From the vaults of the award-winning PBS “Austin City Limits” TV show, this is the latest release in the acclaimed “Live From Austin, TX” series.

You don’t exactly have to be a rock & roll historian to know that the 60’s rock sound that revolutionized popular music got much of its raunch, rawness and soulful edge from the neglected masters of American blues. What many of today’s rockers may have forgotten, however, is that Manchester-born singer-guitarist John Mayall was one of the leaders of that revolution. After four decades, he’s still called the Father of British Blues for good reason. His band The Bluesbreakers provided fertile ground for the likes of Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, John McVie, and Jack Bruce, among other alumni. Over an incredibly short four years, these Brits and their American counterparts took the essence of traditional blues and transformed it into the foundation of much of modern rock (think Cream, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones, etc., etc.).

This Austin City Limits session was recorded September 13, 1993, showcasing Wake Up Call, the latest release from the 90’s edition of the Bluesbreakers, which besides Mayall included Coco Montoya, Rick Cortes and Joe Yuele. Montoya in particular shines as he tears off one seamless guitar solo after another. Always musical movers and shakers, they mix it up this time in a melting pot of blues spiced with a little jazz, gospel and rock, but it doesn’t get any better than Jimmy Reed’s “Ain’t That Lovin’ You” or Junior Wells’ heartbreaker “I Could Cry.”

Blues is one of the most honest forms of music because it tells real stories about real people with real emotion. Who can’t relate to that? Just as the blues has a timeless, universal appeal, the music of John Mayall today is as true to his purist vision, yet modern expression, as it was back in 1963.

This DVD, recorded live and mixed in 5.1 surround sound, captures all the hits and more and includes songs that were never aired on the original TV broadcast.