| Maestro | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 8 reviews)
Sales Rank: 400
Category: Music
Artist: Taj Mahal
Publisher: Heads Up
Studio: Heads Up
Manufacturer: Heads Up
Label: Heads Up
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 3164
UPC: 053361316426
EAN: 0053361316426
ASIN: B001DDBCWS
Release Date: September 30, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Scratch My Back - Taj Mahal, Moore, James | | • | Never Let You Go | | • | Dust Me Down - Taj Mahal, Harper, Ben | | • | Further on Down the Road | | • | Black Man, Brown Man | | • | Zanzibar | | • | TV Mama - Taj Mahal, Turner, Lou Willie | | • | I Can Make You Happy | | • | Slow Drag | | • | Hello Josephine - Taj Mahal, Bartholomew, Dave | | • | Strong Man Holler | | • | Diddy Wah Diddy - Taj Mahal, Dixon, Willie |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
The mythology of American blues is filled with images of the lone musician standing at the crossroads, caught in that gray area between light and shadow, cutting impossible deals with dark forces, offering up nothing less than his soul as collateral. Composer and multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal, a two-time GRAMMY winner and one of the most influential American blues and roots artists of the past half-century, has made no Faustian deals in his long and distinguished career, but he stands at an important crossroads nonetheless. In his never-ending exploration of the complex origins and underpinnings of American music, he has forged a four-decade career by gathering and distilling countless musical traditions from a range of geographical and cultural sources: the Mississippi Delta, the Appalachian backwoods, the African continent, the Hawaiian islands, Europe, the Caribbean and so much more. Taj Mahal doesn't just stand at the crossroads. He is the crossroads. This twelve-track set - his first U.S. release in five years - marks the fortieth anniversary of Taj's rich and varied recording career by mixing original material with chestnuts from vintage sources and newcomers alike. Guests on this anniversary gala include Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Angelique Kidjo, Los Lobos, Ziggy Marley and others - many of whom have been directly influenced by Taj's music and guidance.
Amazon.com
Taj Mahal marks the 40th anniversary of his debut album with the release of Maestro. It's an all-star affair featuring guest appearances by Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Ziggy Marley's Band, Los Lobos, and quite a few others. How he continues to successfully blend so many different styles of music onto one album is certain proof of his pedigree as a musician. There are bold statements of reggae style in "Never Let You Go," and "Black Man, Brown Man." On the other hand, "Zanzibar" (featuring vocals from Angelique Kidjo, and kora from Toumani Diabate) is heavily flavored with the sound of contemporary African music. That stated, Maestro is a blues album at its foundation and Mahal does the blues on this set as convincingly as ever. From the brassy and soulful opener "Scratch My Back," to the gritty guitar on "Dust Me Down," to the slow, sexy, and grinding "Slow Drag," Maestro delivers on every level. The lyrics are clever and upbeat, the performances are liberated, and the album is thoroughly satisfying. ---Eric C.P. Martin
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
Awesome cd! December 19, 2008
Taj Mahal's cd Maestro is the best! Very bluesy. His band is awesome. I actually don't get tired of listening to him in my car. Some songs are very easy listening. Sort of background music.
Happy 40th, Taj! December 18, 2008
The new Taj Mahal CD "Maestro" is quite a treat. He covers a variety of styles with his inclusion of some stellar guest artists this time around: Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Ziggy Marley, Angelique Kidjo & Toumani Diabate,and The New Orleans Social Club on a couple of songs, "Hello Josephine" & "I Can Make You Happy". Los Lobos also appear on another two tracks, one of which was co-written by his daughter, Deva Mahal, who sings on the track entitled "Never Let You Go". It doesn't get much sweeter than this! The first 2 in particular should supply some crossover appeal with the young'uns. They are all a nice addition even though I would have loved this CD without them. Taj is in fine form here - he uses that "I'm gonna catch a fish" voice quite a bit - I love it when he does that!
 eclectic, even more than ever December 15, 2008
Since a couple of decades, Taj is visiting the blues cousins : Africa, Trinidad... This CD is ... just a Masterpiece of this attitude
Patrice
A Musician' Musician November 6, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Taj Mahal has all the qualities of a true American, nay, world master musician: vocal and instrumental technique, characteristic personal style, the curiosity of exploration, the fearlessness of experimentation, wisdom, and group leadship. Listening to this wide-ranging CD, I was struck with how many blues styles he captured, from country to urban, from the Deep South to the Caribbean to West Africa, at home on banjo, harmonica, and acoustic and electric guitars. With the great group Los Lobos and also the Phantom Blues Band and Ziggy Marley's Band as support, we take a grand tour of a great musical soul, the result of decades of learning. Having first heard Taj Mahal 40 years ago and enjoyed his works over the ensuing years, I regard this album as a classic must buy. How apt its title!
once again a winner November 3, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have seen him 4 times in concert. I am a huge fan and this album did not disapoint.
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