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Taj Mahal marks 40th anniversary
Legendary blues and roots artist Taj Mahal is celebrating his 40th year in the music biz with a new album and tour dates through late November.
The composer/producer/multi-instrumentalist is in the midst of a summer outing that is scheduled to visit a host of festivals through late September. He'll immediately segue into a fall run that stops in theaters across the US and wraps with a late-November, eight-show stand at Seattle's Jazz Alley. The tour, featuring the Taj Mahal Trio with bassist Bill Rich and drummer Kester Smith, resumes Friday (7/25) in State College, PA. Details are listed below.
Mahal, whose genre-bending style mixes blues with folk, funk, world beat and a host of other genres, has planned a Sept. 30 release for his first US recording in five years, "Maestro." The anniversary set will mix original material with music from vintage sources and newcomers. Guest stars include Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Angelique Kidjo, Los Lobos and Ziggy Marley.
"Maestro" is said to capture the same level of intensity and depth that has characterized Mahal's recordings since his 1968 self-titled debut.
"The one thing I've always demanded of the records I've made is that they be danceable," the Grammy-winning musician said in a press release. "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."
A self-taught musician who plays upwards of 20 instruments, Mahal has more than 40 albums and countless collaborations under his belt, according to his bio. He's played with everyone from Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters to Sheryl Crow and Eric Clapton, and his composing credits include several film scores.
