He also had his share of pop hits with the Manfreds and as a solo artist in the late 60s, as well as starring in some films and theatre productions, and hosting BBC 2's The Blues Show for 32 years. While the simply titled Blues Band he fronted for more than four decades just retired, he still tours with the Mann-less Manfreds, and collaborates with other jazz and big band musicians. He celebrates his favorite music on The Blues, his recent compilation of blues songs he's written or co-written on records spanning six decades, going all the way back to early Manfred Mann.
What spurred The Blues compilation?
March 2020, I suddenly had no gigs to do. I thought there must be something I can do to use the time constructively. I started to make a list of all the songs I had written, to get things organised from the point of view of publishing. But as I was making this list, I was thinking there's an album here. And as so much of it is blues, there's a blues album here.
What do you think you've added to the American blues that's been your chief inspiration?
I never thought of myself as having added anything or being about to add anything to the blues. It's more that there's a river going past, and it's flowing quite fast. There's nothing, really, I can do but just get my bathing togs on and dive in.
Manfred Mann certainly added a jazz sensibility that set it aside from so many other 60s blues-rock bands.
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