Taj MAHAL - Like Never Before 1991

Taj MAHAL - Like Never Before 1991

Blues

Taj Mahal is a walking encyclopedia of black music and one of its most genial, enthusiastic partisans. To the catalog of genres he has mastered, both as a musician and as a scholar, contemporary R&B now can be added. **Like Never Before** finds him integrating synths, programming, turntable trickery and high-gloss studio polish on certain tracks. Understandable, that: Like everyone else, he wants to be heard. But unlike everyone else, he has assimilated a broad inventory of styles, sees them all as part of an evolving continuum and wants to share that wisdom.

Taj Mahal has been processing acoustic and electric blues, ragtime, calypso, reggae and native African forms for a quarter of a century now. So while Like Never Before makes its timely nods to current trends, it also slips into older, more rough-hewn modes. The album can be seen as a guided tour, starting from a point familiar to contemporary listeners and then gradually backtracking into the blues and other roots styles. Because it also is the most crisp, detailed recording Taj has ever made – fuzzy sound quality has been a hindrance on some of his wonderful early work – Like Never Before might just be the definitive Taj Mahal album.

"Don't Call Us" opens the album with a showbiz truism – "Those same people you meet on the way up/Are the same people you meet on the way down" – as Taj's gruff voice provides a shot of soul among the synths. "River of Love" could be an old Temptations side – it's bright and upbeat, with caressing harmonies. From there on out, Taj gets noticeably more idiomatic and eclectic. He slips into Jamaican patois and reggae rhythms on "Scattered" and avails himself of Howlin' Wolf-like moans on "Blues With a Feeling."

Taj's friendly nature and big, smile-filled voice make "Ev'ry Wind (in the River)" convey well-being without leaving a saccharine aftertaste. The neatest act of assimilation is the way D.J. Jazzy Jeff is worked into a jumping, old-time boogie called "Squat That Rabbit," whose lyrics are a pastiche of familiar blues rhymes. By the time Taj gets to "Love Up" and "Cakewalk Into Town" (a Dixieland-style remake of his best-known song), the horn section is out and blowing, and friends like Dr. John and the Pointer Sisters help him turn up the heat. Finally, a breathtaking reworking of "Take a Giant Step" – yes, the Monkees tune penned by Carole King and Gerry Goffin and first recorded by Taj in 1969 – closes the album, its instrumentation pointing to Africa, and Taj's vocal gently targeting the heart.
By Parke PUTERBAUGH.
**
01. Don't Call Us 4:19
02. River Of Love 4:09
03. Scattered 5:42
04. Ev'ry Wind (In The River) 4:53
05. Blues With A Feeling 3:54
06. Squat That Rabbit 4:41
07. Take All The Time You Need 4:23
08. Love Up 3:08
09. Cakewalk Into Town 3:02
10. Big Legged Mommas Are Back In Style 4:21
11. Take A Giant Step 4:41
**

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Taj MAHAL - Music Fuh Ya' 1977

Taj MAHAL - Music Fuh Ya'  1977
BS 2994

Blues

Though an expectedly eclectic mix of blues, calypso, Caribbean music, and bits of reggae, disco, and other pop forms, Music Fuh Ya (Musica Para Tu) was not one of Mahal's more inspired outings. No one could criticize Mahal for lack of ambition in his efforts to integrate more styles into the folk-blues blend at the core of his music. But the surfeit of instrumentation, particularly the steel drums, were sometimes distractions more than enhancements, resulting in a forced, slick party atmosphere to cuts like "You Got It." Something like a cover of the blues-folk classic "Freight Train" plays much more to Mahal's strengths, but the trimmings of jazzy sax and steel drums aren't necessary when Taj alone could do a more convincing version. On "Baby, You're My Destiny," he gets more into the ingratiating Leon Redbone old-time/ragtime mood, and "The Four Mills Brothers," a nod to old jazz-pop vocal bands, works better than most cuts. He uses reggae (on "Honey Babe") and disco (on "Curry") rhythms to lesser effect, though.
By Richie Unterberger. All Music Guide.
**
Inshirah Mahal- Vocals
Larry McDonald- Keyboards, Percussion
Rashaida Nirobe- Vocals
Mona Ram- Vocals
Kester Smith- Percussion
Rudy Costa- Wind
Rocky Dzidzornu- Percussion
Yvonne Fimbres- Vocals
Ray Fitzpatrick- Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Bass
Bismark Franco- Percussion
Carole Fredericks- Vocals
Robert GreenidgeDrums, Vocals
Joni Haastrup- Vocals
Taj Mahal- Guitar, Vocals, Banjo, Harmonica
**
A1. You Got It 4:57
A2. Freight Train 4:47
A3. Baby, You're My Desire 5:58
A4. Sailin' Into Walker's Cay 5:16
B1. Truck Driver's Two-Step 4:57
B2. The Four Mils Brothers 4:58
B3. Honey Babe 4:09
B4. Curry 6:43
**

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Taj MAHAL - London & Stockholm 1991 [FM]

Taj MAHAL - London & Stockholm 1991 [FM]
Bootleg
Thx To *dinostunz*

Tracks 1-6
Town & Country Club
Kentish Town
London
3rd November 1991
-
BBC radio 1 Broadcast
Tracks 7-12
Stockholm
1st October 1991
FM Broadcast

Blues

Town & Country Club
01. She Caught The Katy
02. Queen Bee
03. Big Leg Mama
04. Don't Call Us
05. Love Up (John Martyn Cover)
06. Squat That Rabbit

Stockholm
07. Blues With A Feeling
08. Come On In My Kitchen
09. Jack o' Diamonds
10. Don't call Us
11. The River Of Love
12. Squat That Rabbit
**

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Taj MAHAL - (The Hula Blues) Hanapepe Dream 2000

