MICHAEL DES BARRES talks about JOHN MAYALL: The Lost Broadcasts

I have always had a soft spot for John Mayall. Back when I was 18 and temporarily of no fixed abode I was squatting at my cousin Pene's house. Pene has been getting me out of scrapes for nearly half a century now, and she is the member of my family to whom I am closest. At the time she was married to a Scottish dude called George, and George had a small but very groovy record collection, and so - through him - I discovered as all sorts of wonderful things such as John Mayall's Blues from Laurel Canyon.

It was actually this record, rather than anything by the Rolling Stones that first introduced me to the gorgeous lead guitar playing of Mick Taylor (who remains my favourite guitarist, today), but the Gonzo DVD was recorded by the following lineup:

WIKIPEDIA HAS THIS TO SAY: Mayall tried a new format with lower volume, acoustic instruments, and no drummer. He recruited acoustic fingerstyle guitarist Jon Mark and flautist-saxophonist John Almond. Mark was best known as Marianne Faithfull's accompanist for three years and for having been a member of the band Sweet Thursday (which included pianist Nicky Hopkins and future Cat Stevens collaborator Alun Davies, also a guitarist). Almond had played with Zoot Money and Alan Price and was no stranger to Mayall's music—he had played baritone sax on 4 cuts of Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton and some of A Hard Road. This new band was markedly different from previous Mayall projects, and its making is well documented both on the 1999 double CD The Masters and on the 2004 DVD The Godfather of British Blues: The Turning Point.

As has become my custom, I turned to my mentor in the blues, Michael Des Barres, who wrote back to me:

"In terms of Mayall, I consider him a master class bluesman.I remember the only time that I heard him live was when I couldn't get into The Marquee, so me and my mates found a funky spot in the alley, and listened intently to this magic music which was played for people in alleys and juke joints. He will always be remembered for mentoring the young blues boys...some of whom went on to rule the world".

Thanks Michael. I don't know what I would do without you. Check out the video:

You can buy this wonderful DVD by following this link:
http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15426