Paul Jones still has an amazing voice, saw Manfred Mann a couple of years ago & Paul was segregating the audience into a choir for Do Wah Diddy, he still hits the lowest lows & highest highs.
We still have blues bands today in the UK, they didn't just stop in the 60's...
Jeremiah Marques & the Blue Aces Big Joe Louis & the Blues Kings Little George Sueref & the Allstars King David's Trio Royale Paul Lamb & The Kingsakes West Weston's Bluesonics
diggs mine too! he is the reason i started playing harp in the 60's...although i quit for 40 years. i'm glad you brought manfred mann up because there are a lot of folks that don't remember them as a blues based band. just listen to their early albums....my favorite old brit blues band.
Yea nice call Diggs, I first remember him playing harp on the pop song 54321. Paul is a bluesman through and through, though.
And of course John Mayall was hugely influential on the UK Blues scene. He had a great eye for talented musicians with Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Jack Bruce to name but a few appearing in his often changing line-up with The Bluesbreakers
Just posted a thread on the death of JB Lenoir funnily enough which was one of Mayall's songs:
about 1970 john mayall came out with his turning point album which included 'room to move'.
the album was interesting as it had no drums and the keys of the songs were indicated after their titles. room to move (Db) so sec. pos. F# harp. very helpful.
it seemed every kid in my school bought a harp after hearing that record. ---------- MP hibachi cook for the yakuza doctor of semiotics superhero emeritus
Early Fleetwood Mac didn't feature any harmonica but Peter Greene's singing and guitar playing is tremendous on those first couple albums. Ever hear the original Black Magic Woman? Or the instrumental hit Albatross? Oh Well? They are right up there with Cream and John Mayall in my book and much less well known. The Album Fleetwood Mac in Chicago has some red hot Walter Horton playing. Check it out.
Totally agree Joe, Peter Greene was outstanding. Here's a surprise though, check this video out of Peter Green playing harmonica on "Looking for Somebody" from the Fleetwood Mac (1968 album)(no performance vid unfortunately.
Isn't enough to be a brilliant guitarist and vocalist and then he goes and plays harmonica as well!!! I just love his loose mouth style and wah on this track.
I was at the Dundee blues festival this year and saw a couple of great bands, one was the dirty aces and they played with mud morganfield ( one of Muddy's sons) the harp player was awesome in my opinion.
Also saw poorboy from Liverpool, I think, and the Gus Munro band from Glasgow both were really good.
It was my first experience of seeing blues live and I had a fantastic weekend I'm already planning to go back next year if the family allows :o)
Fleetwood Mac was pretty much the same band as Mayall's Bluesbreakers...at least i think there was a period when peter green, john mcvie and mick fleetwood were all together with john mayall....but i dont think they all recorded together...sometime between the Hard Road and Crusade Albums. I saw Mayall live earlier this year...great band, but John's playing wasn't very inspirational...except insofar it is quite inspirational he is still touring with a hard rocking show at age 77... ----------
One of my favourite "Fleetwood Mac" recordings is "The Biggest Thing Since Colossus", Otis Spann, SP Leary & Fleetwood Mac (less Mick Fleetwood)...great music, beautifully recorded. Blues Jam In Chicago has its moments but it's not a great recording production-wise. Perhaps more for completists only?
Fleetwood Mac was the The Bluesbreakers - Green, Fleetwood, McVie, augmented by Danny Kirwan and Jeremy Spencer.
Mayall, Green & McVie recorded together with Eddie Boyd (& his Blues Band feat. Peter Green). Boyd also recorded 7936 South Rhodes with Green, McVie & Fleetwood.
@Gig74 - Dirty Aces harp player is Giles Robson, excellent player.
@Harmonica Joe - yes I have heard the original Albatross, it's called "Deep Deep Feeling" & it's by Chuck Berry ;-) Albatross isn't a note for note cover, but tales of the band spontaneously inventing the track & feel in the studio are greatly exagerrated.
Last Edited by on Nov 08, 2010 3:26 AM
@Gig74 - Thanks for the kind words regarding Dundee - the band is Poorboy, but we are actually from Leeds. We will be back at the Blues Bonanza next year all being well, so maybe catch ya there.
Incidentally, I went to see Mud Morganfield again last week and was chatting to him after the gig. He remembered us from Dundee as one of our guitarists threw down some pretty astonishing dance moves in front of the stage as Mud and band played Got My Mojo Workin'. Alcohol had been imbibed. ---------- Myspace
Last Edited by on Nov 08, 2010 4:07 AM
@ chinaski, are you one of poorboy? If so I'm loving your cd I bought it after the Sunday gig. Your Etta James cover blows me away every time I listen to it, so thank you.
@Gig74 - yeah, I am singer/harp player with the band. Glad you liked the CD, we hope to record again sometime next year and will certainly be playing more festivals.. ---------- Myspace
its interesting that peter green played harp also along with being a brilliant guitarist its a shame peter and danny kirwan took acid that permanently changed their personalities and destroyed their careers
Duster Bennet (writer of Jumpin' At Shadows, one time Bluesbreaker & friend of Peter Green) was a much better harp player than Green and definitely deserves a mention in any thread regarding F Mac/Peter Green/Bluesbreakers and harp.
@5F6H O Yes, Duster Bennett a talent sorely missed. Just put this still shots vid together as a tribute over his song ‘Worried Mind’.
Guitar, harmonica, drums and vocals – a great One man band performer
For those who don’t know of him:-
Anthony "Duster" Bennett (23 September 1946 – 26 March 1976) was a British blues singer and musician. Based around London, his first album Smiling Like I'm Happy saw him playing as a one-man band, playing a bass drum with his foot and blowing a harmonica on a rack while strumming a Les Paul Goldtop guitar. Backed by his girlfriend Stella Sutton and the original Fleetwood Mac on three tracks, the album was well-received among blues fans. He was very popular on the local blues club scene until his death in a car crash in 1976.
