STRANGE facts about bluesman John Mayall: he was born in Macclesfield, on the outer rim of Manchester, and when young he took to living in a tree-house.
He has been playing in blues bands since 1956, and rode to fame on the British Blues wave of the 1960s, finding room in his Bluesbreak-ers for a young guitarist called Eric Clapton. Since those perhaps more prominent days, Mayall has just kept on playing, and here he is again.
The reedy voice can take a while to settle on the ear, but there is no doubting the calibre of the playing, with Mayall's guitar still striding ahead. Straight-ahead blues numbers such as Southside Story and Dirty Water stand alongside poppier songs such as Feels Just Like Home.
Kids Got The Blues has a cringe-making theme about youngsters digging the blues, but elsewhere Mayall betrays few signs of his near 70 years.
Updated: 08:46 Thursday, September 26, 2002
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article