Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ at SummerStage NYC
Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ hit the stage at CityParks SummerStage. It’s rumored that at one point the two blues legends didn’t speak to each…
Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ hit the stage at CityParks SummerStage. It’s rumored that at one point the two blues legends didn’t speak to each other. But if that’s true, it’s in the past.
Photo: Steven Rosenbaum / @MagnifyMedia Taj Mahal at SummerStage
“TajMo” is mostly uplifting blues — as much of a contradiction as that is.
Mahal is a musical treasure who is said to have helped Mo’ (born Kevin Moore) get his first recording contract. Keb Mo’s roots as an acoustic bluesman. are part of a musical identity where pop and other sounds also get their due. Mo’s resonator guitar on, Taj’s powerful and sharp harmonica.
Photo: Steven Rosenbaum / @MagnifyMedia Keb’ Mo’ at SummerStage
For over 50 years Taj Mahal has been performing his unqiue blend of blues and world music winning multiple Grammys. Keb’ Mo’, who has often cited Taj as one of his musical heroes, is a 3-time Grammy Winner who has collaborated with everyone from Raitt to Jackson Browne and Buddy Guy.
The first collaboration by Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ — the trailblazer and his by-now experienced disciple — is an amazing mix of generations and sounds.
It’s as a blues album when “TajMo” sounds best, like Mo’s resonator guitar on Sleepy John Estes’ “Diving Duck Blues,” Billy Branch’s harmonica on opener “Don’t Leave Me Here” and the gruff vocal combination on “She Knows How to Rock Me.”
Photo: Steven Rosenbaum / @MagnifyMedia Keb’ Mo’ at SummerStage
‘TajMo’ is a historic collaboration between two generations of blues giants, converging their singular talents for the first time ever on an album of original songs and covers, featuring cameos from Bonnie Raitt, Joe Walsh, Sheila E. and Lizz Wright.
Photo: Steven Rosenbaum / @MagnifyMedia Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ at SummerStage
Originally published at www.huffingtonpost.com on August 14, 2017.