{"id":2992,"date":"2023-02-25T06:51:56","date_gmt":"2023-02-25T06:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/perfectmusictoday.com\/?p=2992"},"modified":"2023-02-25T06:52:01","modified_gmt":"2023-02-25T06:52:01","slug":"stony-plain-records-announces-3-time-grammy-winning-roots-music-legend-taj-mahal-to-release-new-album-savoy-on-april-28-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/perfectmusictoday.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/25\/stony-plain-records-announces-3-time-grammy-winning-roots-music-legend-taj-mahal-to-release-new-album-savoy-on-april-28-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Stony Plain Records Announces 3 Time Grammy-Winning Roots Music Legend Taj Mahal to Release New Album “Savoy” on April 28, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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WATERDOWN, ON \u2013 Stony Plain Records today announces the release of roots music legend Taj Mahal\u2019s ground-breaking new album Savoy<\/em><\/strong>, on April 28. 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 Johnny Cash, throughout his career Taj has pushed the envelope of American roots music forward by incorporating sounds from the Caribbean, Africa, traditional blues and jazz. He has won three Grammy Awards from 14 nominations, was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, and presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Savoy<\/em><\/strong>, Taj takes a new direction in his musical journey, exploring a collection of blues tinged classic material 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. Recording Savoy is the realization of a musical collaboration they had been discussing for decades, finally locking in the studio time in Oakland, California to make it happen in August, 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the introduction to the first track \u201cStompin\u2019 at the Savoy,\u201d Taj Mahal talks about his parents meeting for the first time at the famous Savoy Ballroom in Harlem during the initial run of Ella Fitzgerald with the Chick Webb Band in 1938, writes Stony Plain Records co-founder Holger Petersen in the album\u2019s informative liner notes. The album is a loving throwback to the sounds of the swing jazz big band era. With guest vocals of Maria Muldaur on \u201cBaby It\u2019s Cold Outside\u201d and Evan Price\u2019s violin on two tracks, the album covers 14 standards composed by the likes of Duke Ellington, Louis Jordan, George Gershwin and Louis Armstrong, brought to life by the unique voice and character of the one and only Taj Mahal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taj explains, \u201cI heard [the songs on Savoy<\/strong>] as a kid when all of those people who made those musics were alive and speaking to us through the records. Those weren\u2019t just records to collect. Those were like listening to your relatives, your uncles, your cousins, your grandparents speaking to you through that medium, the medium of music.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe music was good then. It\u2019s going to be good now,\u201d<\/em> concludes Taj, \u201cespecially when you got people who really respect what it is. Also, [who] respect the gift they\u2019ve been given. It\u2019s a gift to be able to play music, art, dance, write, do science, whatever, \u2018cause you\u2019re contributing to humanity. What you\u2019ve been sent to do, that\u2019s the whole thing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taj\u2019s exploration of music began as an exploration of self. He was born in 1942 in Harlem to musical parents — his father was a jazz pianist with Caribbean roots who collaborated with Buddy Johnson, Taj\u2019s godfather. His mother was a gospel-singing school teacher from South Carolina — who cultivated an appreciation for both personal history and the arts in their son. \u201cI was raised really conscious of my African roots,<\/em>\u201d Taj says.  \u201dMy parents came together around music, which was swing and the beginnings of bebop. That was significant, in terms of what kind of music I heard from them.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fans of Taj know that he started working with Ry Cooder in the mid-60s LA band, The Rising Sons. His first two solo Columbia albums, Taj Mahal<\/em><\/strong>(1967) and The Natch\u2019l Blues<\/em><\/strong> (1968), are two of the most influential blues albums of all time. Never one to be pigeonholed, Taj has recorded more styles of roots music than any other artist. Those releases include music from the Caribbean, Hawaii, Africa, and India, as well as gospel, rock, early R&B, children\u2019s music, soundtracks, and nearly every kind of acoustic and electric blues. He brings a musicologist\u2019s quest to each project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taj first