Taj MAHAL - (The Hula Blues) Hanapepe Dream 2000

Blues

Recorded in the year 2000 in Bremen and in Hawaii, Hanapepe Dream is ethnomusicologist, guitarist, and composer Taj Mahal's own gumbo of Caribbean, Polynesian, African, and American folk roots styles done up in the glorious dress of "song," for anyone who has ears to hear, feet to shuffle, and an ass to shake. Featuring a large band replete with three ukuleles (little, baritone, and tenor), Hawaiian steel guitars, slack key guitars, horns, steel drums, and standard bass, drums, and guitars, Mahal reveals why he's a master of combining traditions and musics from different histories and regions. In fact, Mahal can prove, via his very fine performance here, that all forms of soul and blues, reggae, jazz, and rock & roll music come from one source and that source lies in the African Diaspora. Mahal's own songs here are fine offerings: There's "Great Big Boat," the opener full of celebratory drums and choral singing and loping winds and horns, and "Baby You're My Destiny," a slippery swing tune that borders on Hawaiian folk music and could have been recorded by Django Reinhardt with Louis Prima, Gabby Pahinui, and Ike Quebec sitting in. But it is in the traditional folk tunes such as "Blackjack Davey," "King Edward's Throne," and the most unique and gorgeous reading of "Stagger Lee" ever that Mahal pulls out the stops and showcases his entire vision. The latter song becomes an expression of how community embraces story, movement, tragedy, celebration, and shared space and time. They come roiling from different musical approximations -- not appropriations -- as Mahal doesn't steal anything here; he offers the ancient sources of this music up as easily identified if not easily separated, and engages the song itself as the easiest and most memorable form of communication we have as human beings. Mahal offers further proof by using Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" and Richie Havens' "African Herbman" as current examples of cross miscegenation of course material. In the Dylan song, jazz entwines reggae and calypso as well as Hawaiian slack key, and the Havens track moves through the Nigerian and Malian folk legacies and brings them to the Caribbean for articulation. Any way you hear it, Hanapepe Dream is further evidence that Mahal has been on a hot streak these past six years, and it continues here with a vengeance.
By Thom Jurek, All Music Guide.
**
Fred Lunt- Hawaiian Guitar
Kester Smith- Drums, Rhythm Arrangements
Carey Williams- Vocals (Background), Producer
Patrick Cockett- Vocals, Liliu Ukulele, Vocals (Background)
Pancho Graham- Vocals (Background), Bass (Acoustic)
Carlos Andrade- Vocals, Slack Key Guitar
Wayne Jacintho- Vocals, Tenor Ukelele, Vocals (Background)
Michael Barretto- Ukulele, Vocals (Background)
Rudy Costa- Clarinet, Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor), Sax (Curved Soprano), Piccolo Flute, Kalimba, Vocals (Background)
Taj Mahal- Guitar (Acoustic), Arranger, Guitar (Electric), Vocals, Adaptation, Epiphone
**
01. Great Big Boat 2:45
02. Blackjack Davey 5:48
03. Moonlight Lady 5:03
04. King Edward's Throne 3:47
05. African Herbman 3:57
06. Baby You're My Destiny 3:28
07. Stagger Lee 4:40
08. Living' On Easy 3:25
09. My Creole Belle 2:56
10. All Along The Watchtower 3:28
11. Hanapepe Dream 5:40
**
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Taj MAHAL - Mkutano 2005

Taj MAHAL - Mkutano 2005
(Taj Mahal meets The Culture Musical Club Of Zanzibar)

Blues

Taj Mahal goes Zanzibar. As early as the first few bars of the opening song “Dhow Countries” it becomes evident that Taj Mahal’s latest African journey is a musical winner. Not only did he take his blues to a place that is the stuff of myth and fantasy, this East African island just off the coast of Tanzania has been capturing the man’s imagination and spirit in a profound kind of way. “Dhow Countries” is a slow and meditative blues in a minor key. A tender evocation of African moods with lots of feeling, enhanced by the sounds of the Culture Musical Club of Zanzibar, the first and foremost taarab orchestra of Zanzibar.

„Muhoga wa jang’ombe“ is next and presents the Culture Musical Club in full glory. Taarab music from Zanzibar still stands as a musical universe in itself, a one-of-a-kind combination of Arabic, African and Asian musical traditions. There doesn’t seem to be anything like it anywhere else and it‘s richness has never been fully revealed or analysed, it seems. The orchestra is set up in various sections that mirror the eventful cultural and social history of Zanzibar. First of all there’s a powerful Arabian section consisting of qanun (cittern), oud (Arabic lute), nai (flute) and a number of violins. Especially the latter allude to the tradition of Egyptian film orchestras and also the traditions of Western and Indian classical music. Accordions and double bass are in the mix as well and the percussion department mostly consists of dumbak and bongos. On top of all this instrumental richness, there are the voices: male and female solo singers and choruses. To this day, the Culture Musical Club plays an essential part in the island’s cultural and social life. It’s a sort of „national orchestra“ and it has more or less single-handedly created the sounds of contemporary taarab from Zanzibar. The orchestra still provides a center of social activities for people in an environment of communication and music.

The three African-Americans on board go way back by now: Taj Mahal (vocals, guitar, banjo), Bill Rich (electric bass) and Kester Smith (drums). These three African-Americans always seem to enjoy plunging into a musical culture that’s different from the West in as much as it’s not been totally commerzialised and put on the marketplace for immediate consumption. Despite touring internationally, this orchestra from Zanzibar is still hanging on to its original identity as keeper of social traditions. No elaborate wedding ceremony in Zanzibar is complete without their musical contribution. It sure is a long way from the juke joints of Mississippi or the clubs of Chicago, indeed, but any blues scholar will be able to come up with some striking similarities concerning the social importance the blues has played for the people in past times, especially for the African-American community. But despite the many cultural differences of the two groups of musicians involved, a wonderful breaching of the gap occured. Taj Mahal took his blues – and the African-born banjo – to this remote African island of legendary and mythic stature. A place where the music has kept some mystery, it seems.

Some local heroes also took part. Female singer Bikidude is well into her nineties and a living legend - the most famous musical ambassador from Zanzibar. Next to her musical prowess, the myth of Bikidude is based on a number of real-life incidents. At the age of thirteen she fled from an enforced marriage into Tanzania, where she crossed the country barefoot. She left a second unhappy marriage and took a traditional dhow sailing-boat to Egypt. It was there she became a singer. She took off her veil and shaved her head. Thus, she created an alternative and somewhat provocative new role model for Islamic women in Zanzibar. Bikidude drank and smoked, she flirted and danced, she sang and played the drums. A major artist from Zanzibar still and singing on this album.

