laurent2015
600 posts
Feb 20, 2014
6:53 PM
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Long time I've been waiting for this one to be on Youtube;
a guy has had THE good idea: this is "Runaway"
and this one "Parchman farm"
And, for so far I know his music, always "acoustic" harp.
Last Edited by laurent2015 on Feb 20, 2014 7:01 PM
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snowman
19 posts
Feb 20, 2014
7:09 PM
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laurent2015
601 posts
Feb 20, 2014
7:52 PM
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Kudos, Snowman, even for the voice.
Maybe a little bit too much effects.
Mayall's playing is not so easy, I tried...but not a long time!
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capnj
194 posts
Feb 20, 2014
9:20 PM
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The snow is melting,getting hot,nice job.Did Mayall do the original with a Fsharp.
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SuperBee
1694 posts
Feb 20, 2014
10:51 PM
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ive forgotten...it was either ON an F# or IN F#
i realised recently i've combined mayall's room to move with sonny boy II's one way out...but maybe John did that first
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BluesJacketman
81 posts
Feb 21, 2014
12:49 AM
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All of the follow is MY HONEST OPINION. If I offend anyone I am terribly sorry.
I saw John Mayall back in January on Mark Hummel Blues Harp Blowout. I was not impressed especially since he played last after Hummel, Rick Estrin and Curtis Salgado. He's not really that good of a harp player. He can play but well below anyone else of his status, his singing is okay, his piano playing is good and probably his best quality and is songwriting is nothing special. The ONLY reason he is widely recognized and listened to is because his great talent for picking guitar players.
You cannot beat having an alumni list that includes Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor and Walter Trout.
But anyone who plays harp and thinks John Mayall is a "Great" harp player needs there ears cleaned. The man cannot get good tone to save his own life, but that seems to be the trend with the harp player from england in the 60s. John Mayall, Jack Bruce, Keith Relf, Roger Daltrey, Mick Jagger and Brain Jones all had terrible tone. Can anyone explain why?
The only British harp player from that period who had okay tone was Robert Plant.
Though it could be that I do not like Rock very much. I'm more of Blues/R&B/Swing/Jazz guy.
Last Edited by BluesJacketman on Feb 21, 2014 1:21 AM
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SteamrollinStan
122 posts
Feb 21, 2014
1:52 AM
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Saw him in Perth 1974, 'sonny boy blow' good'n.
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NiteCrawler .
265 posts
Feb 21, 2014
4:16 AM
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John is what he is on harp and actually plays more in an acoustic style to my ears,no bullet,no Bassman,amps etc.He pretty much blows through the pa and mainly plays piano and sings.At 81 yrs young I,ve gotta give big kudos to the man for doing what he does through all of the years.We opened for him probrably 18yrs ago and the boy at 63 was humping his equipment up onto the stage like he was 33.He,s definitely not a flashy in your face player but plays whats right for the music he performs.He always has a great band behind him which also helps alot especially at 81.God Bless Him!One of the players that got me started back in 1974.Don,t forget to add Freddie Robinson and Coco Montoya to the alum list.BTW lets not forget about harpers Alex Korner and Paul Jones from the 60,s and 70,s from England.
Last Edited by NiteCrawler . on Feb 21, 2014 5:56 AM
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laurent2015
602 posts
Feb 21, 2014
5:16 AM
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John Mayall was called "the white bluesman": what he did for the blues is considerable, nothing less than introducing that music in Europe, and giving it a new life in US, just thanks to new inspirations.
Nobody knows, but let's say taking a striking shortcut that maybe you couldn't listen to modern blues without Mayall...
As for his sound, it's his choice: I'm not specially fan of that sound either, but there's no link between the sound and his way of playing harp.
Mayall's playing is unique, trying to compare with other styles has no sense.
Listen to this (harp at 5:30)
Last Edited by laurent2015 on Feb 21, 2014 5:24 AM
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TheoBurke
593 posts
Feb 21, 2014
7:12 AM
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I recommend listening to John Mayall's harmonica playing for those just starting to learn blues harp; I have never been a big fan of the man's harmonica work , but I do think he is a great player to point out to those just starting because he is, as a harp player, relatively easy to follow. I did learn from his work, specifically the Back to the Roots album, a boat load of standard progressions and rhythms and learned where the root notes were for the beginnings , middles and ends of improvised solos. He has his uses.
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Ted Burke
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheoBurke?feature=mhee
http://ted-burke.com
tburke4@san.rr.coM
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CWinter
111 posts
Feb 21, 2014
9:39 AM
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Parchman Farm is basically just a fast boogie in the Key of F#. Mayall played it using a B harp.
