Post by Voodoo Chile In Wonderland on May 12th, 2014 at 10:08pm
As 2013 came to a close and with his 80th birthday mere weeks away, the godfather of British blues quietly entered a North Hollywood Studio with his band, special guest C.J. Chenier and co-producer/engineer Eric Corne. He walked out with one of the finest and most personal records of his career.
The aptly titled A Special Life, serves as further testament to John's boundless talent, vitality and ever-dynamic personality.
Along with his accomplished band, he goes back to his roots with an eclectic album centered in the blues but with diversions into rock and Americana. There are three new songs penned by John and one from band members Greg Rzab and Rocky Athas, as well as blues favorites from some of the greats, including Albert King and Jimmy Rogers. C.J. Chenier came to join the party on a couple of tracks (including one written by his father), adding an exciting extra dimension with his vocals and accordion.
Slated for a May 13th release via Forty Below Records, this is John's first studio album in five years, a span during which the band's chemistry has grown tremendously. It is an instant classic and a "must have" for any blues/roots music enthusiast!
The album has already had many great reviews, including one on about.com which states:
"I’d easily put this one among Mayall’s best efforts – and that includes Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton,A Hard Road, and Blues From Laurel Canyon – so run, don’t walk, to your record store come release day for a copy of A Special Life! (Release date: 05/13/14)"
We are happy to say however, that you don't need to "run" or "walk" anywhere to purchase this fabulous album. You can do that from the comfort of your own home as "A Special Life" will be available on the "official store" page of our website on the 13th May, http://www.johnmayall.com/store.html and is also available now for pre-order on Amazon and iTunes. It will be released in the UK and Europe May 19th.
We also want to remind you that we are regularly posting new content on our official Facebook page, and that it's the best place to keep up with John on his very busy 80th birthday celebration year! Please check it out at: https://www.facebook.com/JohnMayallBlues. You can also follow his new label on Twitter which is another great place to get current info: @40belowrecords, and on Facebook at:https://www.facebook.com/fortybelowrecords
It's worth checking out the new dates on our "tour schedule" page as well at: http://www.johnmayall.com/tour.html. We have many US dates posted for the Summer and Fall, and the Autumn UK tour is now all posted too. The shows are amazing, and John comes out to meet the audience, sign autographs and sell CD's so you will get a chance to shake his hand and wish him a happy birthday year!
Long live the blues!
Johnmayall.com