Taj Mahal on NPR

NPR has an interesting piece on the musician Taj Mahal.  Mahal is one of those wonderful blues musicians who crosses and mixes different music to create a very nice gumbo of music.

The piece is titled Taj Mahal: Still Cooking Up 'Heirloom Music' His Own Way

Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band – "Seven Eleven" - LRBC Jan 2010

Taj Mahal Leavin Trunk

From the comments section: According to notes at YouTube it is from "The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus." This was a hell of a band fronted by Taj Mahal, with Jesse Ed Davis, Ry Cooder, and Chuck Blackwell.

taj mahal trio & mamadou diabate – honey bee

TAJ MAHAL – Everybody Got To Change Sometime (1968)

Kulanjan - Taj Mahal, Toumani Diabate 1999

Rootsworld

The respected American Bluesman Taj Mahal (aka Dadi Kouyate) has spent the last twenty years seeking out the purported African sources of the Blues. His curiosity was ignited by a tune called "Kulanjan

1. Queen Bee

2. Kulanjan
3. Tunkaranke
4. Ol' Georgie Buck
5. Guede Man Na
6. Fanta
7. Atlanta Kaira
8. Catfish Blues
9. Take This Hammer
10. K'an Ben
11. Mississippi Mali Blues
12. Sahara

this is great - even though neither on it

Taj Mahal - The Celebrated Walking Blues

Taj Mahal (vocal-slide guitar-harmonica); Jesse Ed Davis (lead guitar-piano); Ry Cooder (mandolin-rhythm guitar); Bill Boatman (rhythm guitar); Gary Gilmore (bass); Charles Blackwell (drums)
Recorded Hollywood, California; August 18, 1967

Sublime I think!

Blues Quote - Taj Mahal

"You can listen to my music from front to back, and you don't ever hear me moaning and crying about how bad you done treated me. I think that style of blues and that type of tone was something that happened as a result of many white people feeling very, very guilty about what went down." ~ Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal Blues Band Poster

Buy at AllPosters.com

Walking Blues

Taj Mahal - Leaving Trunk

I really like Taj Mahal's cover version of Sleepy John Estes' song Milk Cow Blues which appears on Taj Mahal's, 1968 eponymous album, Taj Mahal, titled Leaving Trunk.

The video clip below, I believe, is from the The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. It is very cool because it also features Jesse Ed Davis, Ry Cooder et al kicking ass and taking names.

WAKE UP MAMA,

I GOT SOMETHIN TO TELL YOU

YOU KNOW I'M A MAN

WHO LOVE TO SING THE BLUES

Here's the lineup according to the liner notes: Jessie Edwin Davies,(sp) lead guitar; Ryland P. Cooder, rhythm guitar; James Thomas, bass; Sanford Konikoff, drums; Taj Mahal, harp

Leaving Trunk mp3 by Taj Mahal


Milk Cow Blues mp3 by Sleepy John Estes.

Honkey Tonk Women - A Compilation

I've always loved the Rolling Stones song Honky Tonk Women and would include it on my list of songs to be stranded on a desert island with. If I could only have one song, but have it done by several different musicians, then this might just be the one song that I would pick.

The lyrics to the song are very simple, and easy to transcribe;

I met a gin-soaked, bar-room queen in Memphis
She tried to take me upstairs for a ride
She had to heave me right across shoulder
'Cause I just can't seem to drink you off my mind

It's the Honky Tonk Women
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues

I laid a divorcee in New York City
I had to put up some kind of a fight
The lady then she covered me with roses
She blew my nose and then she blew my mind

It's the Honky Tonk Women
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
It's the Honky Tonk Women
Gimme, gimme...
Alright!

It's the Honky Tonk Women
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
Yeah, it's the Honky Tonk Women
Gimme, gimme...

In the Stones version that opening cow bell is just too cool, and always gets me going, and ready for the guitars.

Taj Mahal does a stripped down version that is just wonderful to listen to. I really love how he starts out humming, kind of makes you think about the songs rhythm a bit more. And I just love the harmonica part (but you probably already guessed that).



Then there is the Ike and Tina Turner version of the song. Man the background singers are worth the price of admission for this one. I love it, talking about smoking hot!


Honky Tonk Women mp3 by The Rolling Stones.

Honky Tonk Women mp3 by Ike & Tina Turner.

Honky Tonk Women mp3 by Joe Cocker.

Honky Tonk Women mp3 by The Flying Burrito Brothers.

Honky Tonk Women mp3 by Willie Nelson (feat. Leon Russell)

Honky Tonk Women mp3 by Humble Pie.

The Rolling Stones @Amazon.com

The Rolling Stones @SqueezeMyLemon

Songs Of The Rolling Stones: All Blues'd Up!