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Goldbrick
301 posts
Feb 21, 2014
10:26 AM
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John Mayall is a " Band player" not a virtuoso on one instrument. The guy plays decent harp, guitar ,piano and sings , And has been around for 60 years. I think you gotta look at the whole package.
Not everybody wants to be the greatest on 1 instrument and often the guys who are cant play in a band setting ,cause nobody is up to their standard
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garry
496 posts
Feb 21, 2014
4:26 PM
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i highly recommend his album The Turning Point, not so much for the harp, but for some fabulous sax playing by johnny almond. one of my favorite albums.
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kudzurunner
4561 posts
Feb 21, 2014
5:24 PM
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BluesJacketman: Although I've never seen Mayall live, I agree that there is a disconnect between his reputation and what he actually throws down. And I think you're right: he's an example of a harmonica-playing bandleader and frontman who is more than the sum of the parts, but not quite the harmonica player that people imagine he is.
That being said, I will admit that I got one of his albums, MOVING ON, very early in my own career and spent many, many hours listening to it and grooving to it--although not necessarily a lot of time copying specific licks. But Mayall had a sound, on that album, that could get under your skin. He's got thin tone, not big or thick tone. He's got SOMETHING, though, and it's all his. He certainly doesn't sound like any other player. Nor does he sing like any other white bluesman. So for better or worse, he has made his mark, and it's HIS mark. That means something, and it's not to be denied.
http://www.amazon.com/Moving-On-John-Mayall-Bluesbreakers/dp/B001S29PFU/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_8
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BluesJacketman
82 posts
Feb 21, 2014
5:27 PM
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I read in an interview a while ago where Mayall said he tried to emulate Sonny Boy Williamson II because Sonny Boy didn't use as much throat vibrato as other players. The man has no ears Sonny Boy use way more throat vibrato than any other Chicago blues harp player except Big Walter and Paul Butterfield. I just cannot take any harp player serious if they said that.
and @ laurent I think bands like The Butterfield Blues Band and The Rolling Stones did way more for the blues here in the U.S. with the help of Bill Graham.
Lets just face it Mayall is not as important as everyone thinks. If it wasn't for Eric Clapton and Peter Green being in his band most of us would never have heard of him.
Last Edited by BluesJacketman on Feb 21, 2014 5:28 PM
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SuperBee
1695 posts
Feb 21, 2014
5:43 PM
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OR, if it hadn't been for being in John Mayall's band, no-one would ever have heard of Green or Clapton...
Ok, probably not true, but Mayall is an important figure in the British blues scene . And that makes him an important figure in modern blues.
And personally, he is an important figure in my life. He came here when I was 16, and again when I was 17. Totally turned my head around. As stated above, Mayall was a bandleader and effectively a talent scout. He called the shots, made enemies, made musicians.
BJM, check it out. The musicians came into mayall's band, and went on to greater things in their own right. John helped those cats on their road, you reckon? Happened a lot...
Anyway, when I saw him, he was an old man. 47 years old. I couldn't believe it. I was transported, had my head removed and reinstalled.
I saw him for the fourth time in 2010. Yeah, he wasn't so inspiring. Still had a great band. But john really is old now. I still enjoyed it. I enjoyed seeing him, at 77 years old, up on stage, on a world tour, enjoying playing with great musicians for a crowd of old folks in Hobart Tasmania. Yeah, he isn't the greatest harp man, but he inspired a lot of people to pick up an instrument and dig the blues. He is fair dinkum. I love him.
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Goldbrick
305 posts
Feb 21, 2014
5:47 PM
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The man has no ears ?
Nobody has selected more great players for a band than mayall. And do you think those great guys would want to play with him if he didnt have something musical to offer ?
Again , he might not be the best instrumentalist but his contribution to blues and blues/rock cant be denied
Hey. you dont like his playing-thats cool- to say he has no ears is just ignorance of his place in the British blues revival
Last Edited by Goldbrick on Feb 21, 2014 6:10 PM
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Frank
3878 posts
Feb 21, 2014
5:59 PM
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If there was a top 10 here for the greatest blues band leaders he'd be in the top 3 :)
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laurent2015
605 posts
Feb 21, 2014
6:53 PM
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BJM, possibly what's alledged here in Europe about him is not the same in US.
The Rolling Stones are not supposed to have introduced
the blues music in England (and in western Europe) but so did Mayall. After that, many european bluesmen could have played a influent role in the US, where the Blues was beeing
overwhelmed by other styles.
