In The Palace Of The King

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

John Mayall has always been viewed as a musical father figure. Already in his 30s when the British blues invasion swept England and the US, Mayall provided the fertile soil from which influential young guitarists like Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, and Peter Green would grow before moving on to define the sounds of their own generation of music. That is why it seems fitting that the 73-year-old singer and multi-instrumentalist — still as active as ever — would take time to look back and pay his respects to the man who played a similar role for Mayall.

With more than 50 albums to his name, Mayall’s latest release In The Palace Of The King pays homage to the famous blues guitarist 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. The Kings Albert and B.B. may have ruled the American blues scene, but 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 14 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

Even though 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 was home to King during the 70s.

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 a recreation 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 12 bars of guitar soloing, while Mayall tickles the ivories and trades choruses with tenor saxophonist Red Holloway. These idiosyncrasies do nothing to detract from the enjoyment of the musicianship; but they are 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 shoulder 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 keeping up with guitarist Buddy Whittington. True to form, Mayall has surrounded himself with impeccable musicians. 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 a track 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. While Mayall’s vocals have never been his strong suit (think “acquired taste,” like okra or chit’lins), his harmonica playing adds authenticity to every number 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.

~ Andrew Todd

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