Eighty-two is not an age when most musicians feel like trying something completely new. Not John Mayall. Earlier this spring, his guitarist couldn’t make it to a gig. So for the first time in a career that spans more than half a century, the legendary British bluesman led his band through a full show as a trio. “I’d never even thought about it until I did it,” he said in a recent call from his home in Los Angeles. “My god, looking back, I can’t remember any instance where I’

LOGAN SQUARE — Rosa’s Lounge is keeping the blues alive in Chicago, according to a prestigious award set up to honor promoters and documentarians of the classic music genre. The Keeping the Blues Alive award was given to the Logan Square blues lounge Jan. 23 at a recognition ceremony in Memphis, Tenn., where a variety of 14 global blues outlets, from festivals to journalists and radio DJs, were honored. “This is a great honor and a privilege, so I would like to give thanks to