Last Edited by laurent2015 on Feb 21, 2014 7:05 PM
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TheoBurke
595 posts
Feb 21, 2014
7:10 PM
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I think John Mayall has done some good things, but those are due more to his talent for organizing bands of solid and original musicians who can best give some variety to what are, essentially, JM's rudimentary skills as vocalist, harmonica player, pianist and songwriter. He has been able to set mood and groove rather well , but truth be told, his efforts to sing and improvise drive me up the wall. He is not musically interesting after ten minutes of exposure. His singing strains too often for effect, is harmonica work is slurred when it should be cutting,his songwriting is nearly always 1-4-5 m 12 bar blues without variation. I think John Mayall is one of the most monotonous musicians on the planet.
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Ted Burke
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheoBurke?feature=mhee
http://ted-burke.com
tburke4@san.rr.coM
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laurent2015
607 posts
Feb 21, 2014
8:52 PM
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Maybe his production is too huge.
But it is so! I suppose that if with 1-4-5 m 12 bar blues pattern he could produce so much, then he is a genius?
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Frank
3884 posts
Feb 22, 2014
6:52 AM
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Should John Mayall be in the Hall of Fame? I think he should - he has surely earned that honor, very few musicians can lay claim to the credentials he has :)
Last Edited by Frank on Feb 22, 2014 6:57 AM
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messy ventura
126 posts
Feb 22, 2014
8:51 AM
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Yeah maybe he should be in the hall o'fame, but not before of Paul Butterfield.
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pharpo
729 posts
Feb 22, 2014
9:14 AM
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I grew up in the 60's. I began to play harmonica after hearing Neil Young and Bob Dylan. It was not until I bought Mayall's "Turning Point" that I began to explore the Blues. If you listen to that album - in the context of when it was released....I believe it was some very impressive stuff. That album set me on a new "musical path" , and I'm sure his music had the same effect on others at the time. The man is in his 80's and still touring !!
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Procrastinator Emeritus
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LSC
597 posts
Feb 22, 2014
2:23 PM
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I would submit the following:
Alexis Korner had more to do with introducing blues to the UK and Europe than anybody that immediately comes to mind.
John Mayall's influence on British blues players and through them the rest of the world can not be denied. The album "John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers", often referred to as "The Beano album", must rank high in any list of most influential blues albums of all time if one considers breadth of impact in the criteria.
His impact as a bandleader in hiring and in some cases discovering guitar players who through that exposure became some of the best known and most respected white blues guitar players in the history of the form can also not be denied.
To bang on about whether or not he's one of the best harmonica players ever is just plain silly. He never set out to be the best of anything other than the best John Mayall.
If any of us could point to a quarter of what this man accomplished and continues to accomplish we would could say we had a great career. How many nay sayers out there can honestly say that?
Finally, if you don't "get" any of the above further discussion is as pointless as discussion with a goat.
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LSC
Last Edited by LSC on Feb 22, 2014 2:26 PM
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The Iceman
1475 posts
Feb 22, 2014
2:48 PM
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Saw John during his "Turning Point" tour.
Amazing music quite unlike anything I'd heard before...very acoustic w/out drummer. Spellbinding.
Johnny Mark and Mark Almond left Mayall shortly afterwards and created amazing music in their own right.
The obscure hard to find recording "Mark-Almond" is stellar music and one of my 10 "Desert Island" CD's.
Mayall not only recruited great musicians, but went out of his way to help them any way he could while they were in his band.
One reason I don't like Clapton is that, during the early days, Mayall gave him a place to stay when Eric was pretty much living on the streets and gave Eric a lot of support when he was broke. Clapton pretty much sh*t on John by being hard to get along with, having a blues nazi attitude and finally quit Mayall's band w/out notice, which put Mayall in a bad position business wise. (Clapton's autobiography source).
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The Iceman
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TheoBurke
596 posts
Feb 22, 2014
3:34 PM
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Mayall recruits great musicians, but he does always use them well. I saw him with his jazz-blues fusion band with Freddie Robinson and Blue Mitchell and neither of these great imoprovisor had anything intriguing to extemporize on; great as they can play the blues, jamming on 12 and 16 bar changes for two hours at tempos seldom exceeding 4/4 is mind crushing. Plus Mayall seemed to think he was Paul Butterfield, taking solos on every number. Ugh.
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Ted Burke
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheoBurke?feature=mhee
http://ted-burke.com
tburke4@san.rr.coM
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Jehosaphat
691 posts
Feb 22, 2014
8:09 PM
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The Bluesbreakers 'Beano' album is what got me started on my whole journey into the world of the Blues(and Harp)
This track in particular is (imo) great harp.
Sadly i have never heard John play with the same juicy tone ever again.
I have a DVD where the harp playing is frankly crap.
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laurent2015
608 posts
Feb 22, 2014
9:21 PM
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Playing blues implies your guts:
...Or when a missing person offers you just a desert.
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