# John Mayall has served as a pioneer of blues music: “The Godfather of British Blues”: Video

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2018/03/12/john-mayall-has-served-as-a-pioneer-of-blues-music-the-godfather-of-british-blues-video/
- Published: 2018-03-12T10:36:46+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**For over 50 years, John Mayall has served as a pioneer of blues music, rightly
earning him the title, “The Godfather of British Blues”.**

In 2013, John signed with producer Eric Corne’s label, Forty Below Records, and 
has since been experiencing a true artistic and career renaissance.​

The revival continues with the release of a brilliant new studio album Talk About
That, produced by John and Eric at the famed House of Blues Studios in Encino, California.
Joining Mayall (vocals, keyboards, harmonica and guitar), Greg Rzab (bass), Jay 
Davenport (drums) and Rocky Athas (guitar) as special guest is legendary guitarist
Joe Walsh, who plays on two tracks, “The Devil Must Be Laughing” and “Cards on the
Table,” both John Mayall compositions. “We got a message through the studio owner
that Joe wanted to come by and possibly play on a track or two as a guest,” recalls
Mayall. “Who was I to say no to that idea! So, he turned up at noon on the second
day and with only a quick listen, plugged in and we did the song in one take. The
second song closely followed, and with a smile and a quick photo, he was done and
on his way. What a kick for all of us that day!”

For Joe Walsh, playing on a session with one of his musical heroes also held a special
place. “It has been a bucket-list item since 1970 to play with John Mayall,” he 
states. “John had a run of GREAT British guitarists (one after another) with his‘
Bluesbreakers’ albums, and that’s how many of us in the States became aware of them.
Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor – I studied them all for hours and became a much
better guitarist as a result. The albums were legendary stuff and I have wanted 
to work with John for years and years, wondering what it would be like.”​

“Finally got the chance – and he was the complete gentleman and fine, fine musician
I had always hoped he would be. When you meet a hero who helped shape your career–
it’s a wonderful feeling to find they’re even cooler than you always thought they
were.” The album contains eleven tracks: eight originals, plus covers from Memphis
soul music songwriter Bettye Crutcher (“It’s Hard Going Up”), blues great Jimmy 
Rogers (“Goin’ Away Baby”) and rock singer/songwriter Jerry Lynn Williams (“Don’t
Deny Me”). It also showcases a three-piece horn section that adds extra punch on
several tracks, including the infectious New Orleans-flavored “Gimme Some of that
Gumbo.”

The release of Talk About That comes on the heels of Mayall’s internationally-acclaimed,
Find A Way To Care in 2015. “Listeners who value a diverse, lyrical taste and a 
heavy dollop of classic blues music enjoyed Find a Way to Care, an album that fulfilled
on every level.” (Blues Rock Review), and A Special Life released in 2014. “I’d 
easily put this one among Mayall’s best efforts – and that includes ‘Bluesbreakers
with Eric Clapton,’ ‘A Hard Road’ and ‘Blues from Laurel Canyon!'”

In April 2015, John and Forty Below thrilled the blues world with the release of
the historical Bluesbreakers album, Live In 1967, featuring the three original members
of Fleetwood Mac: Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. “Sunken treasure doesn’t
get much better” (Classic Rock Magazine). Live in 1967 – Volume Two followed in 
2016 and was hailed as a “welcome second helping” by Rolling Stone, and “essential
listening” by Blues Music Magazine.​

John Mayall was born on the 29th of November 1933 and grew up in a village not too
far from Manchester, England. It was here as a teenager that he first became attracted
to the jazz and blues 78s in his father’s record collection. Initially it was all
about guitarists such as Big Bill Broonzy, Brownie McGhee, Josh White and Leadbelly.
However once he heard the sounds of boogie woogie piano giants Albert Ammons, Pete
Johnson and Meade Lux Lewis, his desire to play in that style was all he could think
of. At the age of 14, when he went to Manchester’s Junior School of Art, he had 
access to a piano for the first time and he began to learn the basics of this exciting
music. He also found time to continue learning the guitar and, a couple of years
later, the harmonica, inspired by Sonny Terry, Sonny Boy Williamson and Little Walter.​