Taj Mahal is still a restless man. His career has exceeded a forty-year time-span by now and he’s been a recording artist for just a little less. His discography feature more than three dozen albums. His classic credo is still valid: “In the end, ultimately, the music plays you, you don’t play the music.” The man is more than just a performer – he’s also a receiver. The spirits of the ancestors have been working their way into his new project again. The meeting place is a spiritual terrain on which everyone taking part seems to be moving. Even a very secular song like “Catfish Blues” seems to be infused by these spirits, creating a unified and unifying concord of souls. This is even more evident in a song like “Naahidi Kulienzi”, Taj’s duet with singer Makame Faki.

Despite this fascinating unity of spirit, the search for the all-important moment of truthful musical communication becomes audible as well. But even this struggle provides valuable moments of musical authenticity. When Mahal’s banjo and the orchestra’s violins embark on a journey through the pentatonics of the blues („M’Banjo“), the listener becomes a witness to the process of finding mutual musical linguistics. TAJ MAHAL MEETS THE CULTURE MUSICAL CLUB OF ZANZIBAR presents another fascinating chapter of Taj Mahal’s ongoing musical journey to the source – nothing more and nothing less. It will not be his last. The search goes on.
**
Here's an album so atmospheric you need a decompression chamber after you've heard it. He was born Henry St Clair Fredericks (in New York) but it came to him in a dream that he should call himself Taj Mahal. He's been on a musical odyssey since the 1960s, paying homage to every type of black music he can find - not dissimilar from the path chosen by Ry Cooder, with whom the parallels are obvious - together they formed the short-lived Rising Sons in 1966, and as solo artists both have made album collaborations with Ali Farka Toure and the veena player, V.M. Bhatt. So Taj is already an experienced African musical traveller - he's also done one with Malian kora player Toumani Diabate. Not all TM's experimental albums work, but this one from Zanzibar is a winner all the way.
From Samuel Charter's field trip to Ghana in the 1950s there has been a yearning to connect African-American music with Africa, either directly (did blues forms originate in griot singing?) or indirectly (does the blues singer inhabit the same cultural space as (say) the griots of West Africa?) But the dots cannot be joined so easily and the scholars have returned emptyhanded. When Ali Farka Toure was heard by Westeners the eureka cries were stifled when it was found that he learned all his blues from John Lee Hooker records. So there is a poignancy to TM's quest to marry the lush taarab music of Zanzibar with the soft, sad lilt of the country blues - the latest chapter of his "ongoing musical journey to the source - nothing more and nothing less" as the blurb says.
The Culture Musical Club of Zanzibar, one of the country's prominent folk orchestras (est. 1958), combines Arabic and African traditions, so the lineup includes accordions, nai, three violins, sanduku and three singers, one of which is Bikidude who is, apparently, well into her nineties. Taj brought his rhythm section along, and the ensuing soft collision is like a dream John Fahey might have had, "Stomping Tonight on the Banks of the Mississippi/Rufiji Confluence".
This was indeed an experimental album. The press release says "there was no chance in preparing the music to be made in advance". Some experiments fail, and Taj could have been left with a heap of bent sandukus and smouldering accordions.
Instead of which we now have this lovely dream of an album.
By  P. Bryant.
**
01. Dhow Countries
02. Muhoga wa jang'ombe
03. Zanzibar
04. Catfish Blues
05. Naahidi Kulienzi
06. Mkutano
07. Done Changed My Way Of Living
08. M'Banjo
09. Mpunga
**
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Taj MAHAL - Dancing The Blues 1993

Taj MAHAL - Dancing The Blues 1993

Blues

Taj Mahal has always been a more inclusive, eclectic musician than even some admirers understand; his work was never simply or totally blues, even though that strain was at the center and seldom far from anything he performed either. That's the case with this newest collection, a 12-song set that includes splendid covers of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf tunes, but also equally respectful, striking renditions of soul standards such as "Mockingbird," with special guest Etta James, and "That's How Strong My Love Is." There are also strong Mahal originals like "Blues Ain't Nothin'" and "Strut," with Mahal singing and playing in his wry, delicate, yet forceful way.
By Ron Wynn, All Music Guide.
**
On this 1993 album produced by John Porter, Taj Mahal applies his revivalist instincts and remarkably pliable voice to the classic rhythm & blues styles of the 1940s through the '60s. The program ranges from T-Bone Walker ("Hard Way") and Howlin' Wolf ("Sitting on Top of the World") to Fats Domino ("I'm Ready"), Otis Redding ("That's How Strong My Love Is"), and the Four Tops ("I Can't Help Myself"). Etta James sings a duet on "Mockingbird," while guitarist Johnny Lee Schell, bassist Bob Glaub, keyboardist Bill Payne, and drummer Richie Hayward provide tight and supple studio backing.
By Rick Mitchell.
**
Etta James- Vocals
Taj Mahal-  Organ,Guitar,Harmonica,Piano,Guitar (Steel),Vocals
Ian McLagan- Organ
Ian McLagan (Piano),
Sir Harry Bowens (Vocals (Background)
Tony Braunagel- Percussion,Drums
Chuck Domanico-Bass
Bob Glaub- Bass
Marty Grebb- Alto, Baritone, Tenor Sax, Background Vocals
Richard Hayward- Drums
Darrell Leonard- Trombone, Trumpet,Trombonium
Joe McGrath- Percussion
Bill Payne- Piano
John Porter- Guitar
Michito Sanchez- Percussion,Conga
Johnny Lee Schell- Guitar ,Background Vocals
Joe Sublett- Soprano Sax, Tenor Sax
Texacali Horns- Horn
Mick Weaver- Organ
**
01. Blue's Ain't Nothin' 4:12
02. Hard Way 2:51
03. Strut 3:39
04. Going To The River 6:30
05. Mockingbird 3:54
06. Blue Light Boogie 4:03
07. The Hoochi Coochi Coo 2:54
08. That's How Strong My Love Is 3:07
09. Down Home Girl 3:40
10. Stranger In My Own Home Town 2:42
11. Sitting On The Top Of The World 3:28
12. I'm Ready 3:53
13. I Can't Help Myself (Sugarpie Honeybunch) 2:45
**
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Taj MAHAL - Blues With A Feeling The Very Best Of 2003

