Thanks for this, Rickie. enjoyed it all morning. all that was missing was my favorite, "CAKEWALK TO TOWN." From Recycling the Blues and Other Related Stuff
I grew up in Calumet City, a south Chicago suburb. Back then (1968), on Friday nights Chicago's PBS affiliate (WTTW, channel 11) had a program featuring live-in-the studio performances by bands passing through town, usually performing at the Aragon Ballroom. One night, the featured artist was Taj Mahal (the classic line-up with Jesse Ed Davis, Gary Gilmore, and "Cloudy" Chuck Blackwell). I was a 14-year-old kid bass player, absorbing all things musical, but this was new and exciting stuff. The next day, my buddy Dave and I took the South Shore into The Loop to pay a visit to Rose Records on Wabash Avenue. Once there, I found Traffic's second album right away, which was my original reason for the visit. But then I picked up "The Natch'l Blues." A little later, heading up to the checkout counter, I came face to face with the man himself (the aisles were narrow). "Hey. You're the guy from Taj Mahal! I saw you on TV last night."
"Did you enjoy it?"
I held up his album. "Yeah, I did. I play,too. I play bass. I'm not real good, though."
"Stick with it, little brother, and it'll come to you."
Now, it's 57 years later, and I stuck with it. To this day, no one has ever said anything about my musical pursuits that has meant as much to me as those ten words. I was just a goofball kid. He didn't have to say anything, but he did. A sublime moment.
Best wishes from windswept Holland (yeah, it's a long way from Calumet City).
You kinda introduced me to his music and this album and I am forever grateful. Have seen him now a few times live and super special moment was taking my then 10 year old son Max along. Lovely to read this today, thanks RL
I love Taj. musician, storyteller, educator, mentor. I got to meet him when he was booked to play a roots and blues festival in the summer in England. He was strolling around looking at the bookstall, like me. We started talking. It was a thrill. I bought John Miller Chernoff’s African Rhythm and African Sensibility at that book stall. I found out years later that that book was a key text for Brian Eno and David Byrne when they were planning their My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts album. I took my copy of his Natchl Blues to the festival hoping I could get him to sign it. Sho’nuff he did. 🙏💫🙌
i thought the book 'my life in the bush of ghosts' might have been the text for the album... but perhaps they just liked the title. do you know that African book? Nothing like it really. read it if you haven't and Then listen to Remain in Light ... Letting the days go by letting the water hold me down. ..
Hey Rickie… well, that’s interesting. I didn’t know there was a story called My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts. Eno referred to Chernoff’s study in an interview where he was describing the process of making that album, and Chernoff’s book was instrumental (pun intended) musically. There is a nice connection here between the two books and the album, because Chernoff’s study describes how drumming impacts social mores and culture in Ghana, which is what Tutuola’s story is about in Nigeria (Wikipedia tells me) - next to Ghana I will read the story. Thank you :) Thanks to Taj we had a nice little excursion through music and society. He’d like that.
Thanks for this, Rickie. enjoyed it all morning. all that was missing was my favorite, "CAKEWALK TO TOWN." From Recycling the Blues and Other Related Stuff
This was our Sunday morning clean up the apt music when I was a sprout.
Sincerity is absolutely the key.
Gwen Thompkins did a great interview with him on her show Music Inside Out
https://www.wwno.org/show/music-inside-out-with-gwen-thompkins/2013-06-27/the-legendary-taj-mahal
I grew up in Calumet City, a south Chicago suburb. Back then (1968), on Friday nights Chicago's PBS affiliate (WTTW, channel 11) had a program featuring live-in-the studio performances by bands passing through town, usually performing at the Aragon Ballroom. One night, the featured artist was Taj Mahal (the classic line-up with Jesse Ed Davis, Gary Gilmore, and "Cloudy" Chuck Blackwell). I was a 14-year-old kid bass player, absorbing all things musical, but this was new and exciting stuff. The next day, my buddy Dave and I took the South Shore into The Loop to pay a visit to Rose Records on Wabash Avenue. Once there, I found Traffic's second album right away, which was my original reason for the visit. But then I picked up "The Natch'l Blues." A little later, heading up to the checkout counter, I came face to face with the man himself (the aisles were narrow). "Hey. You're the guy from Taj Mahal! I saw you on TV last night."
"Did you enjoy it?"
I held up his album. "Yeah, I did. I play,too. I play bass. I'm not real good, though."
"Stick with it, little brother, and it'll come to you."
Now, it's 57 years later, and I stuck with it. To this day, no one has ever said anything about my musical pursuits that has meant as much to me as those ten words. I was just a goofball kid. He didn't have to say anything, but he did. A sublime moment.
Best wishes from windswept Holland (yeah, it's a long way from Calumet City).
nice story, my old home town and all the more intriguing coming to me from across the sea.. in Holland no less. thanks.
You kinda introduced me to his music and this album and I am forever grateful. Have seen him now a few times live and super special moment was taking my then 10 year old son Max along. Lovely to read this today, thanks RL
oh that's good to hear Doug.
I love Taj. musician, storyteller, educator, mentor. I got to meet him when he was booked to play a roots and blues festival in the summer in England. He was strolling around looking at the bookstall, like me. We started talking. It was a thrill. I bought John Miller Chernoff’s African Rhythm and African Sensibility at that book stall. I found out years later that that book was a key text for Brian Eno and David Byrne when they were planning their My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts album. I took my copy of his Natchl Blues to the festival hoping I could get him to sign it. Sho’nuff he did. 🙏💫🙌
i thought the book 'my life in the bush of ghosts' might have been the text for the album... but perhaps they just liked the title. do you know that African book? Nothing like it really. read it if you haven't and Then listen to Remain in Light ... Letting the days go by letting the water hold me down. ..
Hey Rickie… well, that’s interesting. I didn’t know there was a story called My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts. Eno referred to Chernoff’s study in an interview where he was describing the process of making that album, and Chernoff’s book was instrumental (pun intended) musically. There is a nice connection here between the two books and the album, because Chernoff’s study describes how drumming impacts social mores and culture in Ghana, which is what Tutuola’s story is about in Nigeria (Wikipedia tells me) - next to Ghana I will read the story. Thank you :) Thanks to Taj we had a nice little excursion through music and society. He’d like that.