Taj Mahal (album)

Taj Mahal is the debut album by American blues guitarist and vocalist Taj Mahal. Recorded in 1967 with backing musicians that included guitarists Jesse Ed Davis and Ry Cooder, it was released by Columbia Records in 1968.

Taj Mahal
Studio album by
Taj Mahal
Released1968 (1968)
RecordedAugust 1967
GenreBlues, electric blues
Length32:55
LabelColumbia
ProducerBob Irwin, David Rubinson
Taj Mahal chronology
Taj Mahal
(1968)		 The Natch'l Blues
(1968)

The album contains mostly updated versions of early blues songs by Sleepy John Estes, Robert Johnson, and Sonny Boy Williamson II. Also included is Taj Mahal's blues rock adaptation of Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues", which inspired the popular Allman Brothers Band recording.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Entertainment WeeklyA[2]

Music critic Bruce Eder gave the album five out of five stars. In his review for AllMusic, Eder described it as "as hard and exciting a mix of old and new blues sounds as surfaced on record ... in what had to be one of the most quietly, defiantly iconoclastic records of 1968."[1]

In a music review of Taj Mahal reissues for Entertainment Weekly, Tony Scherman gave the album an "A" and wrote that the album "explodes with high spirits; of Taj’s 30-plus albums, it might be the best."[2]

Track listing
  1. "Leaving Trunk" (Sleepy John Estes) – 4:51
  2. "Statesboro Blues" (Blind Willie McTell) – 2:59
  3. "Checkin' Up on My Baby" (Sonny Boy Williamson II) – 4:55
  4. "Everybody's Got to Change Sometime" (Estes) – 2:57
  5. "EZ Rider" (Taj Mahal) – 3:04
  6. "Dust My Broom" (Robert Johnson) – 2:39
  7. "Diving Duck Blues" (Estes) – 2:42
  8. "The Celebrated Walkin' Blues" (Traditional) – 8:52

Personnel

Musicians

  • Taj Mahal – vocals, guitar, harmonica, slide guitar, music arranger
  • Jesse Ed Davis – lead guitar
  • Ry Cooder – rhythm guitar, mandolin
  • Bill Boatman – rhythm guitar
  • James Thomas – bass guitar
  • Gary Gilmore – bass
  • Sanford Konikoff – drums
  • Chuck "Brother" Blackwell – drums

Production

  • Raphael Valentin, Roy Halee – engineer
  • Ron Coro – design
  • Guy Webster – photography

References
  1. Eder, Bruce. Taj Mahal – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  2. Scherman, Tony (September 8, 2000). "Music Review: Taj Mahal", Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 5, 2012.



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