met producer John Simon at the New York City Columbia Records Studios in 1968. John was producing and playing piano on the first Electric Flag album. Taj was already a fan of John\u2019s productions, playing and arrangements, in particular his arrangements for an album featuring Marshall McLuhan, the influential media guru. At the time, John was a staff producer at Columbia. Taj invited John to play keyboards on his tours during the \u201870s and he also played on Taj\u2019s landmark The Real Thing<\/em><\/strong> (1972) album as part of an adventurous band that included four tuba players. Taj and John have remained close friends and kept in touch over the years and toured together again in 2006. Talk eventually turned to their mutual love of classic standards with a blues twist and to doing another album together. Trading songs, the two came up with a list of 59 possibilities before settling in on the 14 contained in Savoy<\/em><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Savoy<\/em><\/strong> was recorded at 25th Street Recording in Oakland with engineer Gabriel Shepard. Taj showed up the first day about 1:00 PM and settled in with cups of sweet tea. Backing Taj Mahal vocals and harmonica on Savoy i<\/em><\/strong>s a rhythm section comprised of Danny Caron \u2013 guitar; Ruth Davies \u2013 bass; John Simon \u2013 piano; and Leon Joyce, Jr. \u2013 drums; with background vocals by Carla Holbrook, Leesa Humphrey, Charlotte McKinnon, Sandy Cressman, Sandy Griffith and Leah Tysse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the first day of recording, the band was running down John Simon\u2019s arrangement of \u201cStompin\u2019 at the Savoy\u201d with encouragement from Taj. Chick Webb had the first hit with the song in 1934 and Ella later recorded it with Louis Armstrong. Taj said, \u201cIt needs a little more sashay. You\u2019ll know it when you hear it.<\/em>\u201d Co-Executive Producer Holger Petersen who was at the session shares, \u201cand everybody did! Taj\u2019s scat singing is a highlight. Except for \u201cKiller Joe, fans would likely have heard all the others at one time or another at the Savoy Ballroom during its long run from 1926 to 1958. This is a Taj album like no other and a deep part of his long history. \u201c<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Savoy<\/em><\/strong> will be released on compact disc, vinyl, and digital formats on April 28, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Savoy<\/em><\/strong> Track Listing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. STOMPIN\u2019 AT THE SAVOY – 3:44<\/li>
  2. I\u2019M JUST A LUCKY SO AND SO – 3:23<\/li>
  3. GEE BABY, AIN\u2019T I GOOD TO YOU – 3:51<\/li>
  4. SUMMERTIME – 2:50<\/li>
  5. MOOD INDIGO – 4:09<\/li>
  6. IS YOU IS OR IS YOU AIN\u2019T MY BABY – 4:37<\/li>
  7. DO NOTHIN\u2019 TILL YOU HEAR FROM ME – 5:05<\/li>
  8. SWEET GEORGIA BROWN – 3:18<\/li>
  9. BABY IT\u2019S COLD OUTSIDE – 4:33 (duet with Maria Muldaur)<\/li>
  10. LADY BE GOOD – 3:52<\/li>
  11. BABY WON\u2019T YOU PLEASE COME HOME – 3:25<\/li>
  12. CALDONIA – 3:32<\/li>
  13. KILLER JOE – 4:09<\/li>
  14. ONE FOR MY BABY – 9:14<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Listen to the single, \u201cGee Baby Ain\u2019t I Good to You\u201d<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And Pre-Order\/Pre-Save the New Album Here:<\/u><\/strong> https:\/\/stonyplainrecords.com\/tajmahal\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    WATERDOWN, ON \u2013 Stony Plain Records today announces the release of roots music legend Taj Mahal\u2019s ground-breaking new album Savoy, on April 28. 2023.  Taj Mahal can rightfully be called a living legend for his contributions… <\/p>\n

    Continue Reading Stony Plain Records Announces 3 Time Grammy-Winning Roots Music Legend Taj Mahal to Release New Album “Savoy” on April 28, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/perfectmusictoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2992"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/perfectmusictoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/perfectmusictoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/perfectmusictoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/perfectmusictoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2992"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/perfectmusictoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2992\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2995,"href":"https:\/\/perfectmusictoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2992\/revisions\/2995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/perfectmusictoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/perfectmusictoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/perfectmusictoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}