Taj Mahal
Live at Tipitina's New Orleans 1980
*** out of *****
"Keep those 'shoo-be-doo-be's' going" Taj Mahal implores the crowd during the opening number, "Gonna Move Up To The Country", captured her on Live at Tipitina's New Orleans 1980. The album comes from the Tipitina's record club on a gorgeous turquoise platter with pristine sound and production that captures the artist and crowd energy on this night.
Taj Mahal was in-between record contracts at 38 years old in 1980 and at a crossroads. Tipitina's was a very small club for the artist to play and he uses it to his advantage with tons of crowd of interaction and warm jovial vibe flowing, that opening singalong was the first of many on this evening.
Once he gets flowing Taj Mahal pays tribute to the local city with a run through of his version of the traditional tune "Stagger Lee". With just a guitar and a voice he entertains as "Ain't Nobody's Business But My Own" is. the A-side highlight with scat singing, guitar picking and singing that gets after it with liquor and cocaine.
"Cakewalk Into Town" is twangy booty shaking with whistling from Taj before he gets the crowd to try their hand at whistling with limited success while "Fishin' Blues" is a great workout with men and woman trying their hand at fishing for love. The A-side ends with "Candy Man" as Taj Mahal channels his best back woods blues sound.
That blues standard vibe opens the B side as "Dust My Broom" plays thing straight ahead with hoot and hollers from the crowd. Taj switches up his singing style with a raspy delivery for "Satisfied 'n Tickled Too" which rambles along pleasantly while the vocal style switches to a much more silky smooth sound in reggae fashion for "Queen Bee".
"Corinna" blends all of his styles with an extra layer of pop charm as the tune bounces along with ease and light airy feelings while his version of "CC Rider" brings back the blues and loads of crowd interaction and more scat singing as he brings the show to a close. The finale on the evening is a take on "Chevrolet" as he puts down his guitar and claps and sings with the crowd providing more support.
A very cool, simple presentation of the blues and beyond filtered through Taj Mahal's unique style. Another excellent release that makes you feel as if you were sweating in the crowd at Tipitina's on this night back in 1980.
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