''Taj'' is an

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by American

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

artist

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...

. The cover photograph was by

Robert Mapplethorpe Robert Michael Mapplethorpe (; November 4, 1946 – March 9, 1989) was an American photographer, best known for his black-and-white photographs. His work featured an array of subjects, including celebrity portraits, male and female nudes, self-p ...

Track listing

All tracks composed by Taj Mahal; except where indicated # "Everybody is Somebody" (The Mighty Shadow) # "Paradise" # "Do I Love Her" # "Light of the Pacific" (Toni Fonoti) # "

'Deed I Do "Deed I Do" is a 1926 jazz standard composed by Fred Rose with lyrics by Walter Hirsch. It was introduced by vaudeville performer S. L. Stambaugh and popularized by Ben Bernie's recording. It was recorded by influential clarinetist and bandleader ...

" # "Soothin'" (Jae Mason) # "Pillow Talk" (Michael Burton,

Sylvia Robinson Sylvia Robinson (née Vanderpool; May 29, 1935 – September 29, 2011) was an American singer, record producer, and record label executive. Robinson achieved success as a performer on two R&B chart toppers: as half of Mickey & Sylvia with ...

) # "Local Local Girl" # "Kauai Kalypso" # "French Letter" (Toni Fonoti)

Personnel

* Taj Mahal - acoustic and electric guitars, bass, percussion, keyboards, lead and background vocals * Jeanette Acosta - synthesizer * Wayne Henderson - keyboards * Ray Fitzpatrick - bass, percussion * Inshirah Mahal - congas, percussion *

Larry McDonald Lawrence Patton McDonald (April 1, 1935 – September 1, 1983) was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Georgia's 7th congressional district as a Democrat from 1975 until he was killed ...

- congas, percussion *

Babatunde Olatunji Michael Babatunde Olatunji (April 7, 1927 – April 6, 2003) was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist, and recording artist. Early life Olatunji was born in the village of Ajido, near Badagry, Lagos State, in southwestern Niger ...

- djembe, congas, shekere, percussion *

Ralph MacDonald Ralph Anthony MacDonald (March 15, 1944 – December 18, 2011) was a Trinidadian and Tobagonian American, Trinbagonian-American percussionist, songwriter, musical arranger, record producer, steelpan virtuoso and philanthropist. His compositions ...

- congas, tambourine, percussion *

Robert Greenidge Robert Greenidge (born 28 April 1950 in Success Village, Laventille, Trinidad) is a steelpan player. He is a member of popular music singer Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band and the instrumental group Club Trini. Greenidge has also collaborated ...

- steel drums, percussion * Ozzie Williams - drums, DBX drum programming *

Kester Smith Kester Winston "Smitty" Smith is an American percussionist. Born in Granada and raised from a young age in Trinidad, He is the drummer for the Taj Mahal Trio and has collaborated with jazz, blues and world musicians. He has performed with and ...

- drums * Chris Simpson - nylon stringed Spanish guitar * Tony Jones - electric bass, electric guitar * Fred Lunt - steel guitar *

Jesse Ed Davis Jesse Edwin Davis III (September 21, 1944 – June 22, 1988) was a Native American guitarist. He was well regarded as a session artist and solo performer, was a member of Taj Mahal's backing band and played with musicians such as Eric Clapton, J ...

- lead guitar * Kenny Lee Lewis - rhythm guitar *

Reggie Lucas Reginald Grant Lucas (February 25, 1953 – May 19, 2018)Garnett Brown Garnett Brown (January 31, 1936 – October 9, 2021) was a jazz trombonist who worked with The Crusaders, Herbie Hancock, Lionel Hampton, Earth Wind and Fire and others. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, he graduated from the University of Arkans ...

- trombone * Duane Benjamin - trombone * Melody McCully - background vocals * Pamela Vincent - background vocals * Joyce Wilson - background vocals

References

1987 albums Taj Mahal (musician) albums {{blues-album-stub