Taj Mahal, Savoy, Stony Plain Records ***1/2

What a voice. What a feeling. Not an album for intellectualising over but built for unabashed enjoyment instead veteran blues man Taj Mahal goes pretty much jazz certainly in terms of the choice of tunes and all points adjacent much more than usual …

Published: 28 Feb 2023. Updated: 14 months.

What a voice. What a feeling. Not an album for intellectualising over but built for unabashed enjoyment instead veteran blues man Taj Mahal goes pretty much jazz certainly in terms of the choice of tunes and all points adjacent much more than usual here on a very enjoyable romp through a whole load of standards that you would have thought are just too familiar to work but do given the tilt Mahal and pals bring to it. So riffing against backing singers on 'Stompin’ at the Savoy' it's so laid back it's horizontal. Maria Muldaur guests on a stately ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’ while violinist Evan Price picks up some choice spots especially effective on 'Baby Won't You Please Come Home.' Recorded in an Oakland, California, studio with Taj (real name Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr who turned 80 last year) Danny Caron is on guitar; Ruth Davies on the bass; album producer John Simon on piano; and Leon Joyce, Jr is on drums as the core unit with guests joining in. Taj's harmonica playing on the rolling 'Caldonia' is one of the best bits and 'Lady Be Good' is another highlight when Taj scats. A fun listen. Out on 28 April. 'Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby' is streaming ahead of release. Taj Mahal, photo: via G Promo

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Nguyên Lê, Silk and Sand, ACT ****

Playing a blinder on the new Dhafer Youssef album Street of Minarets Silk and Sand is every bit as good east meeting west - and whisper it the great Vietnamese-French guitarist Nguyên Lê's best record yet, and that's saying a lot given his many …

Published: 27 Feb 2023. Updated: 14 months.

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Playing a blinder on the new Dhafer Youssef album Street of Minarets Silk and Sand is every bit as good east meeting west - and whisper it the great Vietnamese-French guitarist Nguyên Lê's best record yet, and that's saying a lot given his many achievements over the years mostly Loch-ed Down on ACT. Why that is perhaps is the sheer comfort you find him in here. But there's more than that. Yes, the instrumentalism is dazzling. For his sound make the leap from the microtonalism of David Fiuczynski, add in a bit of John McLaughlin and you are half way there plus factor in a lot of Asiatic dreaming and non-western scales journeying even deeper. Here Nguyên is with bassist Chris Jennings and percussionist Rhani Krija. It's a power trio sound that joins the dots across so many genres and yet connects most with a hot fiery blues sensibility and particularly if you like the adventurous innovations of the 1970s. The bottleneck reverberations on 'Becoming Water' are a feat for one. Guests are Sylvain Barou on the flute and duduk, Miron Rafajlovic trumpet & flugelhorn and the great Étienne Mbappé on electric bass. A pleasure from beginning to end.

Nguyên Lê photo, photo: Sylvie Laurent