Taj Mahal is a blues icon, and he not only preserves that American musical form but also takes from a large range of styles, including reggae, jazz, gospel, R&B, zydeco and much more. His new album, Maestro, celebrates an illustrious career, mingling original work with genre classics and songs written by some of the many artists he's influenced, including Ben Harper, Ziggy Marley and Los Lobos among others.
Far from a passing of the torch, however, Mahal considers this record just the beginning of another stage in his forty years of musical exploration. During this visit, he shares stories from the path that led him to this chapter, including his Caribbean heritage and his childhood introduction to the blues through a homemade radio.
Copyright 2008 XPN