A few days ago, John Mayall announced that he was cancelling most of his upcoming farewell tour dates due to the pandemic and his advancing age. You can find his statement HERE.
We were very excited to see him one last time, this time with his new guitarist, the formidable Melvin Taylor who was in all likelihood suggested to Mayall by their common drummer Jay Davenport.
Unfortunately, the venerable British Blues veteran's live activities will now be concentrated around his home base of California. A residency at the legendary Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London is still scheduled to take place, and this might be the last opportunity to catch John Mayall on this side of the pond.
At almost eighty-eight years old, and after a lifetime on the road, you can't fault a man for deciding to finally take it easy. And, with a new album on the way, it's not like he's resting on his laurels. But it seems that, for us at least, his concert at the Bataclan in the spring of 2019 will be our last pilgrimage.
Through the music he's released, through the musicians he's heralded, through the players he's discovered, John Mayall has become every bit as legendary as the originators of the musical form whose heritage he set out to champion and preserve all those years ago. He is without a doubt one of the most important figures of contemporary popular music, without which the cultural landscape would look very different.
This isn't an obituary: the man is still alive and working. But it is the end of an era.
Godspeed, sir.
🎙 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I have decided, due to the risks of the pandemic and my advancing age, that it is time for me...
Posted by John Mayall on Wednesday, September 22, 2021