John Mayall-Blues From Laurel Canyon (1968)

After leaving the Bluesbreakers project, John Mayall traveled to the United States, specifically to Laurel Canyon in California. Initially, Mayall went there as a guest of Bob Hite, singer of Canned Heat, but soon after, captivated by the place, he decided to settle permanently in those remote and inhospitable lands. After living alone for a while in that environment, Mayall found inspiration and composed a series of songs that would become his first album without the Bluesbreakers, the seventh in his extensive discography, titled "Blues From Laurel Canyon". To record it, he went to Decca Studios in London, where, along with producer Mike Vernon and a small group of musicians including a very young Mick Taylor on guitar, drummer Colin Allen, guitarist Peter Green, and bassist Steve Thompson, they recorded a collection of great songs that would go down in history as one of the fundamental works of blues rock. Vibrant blues rock tracks like “Vacation”, “Ready To Ride” or “2401”, the lilting ballad “Laurel Canyon Home”, the experimental “Medicine Man” or the superb “The Bear” in memory of his friend Bob Hite, make up an extraordinary and passionate album of the best blues, from the one considered the most important and fundamental musician of the British rhythm & blues scene.