Taj Mahal at the Fargo Theatre

Musical maestro Taj Mahal will bring his trio to the Fargo Theatre on Friday, March 27 for an evening of exceptional music. For over forty years, Taj Mahal has been oiling audiences with his gravely voice, crying slide guitar, intricate electric guitar, and even a few banjo licks.

In 1964, he formed the six-piece band, Rising Sons, that included white guitarist Ry Cooder and began serving up roots blues. The band opened for Otis Redding, the Temptations, and Martha and the Vandellas, among others. Taj Mahal soon found himself sitting at the feet of (and eventually sitting in with) Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Sleepy John Estes.

Over the years, Taj Mahal has produced a discography that is a library in itself, ranging from Delta blues to jazz to ballads to children’s tunes. His music has appeared on countless movie soundtracks, including many he wrote entirely himself, and he’s earned Grammy nominations for them. He also has earned two Grammys for Senor Blues (1997) and Shoutin’ in Key (2000).

He has even made numerous appearances in movies, sometimes playing himself, sometimes taking on a character. He was in Sounder and Sounder II, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, Scott Joplin: King of Ragtime, the Ya Ya Sisterhood, and Songcatcher.

His current Grammy nominated album, Maestro, which was released last September, reveals the broad range of Taj Mahal’s musical influences. Featuring guest appearances by Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Los Lobos, Ziggy Marley, and African singer Angelique Kidjo, the album also includes some of the finest world musicians available, producing a musical gumbo that is a delight to listen to.

“It’s a big family,” Taj Mahal said in a recent interview. “I’ve known most of these people for at least ten years; some of them for 30 and 40 ... It’s very exciting to work with people that you can finally say, ‘Hey, I’ve got a project coming up and let’s put our heads together like we’ve been saying we’re to do.’ It just turned out to be a lot of fun.”

He currently plays with four bands, The Phantom Blues Band, The Hula Blues Band (yes, it does have ukuleles in it!), the International Rhythm Band, and the Taj Mahal Trio. He’s been playing with some of the musicians for over twenty years.

The Taj Mahal Trio, which will perform at the Fargo Theatre, consists of Kester Smith on Drums, Bill Rich on Bass, and Taj Mahal carrying the vocals and handling guitar, keyboards, and banjo. It offers up delta blues and a mix of roots music, and maybe a few surprises. Taj Mahal and his mates will keep audiences guessing what he will pull out of his musical bag of tricks. With this musical genius in the house, you are in for an extraordinary evening.

Who: Taj Mahal Trio

When: Friday, March 27, 9:15 pm

Where: Fargo Theatre

Tickets: 701-239-8385