ALBUM REVIEW By SAM SCARPELLI
2014 AUGUST 20
This is one of those albums that will turn you into an instant fan of both artist and genre. Taj Mahal has a rich musical history with a career spanning decades and a basketful of quality albums for you to discover (after this one, of course). He formed his first band The Rising Sons with Ed Cassidy and Ry Cooder and went on to work with a number of other renowned musicians. He would typically be described as a blues artist although this album falls more heavily into the funk category.
It only took a few minutes to know that I had stumbled upon another gem of a record, and after a week of spinning the disc to near destruction (not really) I had finally set it down. Those are the albums I'm always on the lookout for, and Satisfied 'N Tickled Too left me feeling just that. This is definitely a new addition to my "desert island list" of albums (though let's hope for better or worse it never comes to that)!
Taj has one of those voices that is both unbeatable and seemingly infallible. With endless musical charm his versatility is proven time and again, and he can capture your attention with great lyrics or merely a hum or whistle. A master of blues roots, it is easy to close your eyes and imagine him playing on the dusty old porch of yesteryear. These songs have a healthy amount of classic Taj style imbued with a dose of funk and party vibes. What stands out to me most are the amount of memorable riffs and melodies. There are enough good choruses to span two albums packed into the space of one. In other words a truly solid effort.
Guitar, Vocals, Harmoncia
Guitar Guitar Vibes Drums Keyboards Keyboards Bass Congas Alto Sax Soprano Sax |
TAJ MAHAL
T. LIFE CARL LARKIN DON MOORS SAM COX JOHN TURK JOACHIM YOUNG STAN MULELLAND RAFEL RAMIREZ RICK MYERS RUDY COSTA |
01. Satisfied 'N Tickled Too
02. New E-Z Rider Blues
03. Black Man, Brown Man
04. Baby Love
05. Ain't Nobody's Business
06. Misty Morning Ride
07. Easy To Love
08. Old Time Song
09. We Tune
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