After his two years at art school, he joined the art department of a major department
store while starting to build up his own record collection that was to be his source
of inspiration. At age eighteen, when he was due for National Service, he spent 
three years in the Royal Engineers as an office clerk in the south of England and
in Korea all the time playing whenever he got a chance. As no one seemed to be interested
in this type of music, John felt pretty much of an outsider throughout his twenties
up until 1962 when the news broke in the British music magazine Melody Maker that
Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies had opened a club in Ealing devoted to blues music.
After Britain’s ten year traditional jazz boom had about run its course, a new generation
was ready for something new. Out came the amplifiers, guitars and harmonicas and
out came young enthusiasts from all over the country eager to form their own groups.​

This was all the encouragement thirty-year old John needed and, giving up his graphic
design job, he moved from Manchester to London and began putting musicians together
under the banner of the Bluesbreakers. Although things were rough at first, the 
music quickly took off thanks to the popularity of the Rolling Stones, Georgie Fame,
Manfred Mann, The Animals and Spencer Davis with a young Steve Winwood. John also
backed blues greats, John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Eddie Boyd and Sonny Boy Williamson
on their first English club tours.​

After a couple of years and many personnel changes, Eric Clapton quit the Yardbirds
and John quickly offered him the job as his new guitarist. Although John had previously
released a couple of singles and a live LP for Decca, the now classic collaboration
between Eric and John resulted in the all-time best-selling classic album, John 
Mayall’s Bluesbreakers featuring Eric Clapton. However, by the time it was entering
the charts, Clapton and bassist Jack Bruce had left to form Cream. So began a succession
of future stars who would define their roots under John’s leadership before leaving
to form their own groups. Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood became Fleetwood
Mac. Andy Fraser formed Free, and Mick Taylor joined the Rolling Stones.​

In 1969, with his popularity blossoming in the USA, John caused somewhat of a stir
with the release of a drummer-less acoustic live album entitled The Turning Point,
from which his song, “Room To Move” was destined to become a rock classic. Attracted
by the West Coast climate and culture, John then made his permanent move from England
to Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles and began forming bands with American musicians.
Throughout the ’70s, John became further revered for his many jazz/rock/blues innovations
featuring such notable performers as Blue Mitchell, Red Holloway, Larry Taylor, 
and Harvey Mandel.​

In 1982, motivated by nostalgia and fond memories, John decided to re-form the original
Bluesbreakers. Mick Fleetwood was unavailable at the time so John hired drummer 
Colin Allen to join with John McVie and Mick Taylor for a couple of tours and a 
video concert film entitled Blues Alive. Featured greats were Albert King, Buddy
Guy, Junior Wells and Etta James. By the time Mick and John had returned to their
respective careers, public reaction had convinced Mayall that he should honor his
driving blues roots. In Los Angeles, he selected his choices for a new incarnation
of the Bluesbreakers. Officially launched in 1984, it included future stars in their
own right, guitarists Coco Montoya and Walter Trout.​

Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, John’s popularity went from strength to strength with
a succession of dynamic albums such as Behind The Iron Curtain, Chicago Line, A 
Sense of Place, and the Grammy-nominated Wake Up Call that featured guest artists
Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Albert Collins and Mick Taylor.​

In 1993, Texas guitarist Buddy Whittington joined the Bluesbreakers and, for the
next ten years, energized the band with his unique and fiery ideas. Making his recording
debut on Mayall’s Spinning Coin album, he proved to be more than equal to following
in the footsteps of his illustrious predecessors. Other modern classics followed;
Blues For the Lost Days and Padlock On The Blues, the latter featuring a rare collaboration
with his close friend, John Lee Hooker. On Along For The Ride, Mayall re-teamed 
with a number of his former mates, including Peter Green, Mick Taylor, Mick Fleetwood
and John McVie, as well as ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Steve Miller, Billy Preston, 
Steve Cropper, Otis Rush, Gary Moore and Jeff Healey. The younger generation was
well represented by teenage guitar sensations Shannon Curfman and Jonny Lang. In
2002, Stories debuted the Billboard blues charts at #1.​

At a 70th Birthday celebration in aid of UNICEF in Liverpool a concert was filmed,
recorded and released as a DVD and double CD in December 2003. Along with the Bluesbreakers,
it featured old friends Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor and Chris Barber. The BBC also
aired an hour-long documentary on John’s life and career entitled The Godfather 
of British Blues to coincide with the release of Road Dogs. In 2005, John was awarded
an OBE on The Queen’s Honours list. In the Spring of 2007, John Mayall’s 56th album
release, In The Palace Of The King, was an entire studio album that honored and 
paid tribute to the music of Mayall’s long-time hero of the blues, Freddie King.
All garnered great reviews, critical and popular acclaim and represented Mayall’s
ongoing mastery of the Blues and his continuing importance in contemporary music.

