With more than fifty albums to his name, Mayall’s latest release, In the Palace of the King, pays homage to the famous blues guitarist who was so influential to him and his protégés. But, before you get all excited about the prospects of hearing Mayall’s rendition of B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone,” or Albert King’s “Born Under a Bad Sign,” a quick introduction might be in order: While the aforementioned icons are unquestionably the “Kings of the Blues,” singer and guitarist Freddie King was another member of the music royalty who, while never quite getting the accolades of his namesakes stateside, was just as electrifying a performer, with an authoritative voice and a big, biting guitar attack. While the Kings Albert and B.B. may have ruled the American blues scene, there is no questioning the influence and popularity that Freddie had overseas. In one of the numerous tragedies that color the blues portrait, King died in 1976. The 42 year-old giant succumbed to heart failure while touring. Mayall summarizes his views in “King of Kings,” the second to last of fourteen tracks on this release:

He was a big man from Texas
And he played an even bigger guitar
He was the king of the kings
Born to be a superstar
When the British blues exploded
That man was hero of the day
He got us on our toes
When he came out with his Hideaway
Clapton, Green and Taylor
He showed ‘em all the licks to play

While the record is dedicated to King, it is perhaps more accurate to say that the tunes are inspired by the big man from Texas. Some of the songs (most notably, “Going Down”) are Freddie King staples, while others are written by Mayall and – in three cases – Leon Russell, whose Shelter Records label King recorded for in the seventies. The tracks comprise a quirky collection performed in a variety of blues styles. The jump blues opener, “You Know That You Love Me;” the muscular “Going Down;” the slow, maternal ballad “Time To Go;” the R&B infused “I’d Rather Be Blind;” and the Chicago-styled “Big Legged Woman” show the versatility of the band more than they recreate the sounds of their benefactor. Notably absent are renditions of the R&B hits (“Hideaway,” “The Stumble,” “San Ho-Zay,” “Lonesome Whistle Blues,” and “I’m Tore Down”) that King charted in the States, suggesting that the motivations for this tribute are more personal than commercial.

Other quirks include a title track that evokes a completely different king than the one who played the big Gibson guitar: The Mayall penned “In the Palace of the King,” sounds more like “Viva Las Vegas” than “Hideaway.” And, ironically, in “King of Kings,” the piano is the ruling monarch; a song hailing guitar royalty contains only a subdued twelve bars of guitar soloing, while Mayall tickles the ivories and trades several choruses with tenor saxophonist Red Holloway. These idiosyncrasies do nothing to detract from the enjoyment of the musicianship, but they are, nonetheless, interesting to ponder. It just goes to show that Mayall is comfortable paying homage and carving his own path at the same time.

Encased in stately packaging, the CD cover has Mayall looking quite like royalty himself, sitting in an amber-hued Victorian parlor picking a vintage Fender while Freddie King peers over his should from an old photo. Fellow pickers will appreciate that the track listing includes – along with the typical title, track length, lineup, and writing credit – a note indicating the key of the song; a handy bit of info for those who might want to play along.

Good luck, however, keeping up with guitarist Buddy Whittington. True to form, Mayall has surrounded himself on these tracks with impeccable musicians and Whittington plays up to the fabled reputation of past Bluesbreakers on every track, save one: “Cannonball Shuffle” is masterfully handled by the inimitable Robben Ford, who drops in to pay his respects on this track, which he also wrote.

In addition to Whittington, the group includes Joe Yuele on drums, Hank Van Sickle on bass, Tom Canning on organ, Lon Price on Saxophone, and Lee Thornburg handling the brass work. And, while Mayall’s vocals have never been his strong suit (think “acquired taste,” like okra or chit’lins), his harmonica playing adds authenticity to these songs and his musical sensibilities make the entire collection listenable at worst and downright electrifying during its best moments.

With In the Palace of the King, John Mayall manages to accomplish the noteworthy tasks of honoring one of his heroes while reaffirming the considerable reputation of his own band. That he manages to piece together a unique and ultimately enjoyable collection of recordings in the process is admirable and provides a fine – if somewhat less influential than his legendary recordings from three decades ago – example for another generation to learn from. The father figure continues to light the path of the blues.

Originally posted on VintageRock.com

On the positive side, viewers are given the chance to see a truly unique musician and get a closeup encounter with his homespun technique. Unlike most guitarists, Collins tuned his instrument to the key of F minor and choked up on the neck with a capo — something more akin to Joni Mitchell than your run of the mill blues guitarist. The sounds he produces, however, are unmistakably tough and stinging, as he plays with his thumb and forefinger; another trademark of his style. Furthermore, Collins is backed by a solid band. Abb Locke plays a satisfactorily greasy saxophone and backup guitarist Rob Noll plays well enough in his own right. The rhythm section of Johnny B. Gayden on bass and Casey Jones on drums are rock solid. The Icebreakers lay a foundation somewhere between roadhouse blues and R&B funk and compliment Albert’s frosty tones like grits with gravy.

