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FEBRUARY 25, 1999 AUGUSTA FOCUS
4C
MUSIC |
Taj Mahal: A retrospective
B Progress & In Motion
collects over three decades
of Taj Mahal, his best work
from more than a half
dozen mamor labels is
represented.
In Progress & In Motion (1965-1998)
explores Taj Mahal’s lifelong love af
fair with the guitar, with the gospel,
folk, jazz and blues roots of America,
Africa and the Caribbean, and with
the endless possibilities of music as
one of the most effective means of
breaking down the barriers that sepa
rate people around the world. This
box set is the first career-spanning
collection to gather tracks from the
half-dozen major labels Taj has re
corded for, especiaily Columbia where
he spent the first formative decade of
his expansive career. The collection
was released by Columbia/Legacy, a
division of Sony Music.
The release finds Taj Mahal solidly
productive on several fronts. Itsevoca
tive homage to Horace Silver, “Senor
Blues,” is the title tune of this year’s
Grammy-winning “Best Contempo
rary Blues Album.” Taj and the Phan
tom Blues Band also recently wrapped
up a tour with the Dave Matthews
Band, and Taj appeared with the Hula
Blues Band in a big-screen cameo ap
pearance in the Harrison Ford movie
6 Days and 7 Nights.
In Progress & In Motion (1965-1998)
weighs in with three CDs containing
54 tracks, 15 of which are previously
unreleased. As the ultimate compen
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dium of t‘:j’s life in music, it presents
the entire picture. The set kicks off
with his| first West Coast recordings
for Columbia led with the Rising Sons
andßy eron Blind Willie McTell’s
“Statesboro Blues” and Charley
Patton’s|“Bye & Bye.” These sessions
went unreleased until Columbia/
Legacy 1992 release of Rising Sons
featuring Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder.
The collection also includes Taj’s con
tributions to the Rolling Stones’ “Rock
and Roll Circus,” the historic 1968
extravaganza at which he appeared at
the Stones’ personal invitation (these
tracks have never officially been re
leased until now). It continues through
Taj’s musical explorations, eventually
catching up to date with the title track
of “Senor Blues.”
There is hardly a musical stone that
Tajhas lefcunturned. The early phase
of his Columbia years was character
ized by five seminal LPs (all produced
by David Rubinson between 67 and
’7l) drenched in the country blues
first encountered by Taj in the 'sos.
Taj’s albums were built around a
group that featured Ry Cooder and
another |discovery, native American
Jessie Ed Davison guitar. Thatlineup
transformed within five years to the
concert-stage unit organized by Taj
and tuba virtuoso Howard Johnson,
who me a cornerstone of Taj’s
sound starting in 1971.
With side trips into Chicago blues,
Memphisg soul, and yes, country mu
sic, those LPs set the stage for Taj
Mahal’s lemergence in 1972. As a
world class champion of eclecticism,
he produced his first LP that year (he
would produce his own music for the
next 20 years), introducing reggae a
year before Bob Marley’s exposure
outside Jamaica. Taj introduced the
Pointer Sisters nearly two years be
fore their first LP; recorded the
soundtrack for 20th Century-Fox’s
Sounder (starring Cicely Tyson and
Paul Winfield, with Taj in a cameo);
and gradually broadened his West
Indian, African and Latin scopes.
In Progress &In Motion (1965-1998)
succeeds in delivering a portrait of a
complex, prolific artist whohas thrived
and survived. After parting company
with Columbia in 1976, Taj Mahal
moved to Warner Bros. where he orga
nized the basic lineup that became his
International Rhythm Band, includ
ing Rudy Costa (reeds), Robert
Greenidge (steel drum), Kester Smith
(drums), Hoshal Wright (guitar), Larry
McDonald (percussion), Kwasi
Dzizournu (congas & percussion), Bill
Rich (bass), Ray Fitzpatrick (bass),
and Earl “Wire” Lindo (keyboards &
organ) from Bob Marley and the
Wailers. While at Warner Bros. he
produced another soundtrack, for the
film Brothers, starring Bernie Casey,
Vonetta McGee and Ron O'Neal. Upon
leaving the label, Taj was heralded as
“the first major blues-rock artist to be
captured live on a direct-to-disc re
cording” with the limited edition re
lease of 1979’s “Love & Direct” on
Crystal Clear.
By the time he arrived at
Gramavision in the mid-80s, Taj’s in
terests had long been expanded into
Hawaiian, Melanesian, and
Polynesian music and culture. But
See TAJ MAHAL, page 11C
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Fax news of your upcoming
special events to Augusta Focus
at (706) 724-8432.
The Augusta Symphony
David Hickman to
perform with Symphony
On February 27, at 8 p.m., the Au
gusta Symphony, under the direction of
Maestro Donald Portnoy, will be joined
by trumpeter David Hickman in a con
cert that spans the works of all time.
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David Hickman
has toured throughout the Far East
and Europe and many major American
cities. After performingin New York, a
New York Times review said, “David
Hickman produced an extraordinarily
sweet, smooth tone, and brings to his
playing the kind of subtle shading one
hears more frequently from violinists
and cellists than from brass players.”
In addition to his extensive touring,
Mr. Hickman is also a noted clinician
and author, as well as, a professor of
music at Arizona State University.
From the early baroque period to
more recent twentieth century music,
this concert covers it all. Tickets for
this concert can be purchased by calling
the Augusta Symphony box office at
826-4705 or visiting the Symphony of
fices at Sacred Heart Cultural Center,
1301 Greene Street. Ticket prices are:
$27.50 for sections B, C, E, and F; $22
for sections A and D; and $lO for sec
tions AA and DD.
This concert is sponsored by
Nationsbank and Lite 98-WSLT.
The concert
will be held at
ASU’s Maxwell
Performing
Arts Theatre.
David
Hickmanisone
of the world’s
finest trumpet
virtuosos and
has appeared
with over 400
orchestras
worldwide. He