Taj MAHAL - Blues With A Feeling The Very Best Of 2003

Blues

Throughout his career, Taj Mahal has always been considered a bluesman, which is true enough, since the basis for everything he does has been the country blues, but he is not a traditionalist at heart, and he has always looked for ways to push the blues into new places and shapes. Adding at times rhythms and sensibilities that are drawn from reggae, ragtime, calypso, zydeco, and other genres, Mahal practices a kind of blues hybrid that is his alone, and he has been a huge influence on newer artists like Chris Thomas King and Corey Harris. This collection derives from the five albums he recorded with Private Records during the 1990s, and overlaps somewhat with The Best of the Private Years, released in 2000. Highlights include his version of Doc Pomus' "Lonely Avenue," a bebop blues take on Horace Silver's "Señor Blues," and an atmospheric reading of Goffin & King's "Take a Giant Step." Among the most interesting tracks here are the ones penned by Taj Mahal himself ("Mailbox Blues," "Cakewalk into Town," "New Hula Blues"), each of which demonstrates aptly the singer's melting-pot approach to the blues.
By Steve Leggett. AMG.
**
I didn't know how big Taj Mahal is on the blues scene until I heard him featured on Jimmy Rogers' All-Stars "Blues Blues Blues" album with such other greats as Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Lowell Fulson, Jeff Healey, and others. I came across Taj's "Very Best Of" disc and listened to a few samples from it in the record store, and it sounded great... So I bought it. Taj Mahal definitely has his own unique flavor, excellent tunes (whether composed or re-interpreted), and excellent singing voice that is strong and assertive and at the same time very melodic and gentle. His blues range from jazzy to rocky to down-home. Some very classy tunes. When I first bought this disc, it was the only disc I played in my car probably for several weeks until I got thoroughly familiar with it. This disc seems like a very good intro to Taj Mahal's work because it covers a variety of styles and gives you an idea about what this artist can do. He's an underemphasized gem musically, and I hear he's a real class act. I will be buying more of his CDs in the near future for absolutely certain.
By Denis.
**
Henry Saint Clair Fredericks, better known by the stage name Taj Mahal is an American blues musician. Throughout his career, he has always been considered a bluesman, which is true enough, since the basis for everything he does has been the country blues, but he is not a traditionalist at heart, and he has always looked for ways to push the blues into new places and shapes. Adding at times rhythms and sensibilities that are drawn from reggae, ragtime, calypso, zydeco, and other genres, Mahal practices a kind of blues hybrid that is his alone, and he has been a huge influence on newer artists like Chris Thomas King and Corey Harris. This collection derives from the five albums he recorded with Private Records during the 1990s, and overlaps somewhat with The Best of the Private Years, released in 2000. Highlights include his version of Doc Pomus' "Lonely Avenue," a bebop blues take on Horace Silver's "Senor Blues," and an atmospheric reading of Goffin King's "Take a Giant Step." Among the most interesting tracks here are the ones penned by Taj Mahal himself ("Mailbox Blues," "Cakewalk into Town," "New Hula Blues"), each of which demonstrates aptly the singer's meltingpot approach to the blues.
**
01. Señor Blues 6:44
02. Don't Call Us 4:18
03. (You've Got To) Love Her With A Feeling 3:45
04. Lovin' In My Baby's Eyes 2:38
05. Betty and Dupree 6:00
06. Here In The Dark 3:07
07. That's How Strong My Love Is 3:08
08. Lonely Avenue 3:26
09. Mockingbird 3:57
10. Mailbox Blues 3:31
11. Think 2:35
12. Sitting On Top Of The World 3:31
13. Mind Your Own Business 2:41
14. Cakewalk Into Town 3:00
15. Blues With A Feeling 3:52
16. Take A Giant Step 4:37
17. The New Hula Blues 4:45
18. The Hustle Is On 2:39
19. Let The Four Winds Blow 3:07
20. Blue Light Boogie 4:04
**
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Taj MAHAL - The Real Thing, Live At The Fillmore East 1971

Taj MAHAL - The Real Thing, Live At The Fillmore East 1971

Blues

Taj Mahal's been chasing the blues around the world for years, but rarely with the passion, energy, and clarity he brought to his first three albums. Taj Mahal, The Natch'l Blues and The Real Thing are the sound of the artist, who was born in 1942, defining himself and his music. On his self-titled 1967 debut, he not only honors the sound of the Delta masters with his driving National steel guitar and hard vocal shout, but ladles in elements of rock and country with the help of guitarists Ry Cooder and the late Jessie Ed Davis. This approach is reinforced and broadened by The Natch'l Blues. What's most striking is Mahal's way of making even the oldest themes sound as if they're part of a new era. Not just through the vigor of his playing--relentlessly propulsive, yet stripped down compared with the six-string ornamentations of the original masters of country blues--but through his singing, which possesses a knowing insouciance distinct to post-Woodstock counterculture hipsters. It's the voice of an informed young man who knows he's offering something deep to an equally hip and receptive audience.
Soon, Mahal turned his multicultural vision of the blues even further outward. The live 1971 set, The Real Thing, finds him still carrying the Mississippi torch, while adding overt elements of jazz and Afro-Caribbean music to its flame. But it's overreaching. His band sounds under-rehearsed, and the arrangements seem more like rough outlines. Nonetheless, these albums set the stage for Mahal's career. (For a condensed version, try the fine The Best of Taj Mahal.) Today, he continues to make fine fusion albums, like 1999's Kulanjan, with Malian kora master Toumani Diabate, and less exciting but still eclectic recordings with his Phantom Blues Band.
By Ted Drozdowski.
**
Taj Mahal followed up Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home (1969) with another double-disc concert platter whose title pretty much sums up the contents. The Real Thing (1971) is drawn from a mid-February run of shows at the Fillmore East in New York City where he, Spencer Davis, the Chambers Brothers, and Roberta Flack, among others, shared the bill. Mahal (vocals/banjo/guitar/harmonica/arranger/fife/harp/steel guitar/ harmonica) is supported by an interesting extended aggregate with a brass section consisting of Joseph Daley (tuba/horn/trombone), Bob Stewart (horn), and a pair of former Charles Mingus bandmembers, Earl McIntyre (horn) and Howard Johnson (horn). While at times they tend to overpower the usually intimate nature of the performances, that is certainly not the case for the majority of the arrangements. The opener, "Fishin' Blues," is a solo with Mahal accompanying himself on banjo. "Ain't Gwine to Whistle Dixie (Any Mo')" is significantly lengthened from the form found on Giant Step (1968) as it stretches nearly nine minutes and allows plenty of room for interaction, offering up a spirited fife interlude from Mahal. In addition to providing an overview from his back catalog, The Real Thing contains a few new compositions. The full ensemble gets a workout on the funky "Sweet Mama Janisse" and the toe-tappin' rural flavor of the instrumental "Tom and Sally Drake" is lightly augmented by a sole tuba -- presumably that of Johnson. Sleepy John Estes' "Diving Duck Blues" arguably submits the most successful incorporation of brass, sporting a driving, full-throttle rhythm and soulful interpretation. The 2000 CD reissue was extended to fit the entire live set, adding the previously unavailable "She Caught the Katy and Left Me a Mule to Ride," matching the intensity of the sizeable bluesy, closing jam "You Ain't No Street Walker Mama, Honey But I Do Love They Way You Strut."
By Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide.
**
Earl McIntyre- Horn
Billy Rich- Bass
Greg Thomas- Drums
John Hall- Guitar
John Simon- Keyboards
Joseph Daley- Tuba, Horn, Trombone (Valve)
Rocky Dzidzornu- Percussion
Bob Stewart- Horn
Howard Johnson- Horn
Taj Mahal- Banjo, Guitar, Harmonica, Fife, Harp, Vocals, National Steel Guitar, Chromatic Harmonica
**
A1. Fishin' Blues 2:45 
A2. Ain't Gwine To Whistle Dixie (Any Mo') 8:17 
A3. Sweet Mama Janisse 3:35

