The work of world-renowned multi-instrumentalist and composer Taj Mahal is informed by many musical genres of the African diaspora including blues, jazz and swing.
When the Grammy Award-winning octogenarian rolls into town for his June 3 appearance with Los Lobos and North Mississippi Allstars, his band will include longtime allies Kester Smith behind the drum kit, Bill Rich on bass and Bobby Ingano handling lap steel guitar duties.
Taj Mahal told the Charleston City Paper that he will “be handling everything else that night, including vocals, keyboards, banjo, ukulele and guitar.”
While he has cultivated several signature songs over the years such as “Lovin’ In My Baby’s Eyes” and “Take a Giant Step,” it’s a safe bet that the career-spanning outdoor set at The Refinery (1640 Meeting Street Road) will also showcase plenty of cuts from Taj Mahal’s joyful new album, Savoy, which leans heavily into the swinging sounds of the 1920s and pays homage to both of his parents along the way.
Taj Mahal said his parents sparked his passion for playing music, and they actually met at the Savoy Ballroom, a legendary Harlem dance hall, during its heyday. That’s partly why the process of retooling tunes like “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby,” “Mood Indigo,” and “Sweet Georgia Brown,” was such an exhilarating experience for the populist artist.
The warm and vibrant recording sessions were truly a labor of love for him, and at this juncture, Taj Mahal said he couldn’t care less about chart success or sales. “I don’t think that the commercial interests, corporate or otherwise, have the right to decide whether or not something is pertinent,” he said.
If there is anyone in the business who can pull off looking backward and forward at the same time, it’s Taj Mahal.
“My thing is that if it was happening in the 1920s, and it was moving people then, it can move people now. I’m not patting myself on the back or anything for recognizing that this is great music. This is just something that’s called ‘sankofa,’ which is an African term for taking what was good in the past, bringing it into the present and pushing it forward.”
Taj Mahal, Los Lobos and North Mississippi Allstars perform at The Refinery Charleston at 6:30 p.m. June 3. For more details, visit therefinerychs.com.
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