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| Blues legend John Mayall in Wellington in April John Mayall is of course a pioneering English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. His musical career spans over fifty years, but the most notable episode in it occurred during the late '60s, when he was the founder of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. As a gifted talent-scout, Mayall has been influential in the careers of many instrumentalists, including Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Peter Green, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor, and Don "Sugarcane" Harris. John was born in 1933 in the small village of Macclesfield near Manchester (as was Ian Curtis of Joy Division). This skinny English lad grew up listening to his father's jazz record collection and felt drawn to the blues. In the late '60s John moved to London where he turned professional and went under the name John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. He soon met his soulmate in Eric Clapton, and this historic union culminated in the first hit album for the Bluesbreakers, 'Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton'(1966), and resulted in worldwide legendary status. In 1969, with his popularity blossoming in the USA, John released his classic acoustic live album 'The Turning Point'. Over the years, John has released several albums that have set new standards in rock blues, namely 'Behind The Iron Curtain', 'Chicago Line', 'A Sense Of Place' and the Grammy-nominated 'Wake Up Call'. 2009 saw the release of John's 57th album, 'Tough', and, as for the man himself, the father of six and the grandfather of six, John Mayall, at 75, hopes to keep the blues alive for many more years to come. write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Jazz News :: home page |