Lighthouse, Poole’s centre for the arts, is delighted to announce the Godfather of British Blues John Mayall will play the Concert Hall on Thursday 14 November as part of a national tour in support of his new album, Nobody Told Me.
Tickets went on sale online at 9am on Friday 24 May and 10am by phone and in person from the box office.
In a career that spans more than 60 years, John Mayall has served as a pioneer of blues music, rightly earning him the title, the Godfather of British Blues. In 2013, he signed with producer Eric Corne’s label, Forty Below Records, and has since been experiencing a genuine artistic and career renaissance, including a Blues Hall of Fame induction in 2015.
His latest album, Nobody Told Me boasts an impressive and diverse list of guest guitarists, all personal favourites of Mayallís including Todd Rundgren, Little Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band, Alex Lifeson from Rush, Joe Bonamassa, Larry McCray and Carolyn Wonderland who will be joining the band on tour. Also, on hand are Mayall’s dynamic Chicago rhythm section of Greg Rzab on bass guitar and Jay Davenport on drums, along with Billy Watts (Lucinda Williams) on rhythm guitar and Mayall’s regular horn section, moonlighting from their day job in The Late Show with Conan OíBrienís house band.
The album was recorded at The Foo Fightersí Studio 606 on the same legendary Sound City Neve console his one-time protÈgÈs Fleetwood Mac used to record the classic Rumours album.?
“This project has been a true labour of love for me and I canít wait for people to hear the fireworks that took place,” beams Mayall. “Nobody Told Me is an apt title for the blues icon who suffered a serious illness shortly after recording the album, but the seemingly ageless road dog, who famously takes no days off and carries his own gear on tour, has been given a clean bill of health and returned to his usual grueling touring schedule to support the release.”
Born in 1933, by the time John Mayall formed the first line up of his band the Bluesbreakers in 1963 he had completed his National Service with the Royal Engineers and worked in the art department of a major department store. The music quickly took off thanks to the popularity of the Rolling Stones, Georgie Fame, Manfred Mann, The Animals and Spencer Davis Group; and John also backed blues greats John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Eddie Boyd and Sonny Boy Williamson on their first English club tours.
When Eric Clapton quit The Yardbirds John quickly offered him the job as his new guitarist, a collaboration that resulted in the classic album, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers featuring Eric Clapton. However, by the time it was entering the charts, Clapton and bassist Jack Bruce had left to form Cream. So began a succession of future stars who would define their roots under John’s leadership before leaving to form their own groups – Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood became Fleetwood Mac. Andy Fraser formed Free, and Mick Taylor joined the Rolling Stones.
In 1982, motivated by nostalgia and fond memories, John decided to re-form the original Bluesbreakers. Mick Fleetwood was unavailable at the time so John hired Bournemouth-born drummer Colin Allen (ex-Zoot Mneyís Big Roll Band) to join with John McVie and Mick Taylor for a couple of tours and a video concert film entitled Blues Alive with featured guests Albert King, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and Etta James.
Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, John’s popularity went from strength to strength with a succession of dynamic albums such as Behind The Iron Curtain, Chicago Line, A Sense of Place, and the Grammy-nominated Wake Up Call that featured guest artists Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Albert Collins and Mick Taylor.
In 2005, John was awarded an OBE on The Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his service to British music and although he made the decision to permanently retire the name Bluesbreakers in 2008 he has shown no sign of hanging up his guitar any time soon, touring and recording with a new band as well as stellar guests.
John Mayall celebrates his eighty-sixth birthday on 29 November.
JOHN MAYALL plus support Connor Selby
Thursday 14 November, 7.30pm (Concert Hall)
Tickets & information 01202 280000
http://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk
Links
http://www.johnmayall.com
https://www.facebook.com/JohnMayall/
