Wake Up Call [Colored Vinyl]

John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers: John Mayall (vocals, guitar, harmonica, keyboards); Coco Montoya (guitar, background vocals); Rick Cortes (bass, background vocals); Joe Yuele (drums, background vocals).
Additional personnel: Mavis Staples (vocals); Buddy Guy (guitar, vocals); David Grissom (guitar, background vocals); Mick Taylor, Albert Collins (guitar); Joe Sublett (saxophone); Darrell Leonard (trumpet); Tom Canning (Hammond organ, Wurlitzer electric piano); Dave McNair, Mike Bruno (percussion); Maggie Mayall (background vocals).
Recorded at The Clubhouse, Burbank, California between October 19th and November 10th, 1992.
Fuelled by Coco Montoya's searing but economical string-slashing, drummer Joe Yuele, and bassist Rick Cortes, John Mayall has managed to keep a stable core of Bluesbreakers together in recent years. Mayall rarely does the same album twice, and Wake Up Call finds him returning to a basic, physical sound after 1990's more progressive/highly produced A Sense of Place. The harp whiz has rarely flirted with the pop charts over the decades, a track record that will likely handicap the title track - a potential hit featuring guest vocalist Mavis Staples and some take-charge riffing from former mate Mick Taylor. For pure guitar joy though, Montoya turns the trick all on his own with barnburners "Loaded Dice" and "Nature's Disappearing." ~ Roch Parisien