review: Taj Mahal

Subject: Taj Mahal
From: Neil D
Date: 21 Jun 09 - 01:48 AM

I just got back from seeing Taj Mahal perform at our local Blues Festival and it was awesome. Johnny Winter played last night and dude totally wailed but Taj was just exquisite. Two solid hours of excellence. He played some keyboard and some banjo but mostly he played a plugged in acoustic guitar, masterfully, and mostly he played and belted out the blues. Just my opinion, but Taj Mahal just may be the greatest living purveyor of the artform. The best I've seen since Robert Lockwood Jr. passed anyway. He did throw in a West African song near the end that got the biggest applause of the night. It wore my battered old legs out to stand for two hours but I wanted to be as close to the front of the stage as I could in order to watch a true master at work. It was more than worth the effort. I was able to work my way to within about 30 feet in spite of a crowd in the thousands. What a treat.
    I don't expect this thread to hang around long. I just wanted to share a purely joyful musical experience with some folks that appreciate joyful musically experiences.

Subject: RE: Taj Mahal
From: GUEST,Peace
Date: 21 Jun 09 - 01:51 AM

He is an incredibly remarkable performer. Saw him tow or three times back about 4 decades ago and he was awesome then, Neil.

As for the leg: ya did it, man.

BM

Subject: RE: review: Taj Mahal
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 21 Jun 09 - 02:51 AM

Saw hime about the time Peace did....

Glad to hear he is still going strong.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

What does a ticket run? In the "ol days" I could get in free but a ticket ran about $15 in 1970....and the band head-lined for 10K

Subject: RE: review: Taj Mahal
From: Eve Goldberg
Date: 21 Jun 09 - 10:28 AM

I saw him last summer at Mariposa festival, with a small combo, and he was fantastic. He started with out and out electric blues, and then later in the set he got into folkier stuff and some of the African and Caribbean influenced music. What a treat!

I was surprised by his stage persona - he was really doing the strutting electric blues guy thing. Since I only knew him from the recordings I grew up with, I was expecting a very laid-back, folky kind of presentation. But he was still awesome.

And, I'm going to see him again later this summer at Wolf Trap on a split bill with Bonnie Raitt. My brother and I bought tickets for my sister to celebrate her birthday. Yeehaw!

Subject: RE: review: Taj Mahal
From: Will Fly
Date: 21 Jun 09 - 10:41 AM

Lucky you! I've got most of his records, and his breadth of interest is fantastic. The band I was in used to do his version of "Down Home Girl" and it always got people grooving to the beat. He's a man who really knows the music.

Subject: RE: review: Taj Mahal
From: Neil D
Date: 21 Jun 09 - 10:49 AM

Thanks Bruce.
Gargoyle,
   The Canton(Oh) Blues Festival is always a totally free event so I don't really know what tickets would go for. It's one of the few great things Canton has going for it. I know I'd have spent a lot more than I did to see such a fine performance.

Subject: RE: review: Taj Mahal
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 21 Jun 09 - 10:51 AM

I saw Taj Hahal at the Philly Folk Fest a few years back and he was unbelievable!!!   I really think he is "under-rated" and I know he turned more than a few heads that day.

Subject: RE: review: Taj Mahal
From: Mick Woods
Date: 21 Jun 09 - 11:56 AM

Taj Mahal & Johnny Winter at the same festival you are soooo lucky!!!

Subject: RE: review: Taj Mahal
From: Stringsinger
Date: 21 Jun 09 - 12:29 PM

I had a jam session with him years ago at McCabes Guitar Shop. I thought I could play
blues guitar until he blew me away.

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: review: Taj Mahal
From: GUEST,Neil Devore
Date: 21 Jun 09 - 02:56 PM

From: Mick Woods
Date: 21 Jun 09 - 11:56 AM

Taj Mahal & Johnny Winter at the same festival you are soooo lucky!!!


AND for free. That's lucky squared. It really is a fine festival for a rust-belt town that's kind of on the skids. They have bands all day for 2 days. Mostly local or regional bands with a national headliner each of the 2 nights.

Subject: RE: review: Taj Mahal
From: topical tom
Date: 21 Jun 09 - 04:35 PM

We saw Taj Mahal at the Newport Folk Festival of 1984 and did he ever rock the crowd to "Shake Your Booty"!That may not have been the actual title of the song but it certainly was a frequently recurring exhortation! He also sang "The Fishin' Blues" and wowed the crowd with many other blues favorites. A great showman and performer!

Subject: RE: review: Taj Mahal
From: Wesley S
Date: 22 Jun 09 - 01:02 PM

He's a great performer. One of the best nights of music I ever saw but that must have been 10 years ago. The Bonnie Raitt/Taj tour would be a night to remember.

But if we're talking about greatest living bluesman I'd have to add John Hammond Jr to that short list.

Subject: RE: review: Taj Mahal
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jun 09 - 06:31 AM

Wolf Trap and McCabes Guitar Shop and Newport Folk Festival ... all three are virtual shrines ... he does seem to get around.

Subject: RE: review: Taj Mahal
From: PoppaGator
Date: 25 Jun 09 - 01:13 PM

I saw him at Tipitina's ~ a pretty small, intimate venue ~ several years ago. He had a couple of big hollow-body electric guitars which he used for most if not all numbers, notably those featuring his characteristic echo-y sound that when you hear it, you think "Hey ~ that's Taj!"

He's been one of my very favorites since I first heard his first album, back in about 1968 (??)