Mentor, bandleader and wandering spirit, John Mayall is the UK's greatest bluesman and one of the genre's most inspiring figures. In the '60s, his Bluesbreakers became deities to be worshipped thanks to a radical mix of Chicago blues and boogie that swung like a wrecking ball. Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Jack Bruce all studied under Mayall, and they spread his innovations to the masses. By the time that happened, he had already shifted his focus to blending blues with jazz and folk music. Mayall just never stopped exploring.