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Find A Way To Care
John Mayall
Label: Forty Below Records
Release Date: September 4, 2015
Review Date: August 30, 2015
“Find a Way to Care” is the new CD from legendary blues musician John Mayall – something like his 62nd, in fact. Produced by Mayall (who also did the graphic design and artwork for the album) and Forty Below Record’s Eric Corne, “Find a Way to Care” was recorded at the House of Blues Studio in Encino, California, in a head spinning three days. It’s also some of the best, new blues you’lll hear this year and is all performed by the legendary British blues man and his band.
In addition to Mayall (vocals, piano, Hammond organ, Wurlitzer, clavinet, guitar and harmonica), featured on the sessions are Rocky Athas (lead and rhythm guitar), Greg Rzab (bass) and Jay Davenport (drums), who collectively are now into their seventh year as John’s band. The group is also augmented by a horn section on several tracks.
The even-dozen tracks on “Find a Way to Care” include a scintillating group of new songs and savvy covers of “Mother in Law Blues” (Don Robey), “The River’s Invitation” (Percy Mayfield), “I Feel So Bad”(Lightnin’ Hopkins), “Long Distance Call” (Muddy Waters), “I Want All My Money Back” (Lee Baker) and Drifting Blues” (Charles Brown).
About his choice of cover songs on the new album, Mayall says, “Every time I make an album, I always feel I owe it to my fans to come up with fresh and varied interpretations of the blues. With this in mind, I chose an assemblage of songs that includes perhaps some slightly lesser-known bluesmen, and that all had either different beats or special instrumental treatments. I also found three songs that would be further enhanced by the addition of horns.”
Added to the mix are four original songs (including the title cut) that always feature Mayall’s take on the current human condition, as well as universal truths.
“As always, I draw from my own experiences and thoughts about things in my life so that from album to album I create on ongoing musical diary of my life,” he explains. “The blues never lets me down!”
And “Find A Way To Care” won’t let blues – and Mayall – fans down. Every new and cover cut is worth the price of the album so you know you can’t go wrong in purchasing this CD.