Special guest Southside Johnny makes a lackluster appearance on “Brick,” blowing an uninspired harp that lets the air out of an otherwise excellent tune. And to further lament, the set was fairly lean on the humor that Collins applied liberally to his songwriting. Songs like “Too Many Dirty Dishes,” “I Ain’t Drunk (I’m just Drinkin’)”, and “Don’t Go Reachin’ Across My Plate” — tunes that showcase his wit as well as the wicked guitar playing — are staples of the Collins catalog. It’s too bad that this eight-song performance left these selections out. The DVD package itself also leaves much to be desired. Complete with typos in the captions and looking as though it was videotaped in a high school gymnasium (loved the dry ice effect), the DVD doesn’t offer much for fans other than a solid performance by Collins and the Icebreakers. The “extras” on this DVD include a written Albert Collins biography and an interview with the producer. Pretty tepid stuff. In the end, though, it’s the performance that makes the DVD worth viewing and — for blues fans — owning. Watching the infectious Collins perform is its own reward, and sadly, makes us miss him even more so many years after his death.

Originally posted on VintageRock.com.

Possessing a style that is equal parts Muddy Waters, Guitar Slim, and Jimi Hendrix, he has profoundly influenced the sounds of players ranging from Eric Clapton, to Stevie Ray Vaughan, to John Mayer, and serves as a de facto ambassador for a genre that is, sadly, but inevitably, losing many of its founding fathers.

He has shared the stage and studio with just about everybody: The aforementioned Clapton, Carlos Santana, David Bowie, and Keith Richards, to name a few. And then there are the Blues legends: Sonny Boy Williamson, Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Albert Collins, B.B. King, and, of course, Junior Wells, with whom Guy partnered during the 60’s to record Hoodoo Man Blues, a landmark recording and one of the best Blues records of the era.

And so it is that, five decades into a stellar career and no less than 15 years since the inception of the retrospective “boxed set” phenomenon, someone — namely, Silvertone records — finally got around to compiling Guy’s body of work into a concise, bookshelf-worthy collection. Fortunately for music fans, they did it right.

Described as “Buddy Guy’s 70th birthday gift” (Guy turned 70 on July 30th of this year), the handsomely packaged Can’t Quit the Blues offers the hard-core and casual fan alike with an impressive and comprehensive collection of Guy’s work.

Comprised of three CDs and a DVD, the collection starts with his first recording, “The Way You Been Treating Me”, captured in Baton Rouge Louisiana in May, 1957; not far from his home town of Lettsworth, where he was born 21 years earlier. From there it takes us to Chicago, and the legendary Chess Records, where Guy worked as a sideman for the architects of the Chicago Blues, including Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon. While Chess executives didn’t approve of Guy’s wild approach to playing and singing — a style inspired by his hero, Guitar Slim, and foreshadowing the music of the 60’s — they did grant him a handful of sides, which are presented here, and show him paying homage to the men that he idolized.

By the mid-1960’s, Guy was growing restless and, seeking the opportunity to express his own unique voice, jumped to Vanguard records and began recording his own material, in addition to performing on Wells’ milestone Hoodooman Blues. This collection includes two tracks from that recording, the title track and In the Wee Hours, in addition to seven other gems from the late 60’s through the 80’s — a period during which Guy toured extensively (both solo and with the Junior Wells band), but produced comparatively few studio releases.

By the 1990’s, the Blues genre was experiencing a full-blown revival, thanks in large part a renewed interest in the recordings of Robert Johnson and the commercial success of Texas bluesman Stevie Ray Vaughan. Vaughan made it no secret that he owed a great deal of his success to the influences of players like Buddy Guy, and Guy showed the world why with his 1991 album Damn Right I Got the Blues. The record featured Guy’s playing at its best and featured some high-profile guest artists, including Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Mark Knopfler. The record pushed Guy out of the shadows and into the spotlight, finally giving him the recognition that he had long deserved as one of the premier purveyors of the Blues. The record sold more than 500,000 copies and won Guy his first Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

Discs two and three of the set features three tracks from Damn Right I Got the Blues, including the Mack Rice staple, “Mustang Sally,” with Beck sharing guitar duties. In addition to these tracks, the disc contains tracks from his followup Grammy-winning recording Feels Like Rain (including the title track, which features Bonnie Raitt), and a mix of excellent material from his other offerings from the decade, including tracks from Buddy’s underrated 2001 release, Sweet Tea.

Mixed in with all of these are a handful of previously unreleased tracks, including the Mose Allison tune “Your Mind Is On Vacation,” and an excellent rendition of Muddy Waters’ “Honey Bee.”

The companion DVD provides an excellent documentary, in which Guy tells the story of Chicago Blues, through his own history, humorous anecdotes, and insights. You can’t help but love the man after watching it, as he is warm, intelligent, and possessed of a undeniable charisma.

That charisma is most evident, however, in his performances, where his magnetism and showmanship are evident, even in early recordings as a sideman with Junior Wells. His playing during the 80’s and 90’s performances is electrifying, and his fearlessness on stage (and off, as he is often seen strolling through crowd, playing blistering leads while audience members look on in wonderment) are hard evidence of the impact that Buddy Guy has had on popular music over the past 50 years. Luckily, Silvertone Records finally came to that realization itself and, though we had to wait a long time, gave us a collection that is, ultimately, worth the wait.

Originally posted on VintageRock.com.