Taj Mahal Blues Biography
He was born in Harlem in New York City, but grew up in
Springfield, Massachusetts. His father was a jazz pianist/composer/arranger
of Jamaican descent, while his mother was a schoolteacher
from South Carolina who sang gospel. His grandfather married
a St. Kitts woman. His sister was Carole Fredericks. In
his song titled Ain't It Funky Now, he talks about his past
and where he grew up.
In the early 1960s he studied agriculture and animal husbandry
at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and graduated
in 1964. (The same university also gave him an honorary
Doctor of Fine Arts degree in 2006.) While there he formed
Taj Mahal & the Elektras; using a stage name of the
Taj Mahal was inspired by a dream.
After college, he moved to Los Angeles and formed the group
Rising Sons with Ry Cooder in 1964. The group signed with
Columbia Records and released one single and recorded another
album which was not released by Columbia until 1992. Taj,
frustrated with the mixed reaction to his music quit the
group and went solo. Still with Columbia, he released a
well received, self titled album in 1968, and based on its
success released a second album, Natch'l Blues that same
year. The two record set Giant Step, released in 1969 firmly
established Taj as an American blues artist, with its title
track becoming a cult favorite still popular with today's
audiences. Taj and guitarist Jesse Ed Davis are also known
for their performance in 1968 on The Rolling Stones Rock
and Roll Circus.
His music blends various sources: blues, reggae, Cajun,
gospel, bluegrass, Hawaiian (in fact, Taj lived for many
years on the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i), African and Caribbean
musical traditions. While keeping true to their roots, he
adds his own special touch. He also plays an assortment
of musical instruments.
He has received two Grammy Awards in the category Best Contemporary
Blues Album, the first in 1997 for Señor Blues, and
again in 2000 for Shoutin' In Key.
He has performed on various movie soundtracks including
Sounder and Blues Brothers 2000 in which he also appeared.
He also appeared briefly in the motion pictures Bill and
Ted's Bogus Journey (as the gatekeeper), Six Days, Seven
Nights (as the singer at a resort hotel), Divine Secrets
of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (as the leader of a swing band performing
at a party), Outside Ozona and The Song Catcher. He can
also be heard singing the theme song and playing the acoustic
guitar soundtrack on the children's cartoon Peep and the
Big Wide World. He is also the composer of famous song She
Caught The Katy (along with Yank Rachel) which is the first
song performed by Jake Blues (John Belushi) at the beginning
of the movie The Blues Brothers.
In 2006, he appeared as a guest musician on the Ladysmith
Black Mambazo album Long Walk to Freedom, playing an electric
guitar backing for "Mbube" ("The Lion Sleeps
Tonight").
On February 8, 2006, Taj Mahal was designated the "official
Blues Artist" of Massachusetts by Chapter 19 of the
Acts of 2006.[1] On December 16, 2006, he appeared with
his band, Taj Mahal Trio, at the 18th Annual Warren Haynes
Xmas Jam in Asheville, NC. The appearance was recorded for
an upcoming DVD which is to be released in early 2007.
Discography
* 1968 - Taj Mahal
* 1968 - The Natch'l Blues
* 1969 - Giant Step/De Ole Folks At Home
* 1971 - The Real Thing
* 1971 - Happy Just To Be Like I Am
* 1972 - Recycling The Blues & Other Related Stuff
* 1973 - Oooh So Good 'n Blues
* 1974 - Mo' Roots
* 1974 - Brothers
* 1975 - Music Keeps Me Together
* 1976 - Satisfied 'N Tickled Too
* 1976 - Music Fa' Ya (Musica Para Ti)
* 1977 - Evolution (The Latest)
* 1983 - Take A Giant Step
* 1991 - Like never before
* 1993 - Dancing The Blues
* 1993 - An Evening of Acoustic Music
* 1993 - The Source by Ali Farka Touré Flag of Mali
(World Circuit WCD030 / Hannibal 1375)
* 1995 - Mumtaz Mahal (with V.M. Bhatt and N. Ravikiran)
* 1996 - Phantom Blues
* 1997 - Señor Blues
* 1998 - Sacred Island (with The Hula Blues Band)
* 1999 - Kulanjan (with Toumani Diabaté) Flag of
Mali
* 2000 - Shoutin' In Key
* 2003 - Hanapepe Dream
* 2003 - Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues - Taj Mahal
* 2003 - Blues with Feeling
* 2004 : Musicmakers with Taj Mahal (Music Maker 49)
* 2004 : Etta Baker with Taj Mahal (Music Maker 50)
* 2005 - Mkutano Meets The Culture Musical Club Of Zanzibar
Flag of Tanzania
* 2005 - The Essential Taj Mahal
Commonwealth of Massachusetts | Chapter 19 of the Acts
of 2006
AN ACT DESIGNATING TAJ MAHAL AS THE
OFFICIAL BLUES ARTIST OF THE COMMONWEALTH.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives
in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the
same, as follows:
Chapter 2 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding
the following section:-
Section 54. The musician, Henry St. Clair Fredericks, better
known as Taj Mahal, shall be the official Blues Artist of
the commonwealth.
Approved February 8, 2006.
