2025 - Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' - Room On The Porch @ 320
Delightful. That’s what this music is in a single word. Their voices with expertise, warmth & feelings in the heart of rural homecoming love begin on the opening tune — the marvelous “Room On the Porch.” Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’ & Ruby Amanfu conjure tears of happiness with their unified voices & emotional sophistication. What a cure for what ails ya.
Their voices, along with this repertoire, is a soundscape. The lighthearted instrumentation is a benevolent caress to the ears. “My Darling My Dear” is plaintive, catchy, & possesses good vocal contrasts. These voices can pull your ear in slowly on a silken line. Mr. Mahal has always had a soothing, authoritative tonality (one of his most impressive tunes being the energetic song “Freedom Ride” from an exceptional LP known as Largo).
They mix it up generously, & trade off lead vocals with skill on “She Keeps Me Movin’” that’s dipped in hot buttered soul (as Isaac Hayes would say). The set is well arranged & each tune is deliciously creative in this showcase. I’ve been listening to the NY-born Grammy Award winner Taj Mahal since his early Columbia days & Grammy Award winner L.A.-born Keb’ Mo’ since I saw him perform “More Than One Way Home” in 1996. They’re part of the landscape of Americana & Taj even appeared in the Americana-rich film “Songcatcher.”
The musicianship is stellar throughout. The upbeat “Thicker Than Mud” embodies the qualities of their genre & this duo serves up the roots-Americana musicality imaginatively & with dazzling results. “Junkyard Dog” will make Tom Waits envious, & “Blues’ll Give You Back Your Soul” & “Rough Time Blues” harken back to Taj’s Columbia “Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home” era.
The music goes comfortably with a sleeping dog, a bottle of hooch, a rocking chair & of course, a porch. I found my summer music. It’s one of the year’s best. I’ll say it again; it’s one of the year’s best. (American Highways)
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