Maestro (CD - 2008)

Personnel: Taj Mahal (vocals, guitar, banjo, ukulele, harmonica); Angélique Kidjo, Ziggy Marley (vocals); Takeshi Akimoto, Jason Mozersky, David Hidalgo, Johnny Lee Schell, Cesar Rosas, Leo Nocentelli (guitar); Louie Pérez (jarana); Toumani Diabaté (kora); Billy Branch (harmonica); Rudy Costa (alto saxophone); Steve Berlin (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, organ); Joe Sublett (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Darrell Leonard (trumpet); Michael Hyde, Jason Yates, Mick Weaver (keyboards); Michael Jerome, Kester Smith (drums, percussion); Tony Braunagel, Cougar Estrada, Carlton "Santa" Davis (drums); Debra Dobkin (percussion); Deva Mahal, Pebbles Phillips, Tracy Hazzard, C.C. White (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Joe McGrath.

Recording information: Capitol studios, Los Angeles, CA; Sonikwire Studios, Irvine, CA; The Mango Tree; The Shed, New Orleans, LA; Ultratone, Los Angeles, CA; Westlake Audio, Hollywood, CA.

Photographers: Baron Wolman; Jay Blakesberg; Michael Crook.

American original Taj Mahal has been redefining the blues while maintaining an unassailably authentic sound since the 1960s, and on his 2008 album, MAESTRO, his powers show no sign of diminishment. From the flashy funk of "Dust You Down" to the reggae grooves of "Brown Man, Black Man," and the New Orleans second-line rhythm of "Hello Josephine," he often ventures beyond the traditional blues but it's still there in everything he does, like a sonic fingeprint that can't be altered.

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 minimize