Review: Another Triumph Courtesy of Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal/Savoy/Stony Plain
Four stars

It’s hard to imagine a more eclectic musician than Taj Mahal. In a storied career that spans well over 55 years, Taj, who celebrated his 80th birthday in 2022, has constantly defied any and every preconceived musical boundary, venturing from the blues into rock, R&B, reggae, and world music of practically every description. He initiated his efforts in the mid-’60s with an early supergroup of sorts, The Rising Sons (a band that also gave Ry Cooder an initial impetus), and followed that with his initial solo albums, Taj Mahal and The Natch’l Blues, both rightfully hailed as two of the most influential blues offerings of all time.

Now, with three Grammys, 14 Grammy nominations, induction into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association, he’s turning back the clock to some seminal influences, courtesy of a set of songs that inspired him early on. It’s a set of standards that share instant familiarity, ostensively in jazz realms, but well beyond that as well, given that each is firmly inscribed within the hallowed pages of the Great American Songbook. They’re songs made famous by the greatest names of all time—Duke Ellington, Louis Jordan, George Gershwin, and Louis Armstrong, among them.

Needless to say, Taj’s distinctive vocals and the backing band do justice to the material as far as revival and rejuvenation. There’s little tampering with the template, given Taj’s ability to express and emote, leaving no doubt in terms of clarity and commitment. The swinging big band arrangements suggest the sounds of nightclubs, cabarets, and hallowed haunts of an earlier era. So too, credit producer John Simon with honing the proceedings and giving songs such as “Sweet Georgia Brown,” “Baby It’s Cold Outside, “Summer Time,” “Caledonia” and “One For My Baby (One More For the Road)” the revelry and respect that’s decidedly deserved. 

Given that the iconic Savoy nightclub is where Taj’s parents first met, dedication and devotion are spawned from heart and happenstance. He shares that backstory in “Stompin’ at the Savoy.” It’s hardly surprising then, that Savoy reflects Taj’s appreciation and affection.