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Taj Mahal
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really real
Apr 26, 2013, 10:12:50 AM4/26/13
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I we went to see the Taj Mahal Trio last night, with Shemekia Copeland
as the opening act. Shemekia was pretty good, she's got great gospel
chops when she sings without a microphone. I didn't know she was Johnny
Copeland's daughter. Her all-white backing band was very good, with kind
of a psychedelic bluesvibe.
But back to Taj, who is now a very large and somewhat doddering old man.
His trio is quite powerful, and I think this is the best band Taj has
had for a while. He opened with Corrine, and played mainly his country
blues songs from his early albums. Every now and then he would slip
into a low, talking voice, sounding a bit like Frogman Henry, but for
the most part, Taj was in fine form. For one song, he doddered over to
the keyboards, but he's not all that good a player. Getting back to his
electric guitar was a relief.
I wonder how Bloomfield Buddy would categorize Taj, who has taken a
musicologist's knowledge to become first a country blues singer, and
then a world music singer. Taj does cover a lot of white songs, like Six
Days on the Road and Bob Dylan's 115th Dream, but most of his repertoire
is black music, like Mississippi John Hurt songs.
as the opening act. Shemekia was pretty good, she's got great gospel
chops when she sings without a microphone. I didn't know she was Johnny
Copeland's daughter. Her all-white backing band was very good, with kind
of a psychedelic bluesvibe.
But back to Taj, who is now a very large and somewhat doddering old man.
His trio is quite powerful, and I think this is the best band Taj has
had for a while. He opened with Corrine, and played mainly his country
blues songs from his early albums. Every now and then he would slip
into a low, talking voice, sounding a bit like Frogman Henry, but for
the most part, Taj was in fine form. For one song, he doddered over to
the keyboards, but he's not all that good a player. Getting back to his
electric guitar was a relief.
I wonder how Bloomfield Buddy would categorize Taj, who has taken a
musicologist's knowledge to become first a country blues singer, and
then a world music singer. Taj does cover a lot of white songs, like Six
Days on the Road and Bob Dylan's 115th Dream, but most of his repertoire
is black music, like Mississippi John Hurt songs.
Willie
May 18, 2013, 12:42:52 PM5/18/13
to
On Friday, April 26, 2013 10:12:50 AM UTC-4, really real wrote:
> For one song, he doddered over to
>
> the keyboards, but he's not all that good a player. Getting back to his
>
> electric guitar was a relief.
>
I saw Taj back in, maybe '85, and he played some of his Fishin' Blues funk and reggae, then brought the house down by switching to piano and playing a GREAT version of At the Hop. I mean, it was rockin' and everyone was up singing and dancing. Just Taj and piano. And any barrier between audience and performer was gone.
> For one song, he doddered over to
>
> the keyboards, but he's not all that good a player. Getting back to his
>
> electric guitar was a relief.
>
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