JOE GILL speaks to the Palestinian students in Gaza whose testimony is collected in a remarkable anthology
John Mayall: The Next Generation
Treasure trove of Britain’s blues history is a testament to a pioneer’s genius and longevity
(Left) From The Beano Album photo shoot: (L to R) John Mayall, Eric Clapton, John McVie, Hughie Flint; (right) album cover
[UMG Records]
MARY CONWAY delights in a rarely performed comedy that recalls a Britain we remember in our bones
JEAN ROBERTS appreciates the way traditional panto can be remodelled into critique of the academy schools system
MARY CONWAY is riveted by a superbly crafted glimpse into the soul of a cast-off US star
MARIA DUARTE is swept along by the cocky self-belief of a ping-pong hustler in a surprisingly violent drama
STEVE ANDREW recommends a lively and often moving guide to once vibrant spaces that have been abandoned or swept away
GEOFF BOTTOMS appreciates the local touch brought to a production of Dickens’s perennial classic
THE Godfather of the British blues John Mayall turned 87 recently and a new 35-CD box set is out featuring every album he recorded between 1964 and 1974, plus some fantastic extras.
Born in Macclesfield in 1933, he discovered the blues from his father’s 78rpm record collection of Leadbelly and boogie pianists such as Albert Ammons.
After national service in Korea, where he played in small jazz combo, he returned to Manchester and began playing rhythm and blues with The Blues Syndicate.
Similar stories
CHRIS SEARLE speaks to saxophonist and retired NHS orthopaedic surgeon ART THEMEN
A New Awakening: Adventures In British Jazz 1966 - 1971, G3, and Buck Owens
SIMON DUFF recommends a new album from renowned composer and oud player Anour Brahem.
A horn of plenty, no less!