While doing some research on a Rolling Stone's song I came across the mp3 album Songs Of The Rolling Stones: All Blues'd Up!.

I'm not sure how this album slipped under my radar, but I missed it back when it was released in July 9th, 2002.

And I would like to present it to you today, because I love how it highlights the blues music of the Rolling Stones and because their songs are performed by some great blues musicians.

Songs of the Rolling Stones: All Blues'd Up
(This Ain't No Tribute Series)

click image for mp3 album info

Track Listing

Please click song title below to play mp3 sample

1. You Can't Always Get What You Want - Luther Allison

2. Tumblin' Dice - Johnny Copeland

3. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Junior Wells

4. Wild Horses - Otis Clay

5. Honky Tonk Women - Taj Mahal

6. Sway - Alvin Youngblood Hart

7. Ventilation Blues - Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown

8. Beast of Burden - Willie 'Popsy' Dixon

9. Under My Thumb - Lucky Peterson

10. It's All Over Now - Bobby Womack

11. Midnight Rambler - Larry McCray

12. Heart of Stone - Joe Louis Walker

13. Moonlight Mile - Alvin Youngblood Hart

The Rolling Stones @Amazon.com

The Rolling Stones @SqueezeMyLemon

A couple of random blues clips.

Often times during the day online friends send me videos, that are just awesome. There have been some who complain that we post too much YouTube, but one of the reasons that we do that is that we are a filter.

I'd like to think that I and my fellow contributors (Ron and Mister Anchovy) are finding some of the best blues music videos that are out there. Consider these two.

I really enjoy this clip titled Slide Guitar - Slow blues in E. I've been planing on starting a new series on guitar tutorials but just can't find the time to pull it all together. More like this to come.

And then there is this delightful clip of Taj Mahal doing Honky Tonk Women. It is just too cool, and I hope you like it as much as I do. This was sent to my via Fitzgerald @blip.fm by my online friend Ledvolta of Mitch's Cave fame. If you get a chance stop by and tell Mitch that I sent you.

Congrats to Irma Thomas and Taj Mahal

Congratulations to Irma Thomas and Taj Mahal for being inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Please see Irma Thomas Immortalized Among Blues Greats for more details.

Simply Grand
Irma Thomas
[Rounder Records]





Maestro
Taj Mahal
[Heads Up International]





Irma Thomas @SqueezeMyLemon

Taj Mahal @SqueezeMyLemon

Irma Thomas on iTunes


Taj Mahal Maestro @iTunes

Blues Music Grammy Awards

I did not watch the Grammy Awards television show, but I did go online to Grammy.com to see who actually won the in the blues catagory. I'm presenting the various albums and the two winners. I thought it would be good to see who was nominated also.

I'm glad that I pretty much covered all these albums, so you can click on the artist labels below to see my original write ups. And if you would like to listen to mp3 samples of each album you can click on the image of each album.

Best Traditional Blues Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* WINNER *

One Kind Favor
B.B. King
[Geffen Records]




NOMINEES


The Blues Rolls On
Elvin Bishop
[Delta Groove Music, Inc.]





Skin Deep
Buddy Guy
[Silvertone Records]




All Odds Against Me
John Lee Hooker Jr.
[Steppin' Stone Records/CC Entertainment]




Pinetop Perkins & Friends
Pinetop Perkins & Friends
[Stoneagle Music/Telarc]





Best Contemporary Blues Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

* WINNER *
City That Care Forgot
Dr. John And The Lower 911
[429 Records]




NOMINEES


Peace, Love & BBQ
Marcia Ball
[Alligator Records]




Like A Fire
Solomon Burke
[Shout! Factory]




Maestro
Taj Mahal
[Heads Up International]





Simply Grand
Irma Thomas
[Rounder Records]

New Release by Taj Mahal: Maestro

There is no doubt that two-time Grammy Award winning bluesman Taj Mahal is a Maestro. His new release, his first in five years has something for everybody. He is accompained by a range of musicians such as Ben Harper, Ziggy Marley, Los Lobos, and the Phantom Blues Band, among others.

He is also celebrating his 40th year as a professional musician and on this album he delivers traditional Delta blues, Southern soul, reggae and island rhythms, and African folk music.

Taj Mahal says of his new release;

"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 Blues Band Poster

Buy at AllPosters.com

Taj Mahal's Web Site

Taj Mahal, who is one of my favorite living bluesmen, has got his web site Taj Blues.com set up for the celibration of his 40th anniversary. The man has had a good run, so far.

You can check out his photos, videos and he has a cool embeded music player that I have been jamming to for the last couple of days. It plays the following tunes;