Episode 4: Taj Mahal
This episode of Tripping On My Roots finds Jesse Colin Young reuniting with blues legend Taj Mahal before the all-star Capricorn Revival show in Macon, GA. Back in the 1960s, Jesse and Taj both kickstarted their careers on Greenwich Village's coffeehouse circuit, playing gigs for tips and beer money. They've remained friends and mutual friends ever since, with Jesse singing the praises of Taj Mahal's double album, Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home, and Taj applauding Jesse's vocal performance on the Youngbloods' signature hit, "Get Together." Recorded backstage at the Macon City Auditorium, this installment of Tripping On My Roots finds the musicians talking about Taj's creative childhood in Springfield, Massachusetts; his lifelong appreciation for blues pioneers like John Lee Hooker, BB King, Lightnin' Hopkins; and the time he borrowed a guitar from Jesse before a last-minute show in Greenwich Village. To tie it all together, the two jam their way through a loose, improvised version of Jimmy Reed's "Baby What You Want Me To," trading plenty of blues licks throughout. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts