JOHN MAYALL

As the elder statesman of British blues, it is John Mayall's lot to be more renowned as a bandleader and mentor than as a performer in his own right.

Throughout the '60s, his band, the Bluesbreakers, always with the very well-versed singer-guitarist-keyboard-harmonica player John as central figure acted as a finishing school for the leading British blues-rock musicians of the era. Guitarists Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor joined his band in a remarkable succession in the mid-'60s, honing their chops with Mayall before going on to join Cream, Fleetwood Mac, and the Rolling Stones, respectively.

John McVie and Mick Fleetwood, Jack Bruce, Aynsley Dunbar, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Andy Fraser (of Free), John Almond, and Jon Mark also played and recorded with Mayall for varying lengths of times in the '60s.

Throughout the '70s, John became further revered for his many jazz/rock/blues innovations featuring such notable performers as Blue Mitchell, Red Holloway, Larry Taylor, and Harvey Mandel. In the 80s, John's bandmates included future stars in their own right, guitarists Coco Montoya and Walter Trout. His current talented band line-up and the one for this tour includes Rocky Athas (guitar), Greg Rzab (bass) and Jay Davenport (drums).