Taj Mahal & the Hula Blues - Hanapepe Dream (CD)

Blend of blues, island and gulf-coast sounds

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Jun 10, 2003 | 1 out of 1 found this Hanapepe Dream review helpful

Taj Mahal’s always been more of a roots musician than a dedicated bluesman. His early excursions into reggae (1974’s "Mo’ Roots"), and his earlier work with Hawaiian music (1998’s "Sacred Island") are only a few of the projects that anticipate this release. This time out he’s backed by an acoustic string band, with plenty of slack-key guitar, for a gumbo of blues, island sounds and flavors of the gulf coast. What’s particularly impressive is how smoothly Mahal and his band blend reggae ("Blackjack David," and Bob Marley’s "African Herbsman"), country blues (Mississippi John Hurt’s "My Creole Belle"), and folk-rock ("All Along the Watchtower"). At times they rework the songs to their milieu, but more to the point, Mahal brings all of this music under his own umbrella, exposing their common roots without defoliating their individuality. 3-3/4 stars, if allowed fractional ratings.