RITA DI SANTO draws attention to a new film that features Ken Loach and Jeremy Corbyn, and their personal experience of media misrepresentation
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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]
JULIA TOPPIN recommends Patti Smith’s eloquent memoir that wrestles with the beauty and sorrow of a lifetime
MARJORIE MAYO welcomes an account of family life after Oscar Wilde, a cathartic exercise, written by his grandson
KEN COCKBURN guides us through a survey of Chekov’s early short fiction, and the groundwork it laid for his later masterpieces
ANDY HEDGECOCK revels in a hugely enjoyable but deadly serious examination of the 1930s, that is an indictment of our own era
The bard distills our hellish times into fiery words
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.
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