Mahal won his first GRAMMY award with the 1997 Private Music release Señor Blues, taking home that year’s prize for Best Contemporary Blues Album. 'Señor Blues' by Taj Mahal, from Señor Blues (1997) This track employs Mahal’s guitar as a purely rhythmic device, with Bill Rich’s bass providing the infectious hook, along with the colorful conga playing of Ghanaian percussionist Kwasi Dzidzornu, known for his work with the Rolling Stones.Ĥ. The session consists primarily of Mahal originals along with covers of material by a then up-and-coming Bob Marley and influential reggae songwriter Bob Andy. Never an artist to rehash clichés and always looking to music from around the world for inspiration, Mahal fully embraced reggae and rhythms of the Caribbean for his seventh release, his first to largely stand apart from American blues.

'Blackjack Davey' by Taj Mahal, from Mo Roots (1974) The All Music Guide calls Taj Mahal “one of the most quietly, defiantly iconoclastic records of 1968.”ģ. This album-opening track – a re-worked version of the Sleepy John Estes classic “Milk Cow Blues” – bears Mahal’s unmistakable feel, with a distorted blues harp intro that rings out as a bold statement of purpose. Widely considered a cornerstone of the 60’s blues revival, Mahal’s self-titled debut album was a sensation up on its release, with a direct and stripped-down sound that jumped out of the speakers, flying in the face of the effects-laden psychedelic approach that was so prevalent in pop music at the time. 'Leaving Trunk' by Taj Mahal, from Taj Mahal (1968) The band’s full-length album, produced by Terry Melcher, was eventually rescued from the vaults and released in 1992 as Rising Sons Featuring Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder.Ģ. They were signed to a deal with Columbia in short order, but not knowing how to market a racially mixed band playing an indefinable mix of folk, country, rock, and blues, the label only released a single of their cover of Reverend Gary Davis’ “Candy Man” before dropping them, leaving the rest of their 1965 recording session unreleased. 'Candy Man' single by Rising Sons (1966)Īfter deciding to pursue music as a career, Mahal bounced around the Los Angeles club scene, forming the short-lived group Rising Sons with guitar great Ry Cooder. In preparation for this week's Friday's at Five streaming concert filmed in February of this year, we take a look back at five memorable moments from his discography.ġ.

Over his five-decade career, Mahal has freely embraced influences from jazz and country as well as Caribbean and African traditions, creating a wealth of recordings that runs the gamut of styles and approaches. Three-time GRAMMY winner and American music icon Taj Mahal is far more than a blues artist. Taj Mahal, Los Angeles, 1968 (Photo by Baron Wolman)

Taj mahal sivaji songs mobile ringtones