In addition, over the last ten years, Mayall released live recordings on his own
online label, Private Stash Records. (Some still available from his website johnmayall.
com.) They included Time Capsule (containing historic 1957-62 live tapes), UK Tour
2K, (from a 2000 British tour), Boogie Woogie Man, (a selection of solo performances),
Cookin’ Down Under, (a live DVD from Australia) and No Days Off, (another British
live show) and a 3 volume CD set of live performances covering the years 1970 to
1998 entitled Historic Live Shows.​

In October 2008, John made the decision to permanently retire the name “Bluesbreakers”
and move on to make a brand new start. It was a sad occasion to say farewell to 
Buddy and the guys after twenty years of great music and camaraderie but things 
had reached another turning point. This caused quite a stir in blues circles and
led to rumors about total retirement. Happily for the fans, early in 2009 Eagle 
Records called upon John to come up with a new album. Feeling much revived after
a couple of months off the road, he put together a new band for the project.​

A few years ago, Buddy Whittington had introduced John to a fellow Texas guitarist,
Rocky Athas and he recalled how impressed he’d been at the time. Luckily he answered
John’s call and was eager to come on board for the proposed album. With the need
for a rhythm section of dynamic strength, John turned to bassist Greg Rzab who recommended
his fellow Chicagoan Jay Davenport on drums. Finally, the three guys were put together
with keyboardist Tom Canning and within two days of meeting up in Los Angeles, the
album Tough was in the can. It had taken all of three days in the studio and ever
since its release, and a growing schedule of world tours, a new era was born. Soon
after its release Tom left to pursue other projects.​

A leaner four piece line-up gave John more room to stretch out as an instrumentalist
and the band’s chemistry hit new heights. For the next seven years, John and the
band continued to tour extensively throughout the world, and racked up their usual
target of over a hundred shows per year. In 2010 a concert in London was filmed,
and Live in London was released as a double CD and DVD through Private Stash.​

After being invited to do a guest spot on Walter Trout’s latest album, John met 
engineer/producer Eric Corne. John was so impressed that he asked Eric to record
his new album A Special Life. Greg, Jay and Rocky flew in for the sessions which
took less than a week to record and the end result was one of John’s best albums
ever, with it’s deep devotion to blues and roots music. The album was released in
2014 to rave reviews, followed by an extensive tour of North America, Europe, and
The UK to celebrate John’s 80th birthday Find A Way To Care followed in 2015 and
was equally well received.​

Early in 2016 the co-producing team of John Mayall and Eric Corne assembled at the
House of Blues studio in Los Angeles to record the new album Talk About That. This
time around John wrote most of the songs that cover a wide range of exciting new
material and are enhanced by some rock solid horn arrangements. The album with special
guest Joe Walsh was released in January 2017.​

2016 brought yet another change in the evolving Mayall history when serious Texas
thunderstorms prevented Rocky Athas from making a festival date and John, Greg and
Jay were compelled to perform as a trio. As fate would have it, the sound they came
up with lent an amazing new slant to John’s music and subsequently led him to explore
the possibilities of making music as a trio. Unfortunately, this would mean a guitarist
would now not be required as John was heading in a new direction. A sad parting 
of the ways, but Rocky has been supportive of John’s decision. For information on
what’s happening next for him please check his website at: www.rockyathas.com.

So with a very full calendar of touring booked from coast to coast and all over 
the world, the John Mayall saga continues with his music as vital as it has ever
been.

![Image result for John Mayall](https://i0.wp.com/static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/
thumbnails/image/2014/04/22/13/JohnMayall2204a.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

### _Related_