B1. Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue 3:07  
B2. Big Kneed Gal 4:45 
B3. You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond 6:15

C1. Tom And Sally Drake 3:23
C2. Diving Duck Blues 3:30 
C3. John, Ain' It Hard 5:10

D1   You Ain't No Street Walker Mama, Honey But I Do Love The Way You Strut Your Stuff 18:56
**
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Taj MAHAL - Taj Mahal 1968

Taj MAHAL - Taj Mahal 1968

Blues

Taj Mahal's debut album was a startling statement in its time and has held up remarkably well. Recorded in August of 1967, it was as hard and exciting a mix of old and new blues sounds as surfaced on record in a year when even a lot of veteran blues artists (mostly at the insistence of their record labels) started turning toward psychedelia. The guitar virtuosity, embodied in Taj Mahal's slide work (which had the subtlety of a classical performance), Jesse Ed Davis's lead playing, and rhythm work by Ry Cooder and Bill Boatman, is of the neatly stripped-down variety that was alien to most records aiming for popular appeal, and the singer himself approached the music with a startling mix of authenticity and youthful enthusiasm. The whole record is a strange and compelling amalgam of stylistic and technical achievements -- filled with blues influences of the 1930s and 1940s, but also making use of stereo sound separation and the best recording technology. The result was numbers like Sleepy John Estes' "Diving Duck Blues," with textures resembling the mix on the early Cream albums, while "The Celebrated Walkin' Blues" (even with Cooder's animated mandolin weaving its spell on one side of the stereo mix) has the sound of a late '40s Chess release by Muddy Waters. Blind Willie McTell ("Statesboro Blues") and Robert Johnson ("Dust My Broom") are also represented, in what had to be one of the most quietly, defiantly iconoclastic records of 1968. ~ Bruce Eder
Though these 1968 sides were cut in LA at the apex of the burgeoning counterculture movement, the main influences at play here are those of the Mississippi Delta blues. Featuring early performances from Ry Cooder and Jesse Ed Davis, TAJ MAHAL is the joyfully confident debut that propelled the eponymous bluesman to national recognition. Comparable to similar experiments by Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield and British blues maven John Mayall, Mahal's sound is both intensely traditional and aggressively pure.
For an example of the former, check out the album's closer, "The Celebrated Walkin' Blues," the intro of which sounds as if it could have been recorded any time in the previous 30 years, while "Statesboro Blues," with Davis's thrillingly raw slide interjections featured heavily throughout, is an intensely focused performance still capable of producing chills decades after the fact. There's no tinkering with genre here, as was later to become the style with countless '60s and '70s blues rock bands--what's on offer on TAJ MAHAL is a direct electrified line to the heart and soul of a seminal American art form. This edition features alternate artwork to the original, chosen by Mahal himself, and contemporary liner notes by celebrated critic Stanley Crouch.Entertainment Weekly.
**
Jessie Edwin Davis- Lead Guitar, Piano
Ryland P. Cooder- Rhythm Guitar, Mandolin
James Thomas- Bass
Sanford Konikoff- Drums
Taj Mahal- Vocals, Slide Guitar, Harp
Bill Boatman- Rhythm Guitar
Gary Gilmore- Bass
Charles Blackwell- Drums
**
A1. Leaving Trunk 4:49  
A2. Statesboro Blues 2:58 
A3. Checkin' Up On My Baby 4:54 
A4. Everybody's Got To Change Sometime 2:56 

B1. E Z Rider  3:03 
B2. Dust My Broom 2:37  
B3. Diving Duck Blues 2:40 
B4. The Celebrated Walkin' Blues 8:52
**
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Taj MAHAL - The Natch'l Blues 1968

