Song o' the Week - August 9, 2010

I was first exposed to blues musician Taj Mahal by the Elizabeth City, NC based groove rock band Gutaranstein. Their cover of the thumping, foot-stomping romp "Ain't That A Lotta Love" was my first taste of the growling veteran's blues prowess. This, of course , led to my discovery of other recordings by Taj Mahal, including a live session with his Phantom Blues Band and an appearance in The Rolling Stones' "Rock N Roll Circus". A tried and true bluesman, Taj Mahal has also dipped into waters outside his own genre, recording traditional Caribbean songs and teaming up with performers from a more mainstream vein. This week, I bring you a track from one of Taj Mahal's more recent releases in which he had recruited Ben Harper to help bridge the generational gap with subsequently outstanding results (not that Ben needed any coaxing, I'm sure)...


"Dust Me Down" by Taj Mahal with Ben Harper