Taj Mahal | The Natch'l Blues (LP)

Limited 180gm audiophile vinyl LP pressing. Reissue of Taj's timeless 1968 stereo LP including 'Corinna,' 'Going Up To The Country,' and 'Paint My Mailbox Blue.' The deluxe sleeve replicates the original albums artwork.

Personnel includes: Taj Mahal (vocals, National steel guitar, harmonica); Jesse Ed Davis (guitar, piano); Al Kooper (piano); Gary Gilmore (bass); Chuck Blackwell, Earl Palmer (drums). Producer: David Rubinson. Reissue producer: Bob Irwin. Recorded in May & October 1968. Originally released on Columbia (9698). Includes liner notes by Stanley Crouch. Digitally remastered by Vic Anesini (Sony Music, New York, New York). Although Taj Mahal's second album was recorded and released within months of his self-titled debut, THE NATCH'L BLUES moves away from that album's largely acoustic Delta blues leanings into a more electric and rock-influenced sound. "Move away from" hardly means "forsake," however. Among the songs beefed up by organist Al Kooper and drummer Earl Palmer is the traditional folk standard "The Cuckoo," which takes to rock-influenced instrumentation much better than one might think. Similarly, a moving rendition of William Bell's "You Don't Miss Your Water" reaffirms the Stax/Volt pop song's blues roots. The best songs on THE NATCH'L BLUES, however, are the Taj Mahal originals that sound like old country blues standards, like the fearsome full-band rocker "She Caught the Katy" and the powerful solo opener "Good Morning Miss Brown." 

Tracklist

A1        Good Morning Miss Brown
A2        Corinna
A3        I Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Steal My Jellyroll
A4        Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue
A5        Done Changed My Way Of Living
B1        She Caught The Katy And Left Me A Mule To Ride
B2        The Cuckoo
B3        You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til Your Well Runs Dry)
B4        A Lot Of Love

*Audio and/or tracklist may vary slightly from the vinyl version.

Label: Columbia
Rel. Date: 04/20/2013
UPC: 8718469532599

• Genre: Contemporary Blues
• Format: Vinyl
• Format Detail: LP