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Taj Mahal: Maestro

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Ka-du Records
Released: 2008
Time:
 57:35
Category: Blues
Producer(s): See Artists ...
Rating: ********.. (8/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.tajblues.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2008.10.23
Price in €: 15,99





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Scratch My Back (J.Moore) - 4:20
[2] Never Let You Go (T.Mahal/D.Mahal) - 4:43
[3] Dust Me Down (B.Harper) - 3:28
[4] Further on Down the Road (J.E.Davis/T.Mahal) - 4:47
[5] Black Man, Brown Man (T.Mahal) - 3:52
[6] Zanzibar (A.Kidjo/T.Mahal) - 5:52
[7] TV Mama (L.W.Turner) - 3:43
[8] I Can Make You Happy (T.Mahal) - 4:59
[9] Slow Drag (T.Mahal) - 6:33
[10] Hello Josephine (D.Bartholomew/A.Domino) - 4:48
[11] Strong Man Holler (T.Mahal) - 5:49
[12] Diddy Wah Diddy (W.Dixon/E.McDaniel) - 4:36
 

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Taj Mahal - Banjo, Guitar, Harmonica, Ukulele, Vocals, Producer

Ziggy Marley - Vocals, Guest Appearance
Angélique Kidjo - Vocals, Guest Appearance

Takeshi Akimoto - Guitar
Steve Berlin - Organ, Baritone & Tenor Saxophone
Billy Branch - Harmonica
Tony Braunagel - Drums
Rudy Costa - Alto Saxophone
Carlton "Santa" Davis - Drums
Toumani Diabaté - Kora
Debra Dobkin - Percussion
Cougar Estrada - Drums
Larry Fulcher - Bass
David Hidalgo - Guitar
Michael Hyde - Keyboards
Jesse Ingalls - Bass
Michael Jerome - Percussion, Drums
Darrell Leonard - Trumpet, Trombonium
Conrad Lozano - Bass
Jason Mozersky - Guitar
Ivan Neville - Hammond B3 Organ
Leo Nocentelli - Guitar
Louie Pérez - Jarana
George Porter, Jr. - Bass
Bill Rich - Bass
Cesar Rosas - Guitar
Johnny Lee Schell - Guitar, Producer, Engineer
Kester Smith - Percussion, Drums
Joe Sublett - Baritone & Tenor Saxophone
Mick Weaver - Keyboards, Hammond B3 Organ
Jason Yates - Keyboards

Tracy Hazzard - Background Vocals
Deva Mahal - Background Vocals
Pebbles Phillips - Background Vocals
C.C. White - Background Vocals

Warren Haynes - Producer
Gordie Johnson - Producer, Engineer
Jean Hébrail - Vocal Producer
Mark Johnson - Engineer
Danny Kalb - Engineer
Joe McGrath - Engineer, Mixing
Marc Moreau - Engineer
Robert Carranza - Vocal Recording
George Horn - Mastering
Michael Crook - Photography
Jay Blakesberg - Photography
Baron Wolman - Photography
 

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s

2008 CD Heads Up 3164

The mythology of American blues is filled with images of the lone musician standing at the crossroads, caught in that gray area between light and shadow, cutting impossible deals with dark forces, offering up nothing less than his soul as collateral. Composer and multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal, a two-time GRAMMY® winner and one of the most influential American blues and roots artists of the past half-century, has made no Faustian deals in his long and distinguished career, but he stands at an important crossroads nonetheless. In his never-ending exploration of the complex origins and underpinnings of American music, he has forged a four-decade career by gathering and distilling countless musical traditions from a range of geographical and cultural sources: the Mississippi Delta, the Appalachian backwoods, the African continent, the Hawaiian islands, Europe, the Caribbean and so much more. Taj Mahal doesn't just stand at the crossroads. He is the crossroads. This twelve-track set - his first U.S. release in five years - marks the fortieth anniversary of Taj's rich and varied recording career by mixing original material with chestnuts from vintage sources and newcomers alike. Guests on this anniversary gala include Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Angelique Kidjo, Los Lobos, Ziggy Marley and others - many of whom have been directly influenced by Taj's music and guidance.

