-2003: Padlock on the Blues, Along for the Ride, Stories, and 70th Birthday Concert, as well as a bonus disc of "exclusive live rarities." It's hardly a quintessential collection, but the 59 tracks represented here remind us of the influence Mayall has exerted over the past 40+ years in defining British blues.
Considering that John Mayall has over fifty albums under his belt, it's unseemly at first glance to call this set Essentially John Mayall, but that's exactly what it is. While some of it could have been called in (particularly Stories and much of Padlock on the Blues), it nonetheless represents the migration of the blues into the mainstream consciousness. Much of the material on these two discs is reminiscent of the boogie-bar band style of blues that encourages patrons to tip the waitresses and bartenders between sets "because they're workin' real hard just for you." By and large, it nestles in the Texas bar band style of blues rock. Some of this no doubt has to do with Buddy Whittington's guitar playing, augmented by Mayall's vocals, piano and blues harp work. It's blues-based, but it's not exactly the blues. They're serviceable discs, though, including spots with John Lee Hooker, and illustrate Mayall's influence on the evolution of southern rock.
Article comments
1 - dyrkness
My 2 favorite Mayall albums are "Turning Point" and "USA Union", both of these include some of his best "flirting" with other styles.And neither album includes a drummer.Who else would try something like that? John is a true original while mining all of 20th century music.