Taj MAHAL - The Natch'l Blues 1968

Blues

Taj Mahal's second album, recorded in the spring and fall of 1968, opens with more stripped-down Delta-style blues in the manner of his debut, but adds a little more amplification (partly courtesy of Al Kooper on organ) before moving into wholly bigger sound on numbers like "She Caught the Katy and Left Me a Mule to Ride" and "The Cuckoo" — the latter, in particular, features crunchy electric and acoustic guitars and Gary Gilmore playing his bass almost like a lead instrument, like a bluesman's answer to John Entwistle. Most notable, however, may be the two original closing numbers, "You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til Your Well Runs Dry)" and "Ain't That a Lot of Love," which offer Taj Mahal working in the realm of soul and treading onto Otis Redding territory. This is particularly notable on "You Don't Miss Your Water," which achieves the intensity of a gospel performance and comes complete with a Stax/Volt-style horn arrangement by Jesse Ed Davis that sounds more like the real thing than the real thing. "Ain't That a Lot of Love," by contrast, is driven by a hard electric guitar sound and a relentless bass part that sounds like a more urgent version of the bassline from the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'." The fall 2000 CD reissue includes a trio of bonus tracks: a faster-paced rendition of "The Cuckoo" with a more prominent lead guitar, the slow electric lament "New Stranger Blues" featuring some good mandolin-style playing on the guitar, and the rocking instrumental "Things Are Gonna Work Out Fine," which is a killer showcase for Davis' lead electric guitar and Taj Mahal's virtuosity on the harmonica.
By Bruce Eder. AMG.
**
Chuck Blackwell- Drums 
Jesse Ed Davis- Bass, Guitar, Piano
Gary Gilmore- Bass
Al Kooper- Piano, Keyboards
Taj Mahal- Banjo, Guitar, Harmonica, Arranger, Guitar (Steel), Harp, Vocals 
Earl Palmer- Drums   
**
01. Good Morning Miss Brown 3:17
02. Corrina 3:03
03. I Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Steal My Jellyroll 3:14
04. Going Up to the Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue 3:38
05. Done Change My Way of Living 7:04
06. She Caught the Katy 3:30
07. The Cuckoo 4:16
08. You Don't Miss Your Water 4:26
09. Ain't That a Lot of Love 4:11
10. The Cuckoo (Take.2) 3:21
11. New Strangers Blues 5:41
12. Things are Gonna Work Out Fine 3:17
**
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Taj MAHAL - Mumtaz Mahal 1995

Taj MAHAL - Mumtaz Mahal 1995

Blues

In 1992, producer Kavichandran Alexander recorded California bottleneck guitarist Ry Cooder and North Indian classical musician Bhatt in a Santa Barbara church, and the resulting A Meeting by the River won a 1994 Grammy. Here, Alexander returns to the church with Bhatt and Cooder's old bandmate, Taj Mahal, a blues musician who named himself after the most famous mausoleum in India. Bhatt, a Ravi Shankar student, plays the mohan vina, an instrument he invented to combine the timbre of the arched-top American jazz guitar with the sympathetic strings of the Indian sitar. Ravikiran plays the chitra vina, perhaps the world's oldest slide instrument; Mahal plays National steel guitar and adds moaning scat vocals. With their sliding pitches, all three instruments find the notes between the notes of traditional Western scales, and the three players find a common ground in the religious/sexual cries that skid through scales.
By Geoffrey Himes.
**
Taj Mahal- Vocal and Guitar
Narasimhan- Ravikian-Chitra Veena
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt- Mohan Veena
**
01. Coming of the Mandinka (Taj Mahal) 5:14
02. Come On in My Kitchen (Robert Johnson) 11:31
03. Rolling on the Sea (Taj Mahal) 5:01
04. Mary Don't You Weep (Traditional/arr. Taj Mahal) 6:43
05. Stand by Me (Jerry Lieber) 7:02
06. Johhny Too Bad (Trevor Wilson) 5:47
07. Curry and Quartertones (Taj Mahal/Narisimhan Ravikian/V.M. Bhatt) 2:46
**
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Taj MAHAL - Blue Light Boogie 1999

Taj MAHAL - Blue Light Boogie 1999

Blues

Blue Light Boogie is a compilation cd of songs performed in the 90's by one of the premier "organic American" musicians, Taj Mahal. Taj was born in New York in 1942 as Henry St Clair Fredericks and a graduate in Animal Husbandry from the University of Massachusetts. It may seem unlikely that you would find someone as passionate about what he calls "organic American" music and others call roots music, but his father was a jazz pianist and his mother frequently sang gospel thus fostering the inception of a life long interest in roots music. He first started performing professionally with Ry Cooder and the Rising Sons in 1964 and since that time has gone on to distinguish himself as both a folk and blues performer.
Taj is a gifted musicologist who performs such a variety of music as jazz, blues, reggae, gospel, rock , folk, soul, and zydeco. Blue Light Boogie provides a good representation of styles and songs which Taj Mahal has done over the years. Many of the songs are pulled from cd compilations which Taj was part of as Honky Tonk Woman from the House of Blues "Paint it Blue" cd, Mercedes Benz another House of Blues "Songs of Janis Joplin" and John the Revelator from the Blues Brothers 2000. It seems fitting that these various pieces should be found together on a Taj Mahal cd.

Among the notable songs on the cd are River of Love a soul type of song that has a real Motown feel to it, and Honky Tonk Woman with its stripped down sound and slow and rough vocals. My personal favorite is a Taj Mahal original Don't Call Us. It is a powerful song with background vocals by Daryl Hall, John Oates and Sheryl Crow.

Those same people
You meet on the way up
Are the same people
You meet on the way down
How does it feel
To be lying on the ground?

Of course not to be forgotten is one of Taj Mahal's most famous songs, his reggae influenced version of the Gerry Gaffin, Carole King song Take a Giant Step. Mercedes Benz is done as a field holler type of song with guitar and tuba for accompaniment.

Down Home Girl is a fun upbeat blues. Big Legged Mommas are Back In Style is a joyous, fun, bawdy blues, that makes you want to whoop and holler as well as laugh a bit. It's good news to me. Taj's version of the Son House song John the Revelator is an enthusiastic gospel. Please clap along while you listen and an amen is just fine, thank you. Blue light Boogie is a slow and sultry blues. Turn the lights down low and boogie slow!

