A Special Life (2014)

"This album, recorded in November 2013, features Mayall's current band - guitarist Rocky Athas, bassist Greg Rzab and drummer Jay Davenport - with singer/accordion player C.J. Chenier on a couple of tracks. It's a typical Mayall album, featuring a couple of classic blues covers (incl. Albert King's "Floodin' in California" here) and several Mayall originals, all punctuated by piercing harmonica and solid ensemble playing. The opener, a cover of Clifton Chenier's "Why Did You Go Last Night," is one of the highlights, a Jimmy Reed-like shuffle given warmth, poignancy, and depth by Clifton's son C.J.'s accordion. Although built on a fairly generic blues progression, Mayall's own "World Gone Crazy" stands out because of its subject matter, which pretty much puts the responsibility for war at the feet of religions. Mayall never strays too far from classic Chicago blues, but he adds embellishments now and then, and when they work, he gently bumps the blues into an interesting side alley." (Steve Legett, Allmusic)