John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert Blu-ray

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert

 (2003)

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert Blu-ray delivers stunning video and reference-quality audio in this exceptional Blu-ray release
British blues legend John Mayall joins up with an all-star lineup of musicians -- including Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Chris Barberas, Jack Bruce, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie -- to celebrate his 70th birthday in this dynamic performance. Filmed live in summer 2003, the concert features performances of "Southside Story," "Blues for the Lost Days," "Walking on Sunset," "Talk to Your Daughter," "Please Mr. Lofton" and more.

For more about John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert and the John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert Blu-ray release, see the John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert Blu-ray Review

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov, July 8, 2009

Recorded live in Liverpool, England on July 19th, 2003, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert is a fantastic show. It celebrates the legacy of a man who popularized blues in Europe and went on to become one of its legends.

At the age of 70, John Mayall certainly looks and sounds impressive. His voice is as clear as it has ever been, his harmonica solos as energetic as they have been and piano skills still excellent. More importantly, those who assisted him during the years - Buddy Whitington (guitar & vocals), Joe Yuele (drums), Hank Van Sickle (bass guitar), and Tom Canning (organ & piano), better known as The Bluesbreakers – are still with him and just as passionate about blues as he is.

Throughout the concert, John Mayall is joined by a number of musicians who played an important role in his career. Eric Clapton appears on many songs, including "No Big Hurry", "Please Mr Lofton", "Hideaway", "Have You Heard" and everyone's favorite "Hoocie Coochie Man". Legendary trombonist and blues legend Chris Barber also appears for a couple of songs. Even guitarist Mick Taylor, John Mayall's partner from the 60s, joins the show.

The energy on the stage is incredible. All of the musicians seem genuinely excited to be part of this terrific event. They joke, laugh and encourage each other in a manner that is impossible not to admire. The audience is just as enthusiastic.

Technically, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert is a superbly executed project. And I really mean that. The concert has been captured by multiple, strategically positioned, cameras that allow the viewer to observe the musicians from all sorts of different angles. The stage lighting is simple but very effective.

Still singing the blues

Tracklisting:

1. Southside Story
2. Kids Got The Blues
3. Dirty Water
4. Somebody's Acting Like A Child
5. Blues For the Lost Days
6. Walking On Sunset
7. Oh, Pretty Woman
8. No Big Hurry
9. Please Mr Lofton
10. Hideaway
11. All Your Love
12. Have You Heard
13. Hoochie Coochie Man
14. I'm Tore Down
15. It Ain't Right
16. Talk To Your Daughter

Bonus:

1. Grits Ain't Groceries
2. Jacksboro Highway
3. California

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert Blu-ray, Video Quality

 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i "live" transfer, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert arrives on Bu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Recorded live in Liverpool, England on July 19th 2003, this concert looks fantastic on Blu-ray. Detail is very impressive, clarity pleasing and contrast amongst the best I have seen on recent Eagle Rock Entertainment releases. The color-scheme is also very good. The blue, red and purple spotlights that cover the stage are captured very well on this release. Furthermore, motion-judder has been kept to a minimum. There are multiple cameras that have been used to capture both the musicians on the stage as well as the audience – there are absolutely no issues to report with any of them. This being said, there are no disturbing image imperfections that I detected. To sum it all up, this is a terrific transfer that will undoubtedly impress fans of the blues legend. (Note: This is a Region-Free disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 

There are three audio tracks on this Bu-ray disc: Music DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Music Dolby Digital 5.1 and Music LPCM 2.0. I opted for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the other two tracks for the purpose of this review.

Mastered by Benny Quinn at Masterphonics, Nashville and mixed at Sphere Studios, London and Soundstage Studios, Nashville, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert does not disappoint. In fact, I would go on record stating that this is one of the best sounding discs to arrive via Eagle Rock Entertainment ever since they began releasing on Blu-ray.

First, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track conveys terrific depth and clarity. The bass is rich, the vocals crystal clear and the supporting instruments easy to recognize. Second, this is an expertly well mixed track - balance is outstanding. Third, there is a good amount of movement in the rear channels. Fourth, there are absolutely no audio fluctuations that I detected. For the record, there are no pops, cracks, or hissings either.

I pay very close attention to how live concerts are mixed. I often find that a good LPCM 2.0 track is far more appropriate to use when viewing them on Blu-ray than an elaborate DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track or Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track. I find that a solid LPCM 2.0 track could improve greatly balance and stability. This is not the case with the LPCM 2.0 track on this Blu-ray disc. As mentioned earlier, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track does not reveal any balance issues whatsoever. Additionally, its dynamics are far stronger and more convincing than those of the LPCM 2.0 track. The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is rather good but, again, not comparable to the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track The bass and the electric piano are not as impressive on it as they are on the DTS-HD Mater Audio 5.1 track. This being said, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings on the LPCM 2.0 and Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks.

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

 

Interview with John Mayall - the blues legend addresses his past, passion for music and collaborations with other notable musicians. Subtitled in English, German, Spanish and French. (480/60i, 13 min).

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

 

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert is one hell of a show! From start to finish, it is incredibly entertaining. Don't miss it! The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment, looks and sounds terrific. We give it our Highest Recommendation!

Did you find this review helpful?

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends: 70th Birthday Concert Blu-ray $16.98 $14.99

Top Blu-ray Deals   The best Blu-ray deals online. Don't miss out on these great deals. See Today's Deals »

Eagle Rock Entertainment has announced that they will bring 'John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends 70th Birthday Concert' to Blu-ray on June 30th. Technical specs have not been announced at this time, though you can expect a 1080p AVC presentation accompanied ...

Eagle Rock Entertainment is releasing 'The 70th Birthday Concert' from John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and Friends on June 29. This concert was recorded at Liverpool's King's Dock on 19 July 2003. No specs have been announced, but you can expect multichannel and ...

Gosia

He

Kuldeep

Chikal

David