Maestro (Taj Mahal Album)
Encyclopedia
Maestro is an album
by American
blues
artist Taj Mahal
. It was nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 2009 Grammy Awards (but lost out to Dr. John
and the Lower 911's City That Care Forgot).
The release of Maestro marked the 40th anniversary of Taj Mahal's career as a recording artist. It features numerous guest artists: Los Lobos
appear on Never Let You Go and TV Mama, Jack Johnson
shares vocals on a re-recording of Taj's classic Further On Down the Road, and Ben Harper
's vocals can be heard on Dust Me Down. Other guest appearances include Angélique Kidjo
(on Zanzibar) and Ziggy Marley
(on Black Man, Brown Man). Furthermore, Taj Mahal teams up again with the Phantom Blues Band (with whom he had recorded the Grammy nominated albums Señor Blues
and Shoutin' in Key
), Toumani Diabaté
(with whom he had recorded the album Kulanjan
) and his daughter Deva Mahal (with whom he had recorded several children's albums in the past).
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
artist Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal (musician)
Henry Saint Clair Fredericks , who uses the stage name Taj Mahal, is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician. He incorporates elements of world music into his music...
. It was nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 2009 Grammy Awards (but lost out to Dr. John
Dr. John
Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
and the Lower 911's City That Care Forgot).
The release of Maestro marked the 40th anniversary of Taj Mahal's career as a recording artist. It features numerous guest artists: Los Lobos
Los Lobos
Los Lobos are a multiple Grammy Award–winning American Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños.-History:The...
appear on Never Let You Go and TV Mama, Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson (musician)
Jack Johnson was born May 18, 1975 is an American folk rock singer-songwriter, surfer and musician known for his work in the soft rock and acoustic genres. In 2001, he achieved commercial success after the release of his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales. He has since released four more albums, a...
shares vocals on a re-recording of Taj's classic Further On Down the Road, and Ben Harper
Ben Harper
Benjamin Chase "Ben" Harper is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances and activism. Harper's fan base spans several continents...
's vocals can be heard on Dust Me Down. Other guest appearances include Angélique Kidjo
Angélique Kidjo
Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo, commonly known as Angélique Kidjo is a Grammy Award–winning Beninoise singer-songwriter and activist, noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. Time Magazine has called her "Africa's premier diva". The BBC has...
(on Zanzibar) and Ziggy Marley
Ziggy Marley
David "Ziggy" Marley is a Jamaican musician and leader of the band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. He is the oldest son of famed reggae musician Bob Marley...
(on Black Man, Brown Man). Furthermore, Taj Mahal teams up again with the Phantom Blues Band (with whom he had recorded the Grammy nominated albums Señor Blues
Señor Blues
Señor Blues is a 1997 album by blues musician Taj Mahal, featuring a cover of James Brown's "Think". It won Best Contemporary Blues Album - or Contemporary Blues Recording at that year's Grammy Awards....
and Shoutin' in Key
Shoutin' in Key
Shoutin' in Key is an album by American blues artist Taj Mahal.-Track listing:# "Honky Tonk"# "EZ Rider"# "Ain't That a Lot of Love"# "Ev'ry Wind "# "Stranger in My Own Home Town"# "Woulda Coulda Shoulda"# "Leaving Trunk"...
), Toumani Diabaté
Toumani Diabaté
Toumani Diabaté is a Malian kora player. In addition to performing the traditional music of Mali, he has also been involved in cross-cultural collaborations with flamenco, blues, jazz, and other international styles.-Biography:...
(with whom he had recorded the album Kulanjan
Kulanjan
-Track listing:# "Queen Bee"# "Tunkaranke"# "Ol' Georgie Buck"# "Kulanjan"# "Fanta"# "Guede Man Na"# "Catfish Blues"# "K'an Ben"# "Take This Hammer"# "Atlanta Kaira"# "Mississippi-Mali Blues"# "Sahara"...
) and his daughter Deva Mahal (with whom he had recorded several children's albums in the past).
Track listing
- "Scratch My Back" (James Moore)
- "Never Let You Go" (Deva Mahal, Taj Mahal)
- "Dust Me Down" (Ben HarperBen HarperBenjamin Chase "Ben" Harper is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances and activism. Harper's fan base spans several continents...
) - "Further On Down the Road" (Jesse Edwin Davis III, Taj Mahal)
- "Black Man Brown Man" (Taj Mahal)
- "Zanzibar" (Angélique Kidjo, Taj Mahal)
- "TV Mama" (Lou Willie Turner)
- "I Can Make You Happy" (Taj Mahal)
- "Slow Drag" (Taj Mahal)
- "Hello Josephine" (Dave BartholomewDave BartholomewDave Bartholomew is a musician, band leader, composer and arranger, prominent in the music of New Orleans throughout the second half of the 20th century...
, Antoine Domino) - "Strong Man Holler" (Taj Mahal)
- "Diddy Wah DiddyDiddy Wah Diddy"Diddy Wah Diddy" is a song written by Willie Dixon and Ellas McDaniel—known as Bo Diddley—and recorded by the latter in 1956. Over the years, the song has been covered by many bands and artists, including The Astronauts, Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, The Remains, The Twilights, Taj Mahal,...
" (Ellas McDaniel, Willie DixonWillie DixonWilliam James "Willie" Dixon was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. A Grammy Award winner who was proficient on both the Upright bass and the guitar, as well as his own singing voice, Dixon is arguably best known as one of the most prolific songwriters...
) - "Mambo No. 5 (7-11)" (vinyl bonus track)
- "On A Little Bamboo Bridge" (vinyl bonus track)