While there may be more representative Taj Mahal compilations, this is a fun and enthusiastic cd which provides an overview of some of his more recent work. I am glad to have it as part of my collection.
By  Booknblueslady.
**
01. River Of Love (04:06)
02. Honky Tonk Women (04:39)
03. Don’t Call Us (04:20)
04. Take A Giant Step (04:38)
05. Down Home Girl (03:43)
06. Feets Don’t Fail Me Now (03:19)
07. Dark Angel (03:26)
08. Big Legged Mommas Are Back In Style (04:18)
09. John The Revelator (03:54)
10. Blue Light Boogie (04:05)
11. She Caught The Key (03:40)
12. Mercedes Benz (03:17)
**
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Taj MAHAL - In Progress & In Motion (1965-1998) 1998

Taj MAHAL - In Progress & In Motion (1965-1998) 1998
(3 Cd Box set)

Blues

Taj Mahal has become a blues ambassador, carrying the music to new audiences and melding it with other influences. It's altogether appropriate, then, that three of the early tracks on this three-CD set are unreleased from the Rolling Stones 1968 musical experiment, Rock and Roll Circus. This box emphasizes (but is not limited to) Taj's early career--the late-'60s through the mid-'70s--and whether he's playing solo acoustic instrumentals ("Buck Dancer's Choice"), revving up a rock band ("Statesboro Blues"), or weaving his National Steel guitar around tubas ("Sweet Mama Janisse"), the blues element is never far from center. He even brings out the Pointer Sisters, who funkify the blues standard, "Sweet Home Chicago." The latter part of the box ventures into the 1980s and '90s, and features some songs for kids. Taj Mahal makes a world gumbo of the blues, spiced with a nice hot sauce.
ByRobert Gordon.
**
This collection is easily one of the best box sets on the market, at least in terms of the musical content. As others have noted, there is little in the way of information (though the autobiographical essay is quite inspiring). But to hear this man play more than makes up for this. One of the true American originals, Taj Mahal is a unique voice who can blend many and varied influences into a sound unmistakably his own. Every track on this CD set is top notch. This is one of the two or three most played recordings I own. When Taj launches in to Elizabeth Cotton's "Freight Train" at the end of disc two, it is with complete love for the tradition he so clearly belongs to, and the artists who pointed him to the way. The Spirit is on this man, and it won't let go. An American classic.
By  David A. James.
**
IN PROGRESS & IN MOTION 1965-1998 features both classic and rare, previously unreleased recordings.
Recorded between 1965 and 1996. Includes liner notes by David Ritz and Louise "Didji" Howard.
IN PROGRESS AND IN MOTION 1965-1998 is Taj Mahal's first career spanning retrospective and demonstratres not only the depth but the volume of this New York City-born blues legend's ouevre. Weighing in at a hefty three discs, there are 54 songs featured here, including 15 (mostly live tracks) that had never been released before. IN PROGRESS AND IN MOTION features performances taken from the television program "Austin City Limits" as well as studio work with the Rising Sons, a band that included multi-instrumentalist, Ry Cooder. There are also five live tracks where Mahal is accompanied by The Pointer Sisters, and a version of "We Gonna Rock" recorded at the Fillmore West with Boz Scaggs and Elvin Bishop. Of all the classic Mahal performances here, perhaps the most wrenching is "Leaving Trunk," which was pulled from the now-legendary television special The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus.
Personnel includes: Taj Mahal, The Pointer Sisters.
From CD Universe.
**
Cd 1:
01. You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond Taj Mahal 6:18
02. Corrina Taj Mahal 4:28 
03. Checkin' Up On My Baby Taj Mahal 5:39
04. Leavin' Trunk Taj Mahal 6:26
05. Buck Dancer's Choice Taj Mahal 3:11
06. Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue Taj Mahal 3:34
07. She Caught The Katy & Left Me A Mule To Ride Taj Mahal 3:27
08. Ain't Gwine Whistle Dixie (Any Mo') Taj Mahal 1:03
09. Stagger Lee Taj Mahal 3:20
10. Built For Comfort Taj Mahal 4:46
11. Natural Man Taj Mahal 4:29
12. Railroad Bill Taj Mahal 2:36
13. Texas Woman Blues Taj Mahal 2:56
14. Early In The Morning Taj Mahal 5:00
15. Dust My Broom Taj Mahal 4:30
16. Blind Boy Rag Taj Mahal 4:08
*
Cd 2:
01. Oh, Susanna Taj Mahal 2:59
02. Cakewalk Into Town Taj Mahal 2:31
03. Fishin' Blues Taj Mahal 3:16
04. Nobody's Business But My Own Taj Mahal 3:27
05. Sweet Mama Janisse (Live) Taj Mahal 3:34
06. Little Red Hen Blues Taj Mahal 4:56
07. Mary Don't You Weep Taj Mahal 2:37
08. Sweet Home Chicago Taj Mahal 3:14
09. Frankie & Albert Taj Mahal 3:59
10. M'Banjo Taj Mahal 3:18
11. Statesboro Blues Taj Mahal 2:25
12. Bye & Bye Taj Mahal 3:31
13. Six Days On The Road Taj Mahal 3:03
14. We Gonna Rock Taj Mahal;Elvin Bishop;Boz Scaggs 5:54
15. Ain't it Funky Now Taj Mahal 2:45
16. Tom & Sally Drake Taj Mahal 3:41
17. Fishin' Blues Taj Mahal 3:13
18. Blues With A Feeling Taj Mahal 4:14 
19. Freight Train Taj Mahal 3:17
*
Cd 3:
01. When I Feel The Sea Beneath My Soul Taj Mahal 3:09
02. West Indian Revelation Taj Mahal 6:06
03. Eighteen Hammers Taj Mahal 3:32
04. Johnny Too Bad Taj Mahal 3:14
05. Slave Driver Taj Mahal 2:36
06. (Clara) St. Kitts Woman Taj Mahal 4:15
07. Do I Love Her Taj Mahal 4:04 
08. Everybody Is Somebody Taj Mahal 3:31 
09. But I Rode Some Taj Mahal 2:27
10. Crossing (Lonely Day) Taj Mahal 2:34
11. Sentidos Dulce (Sweet Feelings) Taj Mahal 3:07
12. The Most Recent Evolution of Muthafusticus Modernusticus Taj Mahal 3:24
13. Curry Taj Mahal 3:36  
14. Follow The Drinking Gourd Taj Mahal 2:40
15. Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) Taj Mahal 3:34 
16. Little Brown Dog Taj Mahal 4:16
17. Señor Blues Taj Mahal 3:42
18. Ain't That A Lot Of Love Taj Mahal 4:00
19. Take A Giant Step Taj Mahal 4:17
**
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Taj MAHAL & The Phantom BLues Band - Shoutin’ In Key Live 1998

