John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers - 70th Birthday Concert

It s a warm summer's Saturday night, July 19, 2003 in Liverpool England and the eager audience patiently waits. In celebration of John Mayall's 70th birthday and for the benefit of UNICEF s fight against child exploitation, The Bluesbreakers (Tom Canning, Hank Van Sickle, Jo Yuele and Buddy Whittington) kick off with Jacksboro Highway. After a few more numbers the place erupts as John Mayall appears to a standing ovation. The Godfather of British Blues has arrived and straight away he's playing fantastic harmonica and keyboards. Then (and after 38 years since they first played together) the friends and soul mates are reunited to a tumultuous reception as Eric Clapton appears on stage. Joining them is Mick Taylor and British
Blues pioneer, Chris Barberas as they blast through nearly 21/2 hours of stunning blues. From blues standards to classics from the Beano album and on to contemporary Bluesbreakers material, an ecstatic Liverpool crowd laps up one of the finest nights of blues this millennium. / Track Listing: 1. Southside Story 2. Kids Got the Blues 3. Dirty Water 4. Somebody's Acting Like a Child (John Mayall) 5. Blues For the Lost Days (John Mayall) 6. Walking on Sunset (John Mayall) 7. No Big Hurry (John Mayall) 8. Please Mr Lofton (John Mayall) 9. Hideaway (John Mayall) 10. All Your Love (I Miss Loving) (John Mayall) 11. Have You Heard (John Mayall) 12. Hoochie Coochie Man (John Mayall) 13. I'm Tore Down (John Mayall) 14. It Ain't Right 15. Talk to Your Daughter (John Mayall)

Not all that many blues musicians (or any other kind, for that matter) live to 70, so British bandleader John Mayall had good reason to celebrate when he reached that milestone in 2003--and celebrate he did, with the admirable, 137-minute John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers: 70th Birthday Concert to show for it. Mayall, a capable if not exactly stellar singer and multi-instrumentalist, is best known for the many fine players who passed through his band over the years, and Eric Clapton, the most renowned of the lot, is on hand here, as is former Mayall/Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor. Clapton sings several tunes in addition to playing his trademark stinging solos on "Hideaway" and "All Your Love" (two of the tunes most responsible for the "Clapton is God" graffiti seen around London in the '60s), while Taylor is mostly impressive as well. But arguably the best guitarist on the Liverpool stage this night is current Bluesbreaker Buddy Whittington, who more than holds his own in the company of his more esteemed predecessors (check out Whittington's superb solos, informed by both Buddy Guy and jazz, on "Blues for the Lost Days" and the 17-minute "Have You Heard"). Indeed, this may well be Mayall's best and most versatile band ever--no mean feat for a guy now in his fifth decade on the scene. A Mayall interview is the disc's sole bonus feature. --Sam Graham