taj mahal - why did you have to desert me? (mp3)

i'm back on it people! second blog in as many days and the second in some kind of apology which actually is just an excuse to bang on about records i like!

today's installment comes from taj mahal. yes, you did hear me right. some call him a blues legend, which is justified to a certain extent. however, he made so much music that it is inevitable that a lot of it was, well, not particular great.

taj mahal (real name henry st. clair fredericks) struggled to be recognised by blues purists due to his obsession with fusing the sacred formula with other musical styles, and in the opinion of some, creating a highly watered down sound.

but there was always one track which popped up on his many albums which would blow you away. this selection is taken from his mo' roots album and is so, so, soooooo good, it's hard to do it justice in words. when he was on form, he really was on form.

i'm gonna shut up and let you judge for yourself.

nicely.