Taj Mahal & His Band

Yet another classic artist is visiting Australia for the Bluesfest 21st Anniversary party and select sideshows. Born Henry St. Claire Fredericks in Harlem, New York, in 1942, blues-legend Taj Mahal grew up in Massachusetts. You could call Taj a singer, composer, producer, two-time Grammy-winner, world-class musical collaborator, musicians' advocate, world traveller, fisherman or cigar aficionado. These titles are all accurate, yet none convey the warmth, humour, and soulfulness of Taj and his music. Taj has been playing his own distinctive brand of music – variously described as Afro-Caribbean blues, folk-world-blues, hula blues, folk-funk, and a host of other hyphenations – for more than 40 years. A 2009 inductee into the Blues Hall of Fame, Taj Mahal's has received a huge nine Grammy Award nominations over his career, and had won two of these. The first in 1997 with Best Contemporary Blues Album for Señor Blues, andagain in 2000 with Best Contemporary Blues Album for Shoutin' in Key. 2008 saw his most recent Grammy nomination again for Best Contemporary Blues Album for his most recent record, Maestro. A self-taught musician, Taj plays more than 20 instruments using Caribbean, Hawaiian, African, Latin and Cuban sounds and rhythms mixed with folk, jazz, zydeco, gospel, rock, pop, soul, and R&B – all layered on top of a solid country blues foundation. His latest release "Maestro: Celebrating 40 Years" marks the 40th anniversary of his long and varied musical career, and includes performances by Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Ziggy Marley and Angelina Kidjo to name a few. And all the tracks are danceable. "The one thing I've always demanded of the records I've made," he says, "is that they be danceable. This record is danceable, it's listenable, it has lots of different rhythms, it's accessible, it's all right in front of you." Let the good times roll.

Sideshows

www.tajblues.com