John Mayall: The Blues Crusader

Dinu Logoz

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 3283012288 ISBN 13: 9783283012281

Publisher: Edition Olms, 2015

John Mayall is an icon in the world of blues music and the Godfather of British blues. A pioneering musician, blues promoter and talent scout for over 50 years, his uncanny knack of picking young, talented musicians and then nurturing them in his bands is the stuff of legend. Under his guidance as leader and sometimes father figure, his groups developed into a blues school of learning par excellence. Many young members became huge stars later on, among them brilliant musicians such as Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jack Bruce, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Mick Taylor and drummer Jon Hiseman. In Mayalls bands, an incredible 130 musicians have done their apprenticeship and earned their spurs. Top bands like Cream, Fleetwood Mac or Colosseum would never have existed without his inspiration and guidance. Now 80 and showing no signs of slowing down, John Mayall has an amazing back catalogue totalling some 86 albums, and has played over 5000 live concerts all over the world. He is still rated as one of the most influential and respected figures in the international blues and rock scene. This is the first detailed biography of Mayall, illuminating not only his life and career, but also providing deeper, more detailed insights into the development of his many fellow musicians. It follows the young Mayall from the early days of jamming in his tree house as a teenager to the vast tours he undertakes today. Even die-hard blues fans will find a lot of undiscovered anecdotes and stories here, as the book covers all phases of the Mayalls career and not just the 60s.

Review:

The details [Dinu Logoz] supplies in the narrative will captivate anyone with a serious interest in the history of the British blues scene and Mayall's contribution to it"--Downbeat, January 2016 issue."

About the Author:

Dinu Logoz is a Swiss blues musician with an encyclopaedic knowledge of this type of music.