Nomination For Best Contemporary Blues Album Marks 40th Anniversary For Influential And Legendary Artist
Composer and multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal, a two-time GRAMMY® winner and one of the most influential artists of the past half-century, has scored a GRAMMY® nomination in the category of best Contemporary Blues Album for Maestro, his Heads Up International/Kan-Du Records debut album released worldwide in September 2008.
Maestro, Taj’s first U.S. release in five years, marks the fortieth anniversary of his rich and varied recording career by mixing original material with chestnuts from vintage sources and newcomers alike. Guests on this anniversary gala include Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Angelique Kidjo, Los Lobos, Ziggy Marley and others – many of whom have been directly influenced by Taj’s music and guidance.
The music press and mainstream media alike have praised Maestro as a pivotal new chapter in a highly influential career. “The first Taj Mahal studio album in five years is also his best in decades,” declared the Chicago Sun-Times. And in a four-star review, DownBeat called Maestro “a fitting and fun tribute to the wide swath of ideas Mahal has contributed not only to contemporary blues, but to pop music in general.”
And there’s been plenty more praise, from all corners:
“He’s celebrating forty years in the business and he knows how to keep things moving.” The New York Times
“If Maestro is intended to present a microcosmic view of where Taj Mahal has been during his forty years as a recording artist, it succeeds unequivocally…Despite the familiarity, though, Maestro never feels retro. It just feels like a nonstop party.” Relix
“Now in his fifth decade as a one-man musical melting pot, Taj Mahal continues to resist the constraints of genre…” Entertainment Weekly
“This year’s star-studded elder-statesman CD comes from bluesman Taj Mahal.” Associated Press
“We’re excited that Taj’s first recording with Heads Up has been nominated for one of the most prestigious awards in the entire recording industry,” says Dave Love, President of Heads Up, a division of Concord Music Group. “This is well-deserved recognition for an artist who has created so much great music over so many years, and has influenced so many other musicians along the way.”
GRAMMY® Awards winners will be announced at the 51st Annual GRAMMY® Awards Ceremony scheduled for Sunday, February 8, 2009, at StaplesCenter in Los Angeles. The ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT).
