Jazz Blues Fusion - JOHN MAYALL***

Country Road/Messin' Around/Good Times Boogie/Change Your Ways/Dry Throat/Exercise In C Major For Harmonica/Got To Be This Way

The title Jazz Blues Fusion describes what John Mayall was trying to achieve on this live recording. However, commentators considered it more blues than jazz. Backing provided by Blue Mitchell on trumpet and Freddie Robinson on guitar. (US:64)

“A perfect live recording from Mayall and his band. He has gathered a great backing band once again. This album is one of the more jazz-based albums ever recorded and I like this jazz-blues sound a lot.”

“It’s such great fusion. Mayall is one of the finest musicians ever and here he led this band to an awesome performance.”

“This is a set of excellent musicians doing what they do best. However the fusion here is not all that present, it starts out very bluesy, jazz only begins to shine through half into the album.”

“This album jumps all the way through. An excellent band, particularly the trumpet of Blue Mitchell while the guitar of Freddie Robinson is stellar, perhaps the best of a long list of great guitar players that have played on Mayall records. Truly a fusion of jazz and blues.”

“While this album isn't as ground breaking as Mayall would have you believe in the liner notes, it's nonetheless a fine album. Mayall hooked up with the excellent trumpet man Blue Mitchell and Jazz Blues Fusion was the result. Mitchell's playing here is nothing short of outstanding, and Mayall weighs in with what might be his best guitar playing ever. Granted there's a lot more blues than jazz here, but I think if it were the other way around, it wouldn't be as good.”

“There is something about this record that just works. It is a combination of Mayall's legendary ability to gather great talent and an exceptional live performance that really cooks. The Good Times Boogie cut is magical in its ability to remove you from reality.”

“The album title is a bit misleading, the tracks are mostly blues in rhythm and chord progressions, but with jazz overtones expertly scattered about. This is John Mayall's finest work.”