John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert

John Mayall can certainly be forgiven for exclaiming, after a version of “Have You Heard” that lasts for more than 17 (count ‘em) minutes, that “the blues does not get any better than that.” The point is arguable, to say the least, but hey, the July 2003 affair was a celebration of the Brit bandleader's 70th birthday, and he was joined by Eric Clapton, still the most renowned of the many fine musicians who passed through Mayall's group in his 1960s heyday. Clapton performs on no less than eight tunes in the course of this lengthy concert, singing lead on “Hoochie Coochie Man” and “I'm Tore Down” and playing his usual fiery solos; Mick Taylor, who played with Mayall for a couple of years before joining the Rolling Stones, offers some fine fretwork as well. And even if none of the other famous former Bluesbreakers is on hand--including bassists Jack Bruce and John McVie, or Peter Green, perhaps the finest of all of Mayall's guitarists--it hardly matters, especially since the current version of the band, featuring the superb guitar work of Buddy Whittington, and Tom Canning on keyboards, is overall the best ever. OK, so this ain't exactly a summit meeting of Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, and Little Walter; British blues has rarely matched its American counterpart. But blues fans could do a lot worse than spend a couple of hours in the presence of this still-vital musician. Presented in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo, the disc also features an interview with Mayall. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Graham)