TAJ MAHAL & KEITH FRANK

Biography

Taj Mahal, born Henry Saint Claire Fredericks on May 17, 1942, in Harlem, New York, is an American blues musician, singer-songwriter, and film composer who has spent over 50 years reshaping the definition and scope of blues music. Growing up in a musical family with Caribbean roots—his father emigrated from the Caribbean and arranged Afro-Caribbean jazz for Benny Goodman, while his mother sang in a gospel choir—Taj Mahal was exposed to diverse musical traditions from an early age. His transformative moment came when he witnessed Mississippi John Hurt perform at the Newport Folk Festival, which sparked a deep interest in the music of his ancestors and the blues tradition. In 1964, at age 22, he moved to California and became part of Rising Sons, one of the first interracial bands signed by Columbia Records, where he played alongside guitarist Ry Cooder.

Taj Mahal emerged as one of the most important blues revivalists of the 1960s, introducing a largely white, young college audience to traditional blues standards like "Statesboro Blues," "Fishin' Blues," and "Corinna, Corinna." His 1968 debut album "The Natch'l Blues" stands as one of the seminal albums of the blues revival, followed by his 1969 double LP "Giant Step/De Ole Folks At Home," which became his first album to chart on the Billboard Top 100. Unlike many of his contemporaries who simply revived old blues material, Taj Mahal continuously evolved and innovated, venturing into African and world roots music, incorporating sounds from Mali to Haiti, Hawaii to the South Pacific, and collaborating with legendary musicians like Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, and kora player Toumani Diabaté.

Beyond his recording career, Taj Mahal has established himself as one of the greatest ethnomusicologists in the world, traveling globally to explore and explain the roots of blues and world music through his performances. He has demonstrated a profound responsibility to pass down his knowledge to younger musicians, directly influencing and supporting numerous young Black entertainers in the blues field. His legacy represents a unique bridge between traditional blues preservation and progressive musical innovation, ensuring that the blues tradition remained vital and relevant across generations while expanding its boundaries to encompass the full spectrum of world music influences.

Fun Facts

• Taj Mahal named himself after the famous Indian palace because the name came to him in a dream, despite having a real name (Henry St. Claire Fredericks) that he felt 'sounds real good.'
• He walked arm-in-arm with Mick Jagger early in the morning down the Thames and had extensive conversations with Brian Jones about music during the Rolling Stones' Rock and Roll Circus filming in 1968.
• Taj Mahal grew up listening to world music on his father's short-wave radio, which contributed to his lifelong pursuit of exploring ancestral and world music traditions beyond just blues.
• He was one of the few African-American blues stars and revivalists who started their career playing primarily to the 'new' blues audience of college students and hippies in the 1960s, rather than the traditional blues audience.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Mississippi John Hurt - Inspired Taj Mahal's deep interest in blues and ancestral music after seeing him perform at Newport Folk Festival (Traditional blues standards) [1960s onward]
• Howlin' Wolf - Blues great whom Taj Mahal studied under (Blues tradition and performance) [1960s]
• Muddy Waters - Blues great whom Taj Mahal studied under (Blues tradition and performance) [1960s]
• Leadbelly - Early influence on Taj Mahal's musical development (Blues and folk traditions) [Childhood/early career]
• Lightnin' Hopkins - Early blues influence on Taj Mahal's musical development (Blues traditions) [Childhood/early career]

Key Collaborators

• Ry Cooder - Played together in Rising Sons, one of the first interracial bands signed by Columbia Records (Rising Sons) [1964 onward]
• Jesse Ed Davis - Played with Taj Mahal for several years; native of the Kiowa Tribe in Oklahoma (Various recordings and performances) [1960s]
• Al Kooper - Pianist featured on The Natch'l Blues album (The Natch'l Blues) [1968]
• Earl Palmer - Drummer on The Natch'l Blues; Little Richard's former drummer (The Natch'l Blues) [1968]
• Toumani Diabaté - Legendary kora player; recorded with Taj Mahal in Africa (African recordings and collaborations) [Various projects]
• The Rolling Stones - Performed together on Rock and Roll Circus; developed personal relationships with band members (Rock and Roll Circus (1968)) [1968]

Artists Influenced

• Young Black blues entertainers - Taj Mahal directly influenced and supported numerous young Black entertainers in the blues field during early parts of their careers (Various mentorship relationships) [1995 onward]
• Blues revival audiences - Profoundly influential on scores of blues fans and players who were first introduced to the blues through his music (Debut album and early recordings) [1960s onward]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Leaving Trunk (Taj Mahal)
2. Better Than Ever [Feat. Wendy Moten] (Room On The Porch)
3. Statesboro Blues (Taj Mahal)
4. Will The Circle Be Unbroken - Live
5. Queen Bee (Señor Blues)
6. Lovin' in My Baby's Eyes (Phantom Blues)
7. Corinna - From "The Natch'l Blues" (The Natch'l Blues)
8. Room On The Porch [Feat. Ruby Amanfu]
9. Room On The Porch [Feat. Ruby Amanfu] (Room On The Porch)
10. My Darling My Dear (Room On The Porch)

External Links

• Spotify
• [Wikipedia](Not found in search results)