Mo' Roots

On this 1974 recording, Taj Mahal ventures beyond blues and soul to explore the Caribbean side of his heritage. He sings in Spanish on "Why Did You Have to Desert Me?", translates the Anglo folk song "Blackjack Davey" to reggae, and covers the Slickers ("Johnny Too Bad") and Bob Marley ("Slave Driver"). His smoked-glass voice evokes a stormy swamp on "Cajun Waltz" and a sunny island on "Clara (St. Kitts Woman)." Rather than mimicking Third World styles, Mahal incorporates them into his own folk and blues-based aesthetic, while humorously nodding back to Otis Redding again on "Big Mama." --Rick Mitchell