Taj Mahal - In Progress & in Motion: 1965-1998 (BOX SET)

Product Description: Taj Mahal has become a blues ambassador, carrying the music to new audiences and melding it with other influences. It's altogether appropriate, then, that three of the early tracks on this three-CD set are unreleased from the Rolling Stones 1968 musical experiment, Rock and Roll Circus. This box emphasizes (but is not limited to) Taj's early career–the late-'60s through the mid-'70s–and whether he's playing solo acoustic instrumentals ("Buck Dancer's Choice"), revving up a rock band ("Statesboro Blues"), or weaving his National Steel guitar around tubas ("Sweet Mama Janisse"), the blues element is never far from center. He even brings out the Pointer Sisters, who funkify the blues standard, "Sweet Home Chicago." The latter part of the box ventures into the 1980s and '90s, and features some songs for kids. Taj Mahal makes a world gumbo of the blues, spiced with a nice hot sauce.

Review: For being a nearly omnipresent figure, Taj Mahal has never quite gotten the respect he's deserved. At the beginning of his career, he earned a significant amount of attention, but as the years passed, he had woven himself into the fabric of blues culture so well that his presence was taken for granted. That is why the 1998 release of In Progress & In Motion 1965-1998 was so welcome. Spanning three discs and over three decades, the box set accurately summarizes Mahal's career and makes a convincing case for his talents as a roots synthesist. Dedicated fans may notice a favorite or two missing, but they'll be pleased by the 15 unreleased tracks, including two songs intended for his debut album. There are a number of other rarities for the dedicated here, including several unheard live cuts, material from his early group the Rising Sons, and his entire contribution to the Rolling Stones' legendary Rock & Roll Circus. Even with this plethora of rarities, In Progress & In Motion is primarily for fans who want a solid, comprehensive summary of Mahal's achievements without delving into the particular records, especially since it chooses its songs judiciously, concentrating on his groundbreaking late-'60s/early-'70s work. Indeed, much of his post-Columbia/CBS recordings are quickly recounted on the third disc, but that isn't a problem — the first two discs show how Mahal created his own sound; the third shows how he maintained it. By balancing the music this way, Mahal and his partner, Lawrence Cohn, have created a representative, enlightening retrospective that is appealing to casual and hardcore fans alike.

Track Listing

CD 1
01 - You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond - 6:18
02 - Corrina - 4:28
03 - Checkin' Up On My Baby - 5:39
04 - Leaving Trunk - 6:26
05 - Buck Dancer's Choice - 3:12
06 - Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue - 3:34
07 - She Caught The Katy & Left Me A Mule To Ride - 3:28
08 - Ain't Gwine Whistle Dixie (Any Mo') - 1:03
09 - Stagger Lee - 3:20
10 - Built For Comfort - 4:46
11 - Natural Man - 4:30
12 - Railroad Bill - 2:35
13 - Texas Woman Blues - 2:56
14 - Early In The Morning - 5:01
15 - Dust My Broom - 4:30
16 - Blind Boy Rag - 4:09

CD 2
01 - Oh, Susanna - 2:59
02 - Cakewalk Into Town - 2:32
03 - Fishin' Blues [Live - Previously Unreleased] - 3:15
04 - Nobody's Busines But My Own [Live - Previously Unreleased] - 3:30
05 - Sweet Mama Janisse - 3:35
06 - Little Red Hen Blues [Live - Previously Unreleased] - 4:54
07 - Mary Don't You Weep [Live - Previously Unreleased] - 2:37
08 - Sweet Home Chicago [Live - Previously Unreleased] - 3:17
09 - Frankie & Albert - 3:59
10 - M'Banjo [Previously Unreleased] - 3:19
11 - Statesboro Blues [Take 2] - 2:26
12 - Bye & Bye - 3:34
13 - Six Days On The Road - 3:01
14 - We Gonna Rock [Live] - 5:55
15 - Ain't It Funky Now [Previously Unreleased] - 2:45
16 - Tom & Sally Drake - 3:42
17 - Fishin' Blues [Previously Unreleased] - 3:14
18 - Blues With A Feeling [Previously Unreleased] - 4:12
19 - Freight Train [Previously Unreleased] - 3:20

CD 3
01 - When I Feel the Sea Beneath My Soul - 3:09
02 - West Indian Revelation - 6:07
03 - Eighteen Hammers - 3:32
04 - Johnny Too Bad - 3:14
05 - Slave Driver - 2:36
06 - (Clara) St. Kitts Woman - 4:16
07 - Do I Love Her - 4:04
08 - Everybody Is Somebody - 3:31
09 - But I Rode Some - 2:27
10 - Crossing - 2:34
11 - Sentidos Dulce (Sweet Feelings) - 3:09
12 - The Most Recent Evolution of Muthafusticus Modernusticus - 3:24
13 - Curry - 3:35
14 - Follow the Drinking Gourd - 2:41
15 - Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) - 3:34
16 - Little Brown Dog - 4:16
17 - Senor Blues - 3:43
18 - Ain't That a Lot of Love - 4:00
19 - Take a Giant Step - 4:18

Personnel
Taj "Dadi Kouyate" Mahal - Primary Artist
The Pointer Sisters - Track Performer
Larry Fulcher - Bass, Background Vocals