Vier Jahrzehnte Blues, Roots, Reggae und mehr zelebriert Taj Mahal auf seinem brandneuen Album, und die Gratulanten erschienen zahlreich: Angelique Kidjo, Ben Harper, Ziggy Marley und Jack Johnson veredeln die Jubiläumsgala. Lustvoll mixt der mit allen Genres der Black Music bestens vertraute Künstler Originalmaterial mit bekannten Klassikern, wie Bo Diddleys 'Diddy Wah Diddy' und Fats Dominos 'Hello Josephine'. Meine neue CD ist tanzbar, ist hörenswert, wartet mit vielen unterschiedlichen Rhythmen auf und verbreitet jede Menge Fun, erklärt Taj, der auf vier Tracks auch die Reunion mit seiner Phantom Blues Band vermelden kann. Mit seiner Tochter Deva Mahal und den Latin Rockern Los Lobos stimmt Taj das Reggae-Stück 'Never Let You Go' an, mit Ben Harper teilt er sich den Soul-Track 'Dust Me Down' und Ben Johnson klinkt sich in seinen bekannten Titel 'Further On Down The Road' ein. Maestro markiert den Beginn eines neuen Kapitels, das mich zu noch mehr musikalischen Ausdrucksmitteln führt. Taj Mahal versteht es, sich auch nach vierzig Jahren wieder neu zu erfinden.

Composer and multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal, a two-time GRAMMY® winner, is one of the most influential American blues and roots artists of the past half-century. In his never-ending exploration of the complex origins and underpinnings of American music, he has forged a four-decade career by gathering and distilling countless musical traditions from a range of geographical and cultural sources: the Mississippi Delta, the Appalachian backwoods, the African continent, the Hawaiian islands, Europe, the Caribbean and so much more. 'Maestro', his first new recording for five years, marks the fortieth anniversary of Taj's rich and varied recording career by mixing original material with classics from vintage sources and newcomers alike. Guests on this anniversary celebration include Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Angelique Kidjo, Toumani Diabate, Los Lobos, Ziggy Marley and others - many of whom have been directly influenced by Taj's music and guidance. But Maestro is much more than just a tribute to past glories. It captures the same level of intensity and depth that has characterized every one of Taj's recordings since his self-titled debut album in 1968. Simply put, four decades have done nothing to dilute his energy quotient. In addition to the standard CD release, Maestro will also be available on vinyl in a Limited Edition 40th Anniversary Collector's Double LP.



"The one thing I've always demanded of the records I've made is that they be danceable," he says. "This record is danceable, it's listenable, it has lots of different rhythms, it's accessible, it's all right in front of you. It's a lot of fun, and it represents where I am at this particular moment in my life."

Taj Mahal



The list of special guests who appear on Taj Mahal's Maestro is hardly what one would expect from a veteran bluesman. Among the special guests are Ziggy Marley, Los Lobos, Ben Harper, and African pop vocalist Angélique Kidjo - not exactly a conventional blues lineup. But then, Mahal is hardly a conventional blues artist. He has been providing eclectic, far-reaching albums for a long time, and that spirit of adventure is alive and well on this 2008 release (which marks his 40th year as a recording artist - Mahal provided his first album in 1968). No one expects Mahal's albums to be the work of a blues purist; in fact, Mahal (who plays guitar, harmonica, banjo, and ukulele on Maestro) is the opposite of a blues purist. While Maestro has its share of electric blues, the veteran singer also gets into everything from soul ("Further on Down the Road") and early R&B (Fats Domino's "Hello Josephine") to reggae ("Black Man, Brown Man," "Never Let You Go") and African pop ("Zanzibar"). The latter features Kidjo on lead vocals and Toumani Diabaté on the kora (a traditional African instrument), while Los Lobos appear on "Never Let You Go" and the humorous "TV Mama" (which is among the disc's straight-ahead blues offerings). Mahal, true to form, is all over the place stylistically on this 57-minute CD - and yet, Maestro never sounds the least bit unfocused. Being eclectic comes naturally to Mahal, who sees to it that Maestro is a consistently engaging celebration of his 40th year as a recording artist.

Alex Henderson - All music Guide
 

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