Mention John Mayall to most rock fans and you'll notice that people tend to talk about him in terms of the musicians he's worked with. Eric Clapton, John McVie and Mick Taylor were virtual unknowns when Mayall recruited them (at different times) for his band the Bluesbreakers in the Sixties, and Mayall's knack for discovering stellar talent was such that the Bluesbreakers came to be viewed as a training ground for future stars. But while his place in rock history is essentially that of a bandleader, Mayall is a musician of considerable talents beyond assembling top-notch groups.

On Sunday night, Mayall performed at the Key Club on Los Angeles' Sunset Strip with his current lineup of the Bluesbreakers. Before the show, when most artists of his stature would have been lounging in the dressing room, Mayall was busy overseeing the setup on stage, checking microphones and instrument connections. It was clear who was in charge, and Mayall remained at the helm for two hours of blues staples and original songs.

Proving himself to be the consummate multi-instrumentalist, Mayall would sing a verse, then dash to the piano or the organ, often playing harmonica with one hand while playing keyboards with the other. Strangely, he didn't touch a guitar all evening, leaving those duties to Buddy Whittington, who proved to be not only a fine guitarist, but also a soulful singer when he took the lead on a rousing rendition of "Jacksboro Highway" from Mayall's 1990 album Sense of Place.

The highlights of the evening were "A Hard Road" -- the song from Mayall's 1967 album of the same name that launched Peter Green's career -- and a new song called "Ain't No Surrender," a ragtime-influenced number played by Mayall on the piano, sans band.

Although Mayall has experimented extensively over his long career, he has always been at his best when he has stuck to the basic blues-rock blueprint. He started the show on Sunday that way and maintained it until the end of the final encore.

KEVIN DELANEY
(February 9, 1999)