Taj MAHAL & The Phantom BLues Band - Shoutin’ In Key Live 1998
 
Blues

Recorded at the Mint in Los Angeles in November 1998, Shouting in Key showcases Taj Mahal in a live and electric set with the Phantom Blues Band. Starting off the proceedings with a lazy version of Bill Dogget's classic instrumental "Honky Tonk," the band proceeds to glide through the jazzy Latin-tinged instrumental "Sentidos Dulce," the "Give Me Some Lovin" takeoff "Aint That a Lot of Love," and the B-3 ballad "Woulda Coulda Shoulda." The eclectic pace for the remainder of the set incorporates folk, soul, and reggae, proving Taj Mahal and his band can achieve the combination effortlessly and sound like they had a good time doing it.
By Al Campbell. AMG.
**
A rock ...    Full Descriptionsolid performer with a deep bag of material and genres to draw from, Taj Mahal is a first-rate musician who delivers live as well as he does in the studio. On this set recorded at The Mint in Los Angeles during a set of dates in November 1998, Mahal pulls together a back-up band of crack musicians whose resumes include stints playing behind legends Otis Rush, B.B. King, and Buddy Guy. For this set, Taj's selections run the gamut from a punchy reading of Sam & Dave's "Ain't That a Lot of Love" to an easy-going version of the classic Bill Dogget instrumental "Honky Tonk." Other artists benefiting from the attention of this itinerant bluesman are reggae legend Delroy Wilson ("Rain from the Sky"), musical godfather Sleepy John Estes ("Leavin' Trunk"), and masterful songwriter Percy Mayfield ("Stranger in My Own Home Town").

In addition to standing up fine alongside these covers, Mahal's own material also covers broad stylistic ground. Among the highlights are the loping harp-laden "Mail Box Blues," country-blues of "Corrina" and bossa nova flavored instrumental "Sentidos Dulce."
CD Universe.
**
Tony Braunagel- Drums, Vocals (Bckgr),
Denny Freeman- Guitar,
Larry Fulcher- Bass, Vocals (Bckgr),
Taj Mahal- Dobro, Guitar, Harmonica, Percussion,
Darrell Leonard- Trombone, Trumpet, Trombonium,
Joe Sublett- Sax Tenor,
Mick Weaver- Piano, Organ (Hammond),
**
01. Honky Tonk 6.18
02. Ez Rider 3.20
03. Ain't That a Lot of Love 3.10
04. Ev'ry Wind (In the River) 5.14
05. Stranger in My Own Home Town 2.54
06. Woulda Coulda Shoulda 3.42
07. Leavin' Trunk 6.06
08. Rain From the Sky 3.27
09. Mail Box Blues 3.48
10. Cruisin' 3.46
11. Corrina 3.43
12. Hoochi Coochi Coo, The 3.39
13. Sentidos Dulce 6.25
**
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Taj MAHAL - Taj's Blues 1968

Taj MAHAL - Taj's Blues 1968
Label: Sony
Audio CD (June 30, 1992)

Blues

If you don't already have this one in your blues collection then you sure will need it soon! Taj's vocals shine through on this recording. The recording has a very earthy quality and a nice rough edge and is very true to the blues tradition. Taj has a few albums where he wanders stylistically (even into reggae) but this one is pure blues. There are also a lot of good slide guitar and dobro licks here thanks to a few superb guest musicians. The music is sure to please both the blues fan as well as the blues musician
By  Dave.
**
Taj Mahal's dazzling 1968 debut provides the foundation for this 12-song overview of the bluesman's early solo years. Tracks like "Leaving Trunk" and "Statesboro Blues" from that first record signaled the arrival of a young black man grounded in tradition yet committed to innovation. Over the next half- dozen years, Taj fulfilled much of that promise. Taj's Blues eschews his previous island folk experiments in favor of country blues inspired by Sleepy John Estes and Mississippi John Hurt. --Steven Stolder
Check out Taj Mahal. Taj's Blues is a great listen. Taj Mahal has a talent for capturing a unique sound.
**
One of the most prominent figures in late 20th century blues, singer/multi-instrumentalist Henry St. Clair Fredericks played an enormous role in revitalizing and preserving traditional blues.
His self-titled debut album was recorded in August 1967, and came out just as several established blues stars ventured into psychedelia and rock n' roll at the insistence of their record companies.
But not Taj Mahal. These arrangements may be updated when compared to what Robert Johnson or Willie McTell did thirty-five years earlier, but it's still the blues, genuine, mostly acoustic blues, dominated by harp and howling slide guitar.
These lean, stripped-down arrangements were alien to most record producers at the time, and they are part of the reason why this album holds up so well.
The best of these eight songs count among the best, catchiest, grooviest blues I have ever heard, and I have heard a lot!
Taj Mahal vocals are powerful and confident, he has a great sense of timing and melody, and he is backed by a magnificent band which includes lead guitarist Jesse Ed Davis and the multi-talented Ry Cooder.
(A facsimile of the original LP artwork is included, giving their names as "Jessie Edwin Davis" and "Ryland Cooder". Taj Mahal calls his band "a son of a Texas sharecropper, a Hungarian Jew, a wild-eyed Irishman, and a crazy Swamp Spade!")

Taj Mahal's hard-hitting renditions of "Dust My Broom", "Leaving Trunk" and "Statesboro Blues" are nothing short of magnificent; powerful, strongly rhythmic songs, perfectly arranged. And the nine-minute version of Son House's "Walkin' Blues", which sees Taj Mahal playing both harp and rough, gruff slide guitar, is simply awesome.
The whole record is a compelling amalgam of stylistic and technical achievements, filled with blues influences of the 1920s and 30s, but also making use of stereo sound separation and state-of-the-art recording technology.
One of the best blues LPs of the 60s.
By  Docendo Discimus.
**
01. Leaving Trunk (4:50)
02. Statesboro Blues (2:58)
03. Everybody's Got To Change Sometime (2:56)
04. Bound to Love Me Some (4:29)
05. Frankie & Albert (4:00)
06. East Bay Woman (9:19)
07. Dust My Broom (4:31)
08. Corinna (3:02)
09. Jellyroll (3:14)
10. Fishin' Blues (3:09)
11. Sounder MedleyNeeded Time #2Curiosity BluesHorse ShoesNeeded Time #3 (5:28)
12. Country Blues #1 (2:40)
**
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