Taj with Keb Mo.
He transcends and defies so many trends, and is blown off as some sort of sellout by ignoramus Puritans (Whom I loathe...) of Blues, who can't see that music is a seamless whole and an endless journey... Taj does, and has made it his lifes work, to join the dots of Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, and all those quirks in between that make life worth living... from Field Hollerers and Spirituals, to Chicago, Memphis, St Louis and The Deltas, Mexicali, the Gumbo melting pot of New'leans, Cajun Spice, down through the Gulf to the Islands of the Caribbean (Kalimba stories...) Pacific, down to Latin America ... coastin to India and V M Bhatt (Curry n Quatertones...) the funkiest Ethnomusicologist around, narrating life while wincing the Blues... right back to Mama Africa, the Akonting (Precursor to Banjo) and the many unique collaborations with African and other indigenous artists on a global scale... aside from that... his voice just makes me feel better and neutralizes any mood I'm in to warm and fuzzy... its the closest thing you'll get to a warm hug. I must have over 40 albums and somehow I always manage to listen to them... his pitching can come just over or under and its purposeful, it drags the vibe in deeper... his mastery yet economy of many stringed instruments singular. The void he leaves will always be overshadowed by the light he gives with his spirit. Bumping into him on the stairs @ his gig @ Under The Bridge Last year was a spine tingling thrill... he was as warm and humble as I had imagined, and the concert was a run through of Ethrnomusiculture from the last 100 years, with roots that go all the way back to the beginning...
CODA x
"Lotta people need to understand, when we play, its to take the Blues OFF of you! Not GIVE you the Blues!"
