2017 – Forty Below Records
By Phillip Smith; May 12, 2017
I’m always happy to hear new material from John Mayall,. With his latest album, Talk About That, Mayall nails down another winner in a long string of rock-solid blues albums. Returning to record the eleven track jewel with Mayall is guitarist Rocky Athas, bassist Greg Rzab, and drummer Jay Davenport.
Mayall lays down seriously groovy keyboard riffs alongside Rzab’s thick and saucy bassline in title track, “Talk About That”. I love it when he breaks out that juicy Bourbon Street blues with the deliciously horn-rich “Gimme Some of That Gumbo”. Athas delivers a searing guitar performance which brings this one home. When Mayall plays the harmonica in the Jimmy Rogers All Stars cover, ”Goin’ Away Baby”, it sounds so damn good. This is one killer blues song indeed. His piano performance on life-questioning “You Never Know” is quite delightful too. I get lost in the stirring sounds of “Blue Midnight”. Its vibrant and intoxicating rhythm pulls me deeply in.
For “The Devil Must Be Laughing” and “Cards on the Table”, Mayall enlists non-other than the fabulous Joe Walsh to play guitar. Both are rather outstanding and capture the legendary Walsh sound.
Talk About That is an enchanting album which showcases a wonderful set of Mayall masterminded blues.
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