John Mayall may not be a household name, but the blues icon has provided early career starts to some of the biggest names in classic rock. Before they were famous on their own, musicians like Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Peter Green and Mick Taylor were members of John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, the band that Mayall led starting in the 1960s. Following their tenures in the Bluesbreakers, Clapton and Jack Bruce went on to form Cream; Fleetwood, McVie and Green put together the first lineup of Fleetwood Mac; and Taylor joined up with the Rolling Stones.
As soon-to-be-famous musicians passed through the ranks of his band, Mayall kept right on going with his straight-ahead blues music, with various incarnations of the Bluesbreakers continuing on for decades. He’s released dozens of albums, and at 84 is still doing that. His most recent studio album, Talk About That, featuring a guest appearance from the Eagles’ Joe Walsh, came out in January 2017, followed by live album Three for the Road, released just last month. PopMatters called Talk About That “a series of soul-slathered tunes that reveal a lifetime of grit and sweat.” For Mayall, that’s just business as usual. But as longtime fans of Mayall will attest, his live performances are anything but business as usual.
Sunset Station, 8 p.m. March 31, starting at $29 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster
