•Our 35th Year Proudly Promoting All Things Music• FREE! October 2020 The Midnight Callers Unnamed Colors Bobbo Byrnes One Dime Band Reboot: Taj Mahal - January 2009 Taj Mahal has lived a charmed life indeed. playing live? Panic. We talked and found that we had fishing stuff man. Iʼm constantly finding various versions Born Henry Saint Clair Fredericks in Harlem and Oh, all of it! Not every recording you do is really in common. Then I checked in with him and he of compilations that Columbia Records have raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, the world great, sometimes because of the equipment and came out and did a couple of gigs for me and then made of my stuff that I never saw before. I just renowned blues troubadour celebrates his 40th sometimes because of the musicians. The same it was like, what a difference. saw one the other night... the first album I ever year as a solo performer with an outstanding thing with live. One of the things about live playing So he started working with me and we said this did for Columbia. I pulled the vinyl out and looked new album aptly titled Maestro. After living in that happened to me about twelve years ago is is going to be a part of the equation that’s going at it and it was a lineup that I had no idea, I never Hawaii for more than twenty years, Mahal has that I got my own sound man that I travel with all to make it a lot easier for me. We know everyday saw it before. returned to the mainland and resumes a vigorous the time. Iʼm telling you, I understand why guys the strength and weakness of the sound system. Unfortunately in my case, when I came in to touring schedule that takes him to all corners of the business, one thing that I wasnʼt able to do the world. I talked with him at length one sunny was own my own publishing. If I had a little more afternoon in November and he enlightened me on money to deal with that coming in, I would have his amazing career. worked out a better deal with the record company. But you learn as time goes on. METRONOME: Congratulations on your 40th METRONOME: Do you do that now? year in the music business. Did you ever think Oh yeah, thatʼs exactly whatʼs happening with that you would still be doing what you love, the present Maestro release and weʼve done that making music? before with other recordings. Weʼve taken a page Taj Mahal: Yeah, because I didnʼt care whether out of the rapperʼs book. Thatʼs how they do it. I was going to be as popular at it to the point I METRONOME: How did you come up with the became. There was definitely a line between name for your new album, Maestro? being popular and playing music for what you That name was actually given to me by the personally enjoy out of it. What music was to Argentinians. I had gone two or three time down different cultures, outside of the popular music to Argentina to play. I went down there solo a scene, although I still donʼt claim to know all the few times. Then I went down there with Albert inside moves of the music business in the United King one time and with Albert Collins one time. States, but the general popular music in the world, It turned out that there were a lot of musicians in I have some understanding of it because Iʼve been South America who were familiar with my work. successful at what Iʼve been doing for a long time. The blues is felt real deeply all around the world Reaching a larger audience, thereʼs a breakdown by lots of different people. They think of it as being between quality and quantity, and thatʼs been an a product thatʼs exported out of this country, so elusive equation with me, but as far as quality is in South America there were a lot of players who concerned, Iʼve always been able to come up with were just starting to find their way through the that. Good quality music. Sometimes itʼs not been Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton to Muddy Waters in vogue, or popular, or ahead of the game, but and Howlin Wolf and those artists, and saying, most of all I was interested in playing music. The like Marvin Gaye and Ry Cooder didnʼt like to He works everything up before we get there. “Wow, who inspired these guys?” Somewhere most important thing for me was not letting the travel live because they couldn’t guarantee night Thatʼs been my best investment. Our live shows along the line, they came across me. So when I popular music dictate what it was that I played. I after night their sound and what they did. Between are always consistent and thatʼs what the people went to do some playing down there, thatʼs when think Iʼve accomplished that. 97 and 99% of the time, we have the sound the really enjoy. I noticed that they started calling me Maestro. I METRONOME: You followed your own path all way we want it. We can adjust to any situation METRONOME: How many albums have you said, this is quite honorary! these years and it proved to be successful... and get the best out of it so the audience has a recorded through the years? METRONOME: What kind of guitars are you Yeah, I was lucky because my interest has wonderful audio and visual experience. If you talk about direct stuff thatʼs under my playing? always been the music. I never had to say, Okay METRONOME: Who is the soundman that has name, itʼs probably getting close to 50. If you After years of being away, I came back to the music, I love you, but we got to go out there helped you so much? Whatʼs his name? talk about other projects, weʼre probably well Bay area. Iʼve been living in Berkeley. Thereʼs a and jump up and down like monkeys for these Richard Bink whoʼs from upper New York state. up over 100. Thereʼs a lot of projects Iʼve been a great guitar store/shop called Subway Guitars. people (laughs). Iʼve never had to make that He worked with Public Enemy and did a lot of work part of. I did a couple of songs on a Jimi Hendrix They have a lot of old fashioned, antique guitars compromise. Iʼve always been my own man and in the studios and then went out on the road with tribute, I did two songs on a Bob Dylan tribute, and instruments and they build instruments. They my own person. Blues Traveler and worked with them a lot. We met I did one song on a Rolling Stones tribute... Iʼve make a lot of different guitars for Ry Cooder, Mark METRONOME: What have you enjoyed doing on the lawn of the White House during the Clinton done soundtracks over here, movies over there, Knopfler, Rick Nielsen [Cheap Trick], Jackson the most through the years, recording or inauguration. He was working with Widespread played with this bunch of guys... thereʼs a lot of Brown, David Lindley, Green Day, Bob Weir, me You Break... We MISC Buy~Sell~Trade Fix! Thousands of LPs, We repair: Guitars, Amps, Keyboards, Effects, Stereos, 45s & CDs In Stock VCR/DVD players, D.J. Gear, Recorders & more! Plus MUSICAL INSTRUMENT DVDs, Books, Memorabilia, SERVICE CENTER T-Shirts, Posters & more 4 Haviland Street • Boston [email protected] (617) 247-0525 Across the street www.facebook.com/vinylvaultstore from Berklee College www.MISCFIX.com and lots of other people. Itʼs a cool, down-to-earth me to sing. I gave her the melody but how she where I had to play to and dunk in and out of the and Rolling Stone, all of them had articles about it. thing. Now, I have a guitar called the Maestro. embraced the melody was very interesting. whole thing. I just wanted to be the local guy with I guess Elvis Costello, John Cougar Mellencamp, METRONOME: Is it an acoustic guitar or an METRONOME: Warren Haynes produced both his kids in school and people saying, “Oh that guy Radiohead and Mark Knopfler are pushing it. electric? songs that you recorded with the New Orleans plays guitar.” The point is, if you put it out on vinyl, you canʼt Itʼs an electric guitar. Thereʼs not that much Social Club. How did you meet Warren? METRONOME: Did you move to Hawaii for download it. You canʼt download vinyl (laughs). I volume on it. Itʼs a Howard Roberts body with a My current sound guy was really good friends your children? was shocked at the young people between 20, 24 Danelectro neck and a Bill Lawrence pickup. It with him. Like anybody who is out there playing, Yeah, I had an opportunity to either have them and older who have just the vinyl album. Thatʼs has one volume knob and I play it out of a Fender theyʼve all come across what Iʼve been doing. I on concrete or on dirt roads with palm trees, the new thing. People are starting to restore old Bassman amp. Thatʼs what really makes the knew Warren was with Govʼt Mule and we played bananas, fruit and water. It was a great thing. record machines. We sold out two or three times sound. Then Iʼve got a tuner, volume pedal and on all kinds of festivals together.