John Mayall has passed

[David Houck]

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/john-mayall-blues-legend-dead-obituary-1235066448/

He and his band were an important early influence for me, and well as his importance for rock music history overall.  A lot of great musicians went through those early bands of his.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mayall

[lbpesq]

I was fortunate to have seen him at the Keystone Berkeley back in the 70’s.   I believe he was playing a Strat with holes cut through it.  Not only a talented player, but a great talent scout and band leader.

May the Four Winds Blow You Safely Home

Bill, tgo

[hankster]

I saw him in my small town of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada when i was about 16. There were about 300 people in the 5000 seat arena. Unbelievable. Great show.

[StephenR]

Sad news big fan especially back in the 60s and 70s. First time seeing him was at the Fillmore East in 1968 with Mick Taylor. Mayall and the whole band were great but Mick Taylor was amazing, in an era where guitarists were gravitating to big amps he had a Fender Twin. No matter how fast he played there were no pull-offs you could hear that he picked each note and had great articulation. John always knew how to select great guitar players. My other favorite Mayall show was from the "Turning Point" era with his acoustic band. I saw a matinee show during the 1969 Newport Jazz Festival with Miles Davis, The Mothers of Invention, John Mayall and George Wein's Newport Allstars.

What a legacy and career John leaves behind, another irreplaceable talent gone... Fare Thee Well!

[cozmik_cowboy]

We shall never see his like again.  And now his watch has ended.

Peter

[edwardofhuncote]

Just heard about it in the news this morning. I believe the beginnings of Fleetwood Mac were borne out of his Bluesbreakers. Fair to say a lot of talent came from that school.

[DistillaMatto]

I was just watching his 2019 performance. What an amazing artist. A lot of the artists that I listened to in my teens wouldn't have existed without him.

[David Houck]

... but Mick Taylor was amazing ...

There is a song on a Bluesbreakers album where Mick Taylor plays a wonderful solo that we thought at the time was the perfect blues solo.  More recently I tried to find that song but could not; but perhaps it's best just to let that memory remain untouched as is.

[cozmik_cowboy]

... but Mick Taylor was amazing ...

There is a song on a Bluesbreakers album where Mick Taylor plays a wonderful solo that we thought at the time was the perfect blues solo.  More recently I tried to find that song but could not; but perhaps it's best just to let that memory remain untouched as is.

Oh, man, how I wish you had the song for us; I want to hear that!

Peter (who will still insist that the the most perfect guitar solo ever, blues or otherwise, is the intro to the Live From Cook County Jail version of "How Blue Can You Get?")

[StephenR]

Pretty sure the song and solo in question would be on either on the studio LP "Crusade" or the live "Diary of a Band" LP. As far as I know those are the only two albums Mick is on. 

[David Houck]

I haven't looked in a while, but Wikipedia has this:

Crusade 1967
The Diary of A Band, Volumes 1 & 2 1968
Bare Wires 1968
Blues from Laurel Canyon 1968

The Laurel Canyon album doesn't have Bluesbreakers in the name.

I might try to listen through those albums again.  But not tonight. 

Since that time there have been many great blues guitar players; and some people believe Robert Johnson was the best of all time.  I have a Johnny Winter album where his playing is so drenched in the blues that (again, at the time) it makes you want to crawl into a hole and get passed-out drunk.  It's relentless.

Also ran across a touching tribute to Mayall that Clapton posted.  He was effusive in his gratitude for all Mayall taught him about the blues.

[David Houck]

Well, I didn't look at Diary of a Band as my recollection was that it was a studio album; so I went through Bare Wires, Crusade, and Laurel Canyon.  And I couldn't find it.  Maybe it never existed.  Or maybe it was a Clapton solo.  But nothing I heard matched the memory in my head.  Oh well; still a nice memory.