Savoy (Stony Plain Records)
Taj Mahal
Released April 28, 2023
JAZZ.FM91 Best Jazz Albums of 2023
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About:
Taj Mahal can rightfully be called a living legend for his contributions to popular music.
With a voice as instantly recognizable as Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, or Dr. John, Taj Mahal has throughout his career pushed the envelope of American music forward by incorporating sounds from the Caribbean, Africa, traditional blues and jazz. He has won 3 Grammys from 15 nominations, was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, and presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association. With ‘Savoy’, Taj takes a new direction in his musical journey, exploring classics from the American songbook with his good friend and acclaimed record producer John Simon, whose resume includes producing classic albums by The Band, Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot and Blood Sweat & Tears. ‘Savoy’ is the realization of a musical collaboration they had been planning for decades, finally locking in the studio time to make it happen in August 2022. Recorded with the hottest musicians in San Francisco, ‘Savoy’ is a loving throwback to the sounds of the swing jazz big band era, titled as a tribute to Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom where the music composed by the likes of Duke Ellington, Louis Jordan, George Gershwin and Louis Armstrong was performed by a who’s who of iconic artists, and now brought back to life by the one and only Taj Mahal.
Track Listing:
1. Stompin’ At The Savoy (Edgar Sampson) 3:33
2. I’m Just A Lucky So And So (Duke Ellington) 3:23
3. Gee Baby Ain’t I Good To You (Andy Razaf, Don Redman) 3:51
4. Summer Time (George Gershwin) 2:49
5. Mood Indigo (Duke Ellington) 4:09
6. Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby (Louis Jordan) 4:36
7. Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me (Duke Ellington) 5:06
8. Sweet Georgia Brown (Ben Bernie, Maceo Pinkard) 3:18
9. Baby It’s Cold Outside (Frank Loesser) 4:31
10. Lady Be Good (George Gershwin) 3:53
11. Baby Won’t You Please Come Home (Charles Warfield, Clarence Williams) 3:25
12. Caldonia (Louis Jordan) 3:32
13. Killer Joe (Benny Golson) 4:09
14. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) (Harold Arlen) 8:09
Personnel:
Taj Mahal: vocals, guitar
Leon Joyce, Jr: drums
Ruth Davies: bass
Danny Caron: guitar
John Simon: piano
Kirsten Strom: saxophone
Carla Holbrook, Charlotte McKinnon, Leah Tysse, Leesa Humphrey, Sandy Cressman, Sandy Griffith: backing vocals
Evan Price: violin (8)
Maria Muldaur: vocals (9)
Recorded August 2022, at 25th Street Recording, Oakland, CA, by Gabriel Shepard
Mixed by Hal Batt
Mastered by Jacob Batt
Produced by Taj Mahal & John Simon
Arranged by John Simon
Co-producer: Manny Moreira
Executive-Producer: Geoff Kulawick & Holger Petersen
Photography by Manny Moreira
Design: Red Pine Design
Review:
Taj Mahal has always served up a musical gumbo, and this year’s offering was no different. On Savoy, he jumps into the jazz world — and he has every right to do so. As he tells us on the opening track “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” that’s where “my daddy met my momma, my momma met my daddy.” In his gravelly voice, you can hear a hard and full life lived, and yet his pipes don’t sound much older than they did 30 years ago. Taj Mahal’s range and versatility truly shine though on Savoy. Highlights include “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby,” “Summer Time,” and “Gee Baby Ain’t I Good to You.” This album will have you smiling from ear to ear.
Ronnie Littlejohn (JAZZ.FM91)
