The John Mayall Apprenticeship

November 29^th – One of the differences about getting to a point where you can make rock music pay a wage and any other occupation is that there’s no apprenticeship to speak of. It’s not the pathway many take but if you’re a painter you can go to art classes to learn the basics of perspectives and how chiaroscuro works; a writer can go to creative writing classes to learn descriptive technique and when and when not to use a semi-colon; a classical musician can go to the conservatoire to read the scores of the great masters and learn all about time and meter; a rock musician can…well, a rock musician can only do it by feeling it and by doing it really.

The apprenticeship is served by watching and listening to others of the chosen genre and that choosing only happens with the music that moves the listener to want to imitate then extend the genre. I wonder what percentage of present-day rock musicians can read music, and I don’t mean stagger their way through a songsheet, I mean really read music to the point where they can pick up an unseen sheet, put it on a piano rest and whack it out. My guess is not many. That’s not a downer on them BTW it’s just an observation and a possible confirmation of my belief that, as far as rock music is concerned, the majority of the learning experience comes from the heart not from the head. Neither is it a put-down of the classical tradition. It may be that I think the art is withheld by the composer and most classical performances are just a reinterpretation of what’s gone before, but still one has to admire the performer’s abilities and dexterity even if originality is harder to discern. After that little lot I expect to be startled from sleep tonight by the close presence of a guy in tails and dickie-bow, an axe raised above his head…

Where I think an apprenticeship can be gained in rock however is if one had the good fortune to be invited to perform with the modern blues legend that is John Mayall, born this day in 1933. I’ve had the luck to see him live, back in the 60’s and again just this year when I worked on his show, and my goodness but he and his fellow musicians were outstanding…outstanding. Here is the archetypal blues-boss who has presided, for the past 50+ years and with his band The Bluesbreakers, over the careers of many of our foremost (and I do mean foremost) rock players. I’m not big on lists but I’ll make an exception this time: See how many you recognise, how many you’ve heard and how many you still listen to; OK?

Eric Clapton – Peter Green – Jack Bruce – John McVie – Mick Fleetwood – Mick Taylor – Don ‘Sugarcane’ Harris – Harvey Mandel – Larry Taylor – Aynsley Dunbar – Hughie Flint – Jon Hiseman – Dick Heckstall Smith – Andy Fraser – Johnny Almond – Walter Trout – Coco Montoya – Buddy Whittington – Keef Hartley – Colin Allen – Stephen Thompson – Chas Crane – Jon Mark – Gerry McGee – Blue Mitchell – Ernie Watts – Gary Moore – Jonny Lang – Steve Cropper – Steve Miller – Otis Rush – Billy Gibbons – Chris Rea – Jeff Healey – Shannon Curfman – Chris Barber – Rocky Athas – Greg Rzab – Jay Davenport – Jimmy McCulloch – Roger Dean – Kal david – Randy Resnick – Sonny Landreth – Eric Steckel – Robben Ford – Tony Reeves – Hank Van Sickle – Dr. John – Paul Butterfield.

I know some of these names will mean more to some than others but trust me, that’s some legacy, and the list of bands the above players have either gone on to form or have played an integral part in is even longer. John Mayall is also a hell of a harmonica player and a well-above-average pianist and guitarist too. He’s released over 90 albums, is still touring today, and even though he carries a reputation as a hard task-master as far as his fellow performers are concerned, is the one guy all musicians of any store want on their C.V. Trouble is with Mr. Mayall now pushing 80 they’re running out of time and, unfortunately so are we when it comes to appreciating further live performances so can I suggest you take time out to visit his official site and see if you can’t get along to one of them. No, I’m not his agent but I believe if you miss the opportunity to see a genuine white blues-man in action then your musical apprenticeship and education will be the poorer for it.