One of the Most Prominent and Influential Figures in Late 20th Century Blues & Roots Music! Reveals Mahal As A Musical Shaman Early On!
Amazing Studio Demos From The Early Years Now On 2 LPs! All Tracks Previously Unreleased!
Composer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Taj Mahal is one of the most prominent and influential figures in late 20th century blues and roots music. Though his career began more than four decades ago with American blues, he has broadened his artistic scope over the years to include music representing virtually every corner of the world west Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, the Hawaiian islands and so much more. What ties it all together is his insatiable interest in musical discovery. Over the years, his passion and curiosity have led him around the world, and the resulting global perspective is reflected in his music.
He formed Rising Sons with fellow bluesman Ry Cooder, playing at Whisky a Go Go, which gave him the opportunity to play with blues legends, amongst them Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy. The Rising Sons only recorded one album (not released by Columbia Records until 25 years later) before Mahal went off to pursue his own career. After a couple of albums, and an appearance on the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, he secured his reputation with the Giant Step album in 1969. Mahal would go on to collaborate with artists from all corners of the musical world including Ali Farka Touré, Toumani Diabaté and V. M. Bhatt.
"In celebration of his 70th birthday, The Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal 1969-1973 is the first of a series of volumes issued by Legacy that will eventually encompass his entire Columbia catalog. [LP1] contains a dozen tracks that were rejected from the final versions of Mahal's albums for various reasons, as well as alternate takes. All tracks are unreleased... [LP2] recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970, is worth the purchase price alone. Mahal plays his National Steel guitar and harmonica, and is backed by a band with the late, great Davis on lead guitar. This set reveals Mahal as a musical shaman early on. He was even then able to skip across centuries, traditions, forms, and singing, telling tales and jokes without hesitation or faltering. He fully inhabits each musical persona he takes on as his own, yet they are all part of a single but multi-limbed lineage in his musicology." - Thom Jurek, allmusic.com
Features:
180g Vinyl
Double Gatefold LP
Pressed at URP
All Tracks Previously Unreleased
Selections:
LP 1 - Side A:
1. Chainey Do
2. Sweet Mama Janisse
3. Yan-Nah Mama-Loo
4. Tomorrow May Not Be Your Day
LP1 - Side B:
1. I Pity The Poor Immigrant
2. Jacob's Ladder
3. Ain't Gwine Whistle Dixie (Any Mo')
LP2 - Side C:
1. Sweet Mama Janisse
2. You Ain't No Streetwalker, Honey But I Do Love the Way You Strut Your Stuff
LP2 - Side D:
1. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
2. Shady Grove
3. Butter
Amazing Studio Demos From The Early Years Now On 2 LPs! All Tracks Previously Unreleased!
Composer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Taj Mahal is one of the most prominent and influential figures in late 20th century blues and roots music. Though his career began more than four decades ago with American blues, he has broadened his artistic scope over the years to include music representing virtually every corner of the world west Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, the Hawaiian islands and so much more. What ties it all together is his insatiable interest in musical discovery. Over the years, his passion and curiosity have led him around the world, and the resulting global perspective is reflected in his music.
He formed Rising Sons with fellow bluesman Ry Cooder, playing at Whisky a Go Go, which gave him the opportunity to play with blues legends, amongst them Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy. The Rising Sons only recorded one album (not released by Columbia Records until 25 years later) before Mahal went off to pursue his own career. After a couple of albums, and an appearance on the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, he secured his reputation with the Giant Step album in 1969. Mahal would go on to collaborate with artists from all corners of the musical world including Ali Farka Touré, Toumani Diabaté and V. M. Bhatt.
"In celebration of his 70th birthday, The Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal 1969-1973 is the first of a series of volumes issued by Legacy that will eventually encompass his entire Columbia catalog. [LP1] contains a dozen tracks that were rejected from the final versions of Mahal's albums for various reasons, as well as alternate takes. All tracks are unreleased... [LP2] recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970, is worth the purchase price alone. Mahal plays his National Steel guitar and harmonica, and is backed by a band with the late, great Davis on lead guitar. This set reveals Mahal as a musical shaman early on. He was even then able to skip across centuries, traditions, forms, and singing, telling tales and jokes without hesitation or faltering. He fully inhabits each musical persona he takes on as his own, yet they are all part of a single but multi-limbed lineage in his musicology." - Thom Jurek, allmusic.com
Features:
180g Vinyl
Double Gatefold LP
Pressed at URP
All Tracks Previously Unreleased
Selections:
LP 1 - Side A:
1. Chainey Do
2. Sweet Mama Janisse
3. Yan-Nah Mama-Loo
4. Tomorrow May Not Be Your Day
LP1 - Side B:
1. I Pity The Poor Immigrant
2. Jacob's Ladder
3. Ain't Gwine Whistle Dixie (Any Mo')
LP2 - Side C:
1. Sweet Mama Janisse
2. You Ain't No Streetwalker, Honey But I Do Love the Way You Strut Your Stuff
LP2 - Side D:
1. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
2. Shady Grove
3. Butter
