John Mayall - A Special Life

In the 60's, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers was the breeding ground for incredible British talent, including Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor and Peter Green and more. He has continued with his love for the blues throughout the ensuing decades, but never with quite the same roster of expertise. This 2014 release is a fine enough blues record, but although Mayall still has his unique, odd voice, the band sounds more like a modern day bar band, complete with nearly heavy metal blues leads. Not much stands out, although his cover of Clifton Chenier's "Why Did You Go Last Night" with Clifton's son, CJ, on accordion, is a nice piece. There's a good amount of diversity here and all of the players are more than capable, this just doesn't hit me like his earlier work. Still, good to know that he is still out there bringin' the blues at an age when most are in nursing homes! Long may he wail!