Taj Mahal and Keb’Mo’, known jointly as TajMo, hit the stage at New York, NY’s famed Town Hall on Thursday to celebrate the release of their new album, Room on the Porch. The album, which arrived on May 23rd, is the first the two blues legends have worked on together since their eponymous 2017 debut, TajMo. Blending their combined worldly knowledge, Taj’s deep arsenal of instruments, and the two luminaries’ distinct voices, Room on the Porch once again breathes a new life into the blues.
As Taj Mahal said of Room on the Porch, “If you take the African imprint out of Western music for the last 500 years, there’s almost nothing left. As much as it might feel like we’re touching on all these different genres, the way I see it, we’re just connecting with the music of our ancestors and their influence on what’s happening now.”
On Wednesday at Town Hall, after an opening set by Abraham Alexander, Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ dug into their new material early with “She Keeps Me Movin’” and kept the new material in rotation as “Better Than Ever”, “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out”, “My Darling My Dear”, “Junkyard Dog”, “Room On The Porch”, “Thicker Than Mud” followed in succession.
Taj rotated between a pair of his favorite guitars and a harmonica as he sung and swung between new material, songs from 2017’s TajMo (“Don’t Leave Me Here”, “Ain’t Nobody Talkin’”, “Shake Me in Your Arms”, That’s Who I Am”, & “All Around the World”), and classics from their individual repertoires classics from Taj Mahal and Keb’Mo’s individual catalogs (Taj’s: “Diving Duck Blues”, “Paint My Mailbox”, “Queen Bee”; Keb’ Mo’s “She Just Wants to Dance”).
The pair were backed by an eight-piece featuring a violinist, a drummer, a bassist, a piano player, an acoustic guitarist, an electric guitarist, and more, allowing them to add unique sonic depth to even the simplest blues structures and throw solos around the horn. That said, Taj Mahal and Keb’Mo’ didn’t hesitate to offer a pair bare-bones tunes, “Rough Time Blues” and “Diving Duck Blues”. Without the abundance of musicians, Taj and Keb’Mo’s voices and emotive picking carried the songs.
The Room on the Porch Tour continues all summer long. Find a list of upcoming dates here.
Below, stream Room on the Porch, the new album from Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ (TajMo) via Spotify and check out a selection of photos and videos from the album release show at New York’s Town Hall.
Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ – Room on the Porch – Full Album
TajMo: Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ – “Better Than Ever” – 5/28/25
[Video: sgibson818]
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