John Mayall

Dirty Linen

This is an excerpt from the print edition of Dirty Linen #115 (December 2004/January 2004).
The full article is in the magazine, available on newsstands, by subscription, and at the Dirty Linen webstore.

John Mayall

Keeping the Blues Alive

by Elliott Stephen Cohen

With a career that is now flourishing into its fifth decade and that has generated more than 40 albums, British-born John Mayall is the subject of a pair of recently released DVDs, Godfather of the British Blues/The Turning Point and John Mayall's 70th Birthday Concert [Eagle], which are both augmented with double CDs taken from those soundtracks. The first one, a "warts and all" documentary, features commentary from Mayall, former and current members of the Bluesbreakers (the band he formed in 1963), and family members, plus rare archival footage from the late 60s. The 70th Birthday Concert, recorded last year in England, features Mayall's current lineup of Bluesbreakers, plus its two most famous alumni, Mick Taylor and Eric Clapton, the latter of whom shared the stage with his highly esteemed mentor for the first time in 37 years.

Mayall explained that one of his longtime goals had finally reached fruition. "Playing again with Eric was something I've wanted to do for a very long time, of course, and I think it was very exciting to have been able to put the whole thing together. I had made other attempts in the past to get Eric's management and record company to sanction it, but because it was for a charity cause (UNICEF), they were willing to let him do it this time."

As to how it felt to be onstage again with his famous protégé, he happily admitted, "It was very special to have had the opportunity to work together again. I think Eric's playing has matured. His performance on the show was just like old times."

For John Mayall, the long road goes back to November 29, 1933. He was born the eldest of three children in Macclesfield, England, a small market town in the county of Cheshire, just outside the larger industrial town of Manchester. Mayall, who remembers "Bugle Call" by the Mills Brothers as the first record he heard, was quite influenced by his father's record collection, which exposed him to such revered performers as Django Reinhardt, Eddie Lang, Lonnie Johnson, Louis Armstrong, and Charlie Christian.

The article goes on to discuss Mayall's history and work as a mentor and his perception of his musical legacy.

Visit John Mayall's website.

[cover #115]