Taj Mahal brings 84 years of blues mastery to Montreal's Maison symphonique
The legendary multi-instrumentalist and his Phantom Blues Band delivered a sweeping set Thursday, mixing deep blues standards with his own catalog spanning six decades.
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Taj Mahal, the legendary blues musician known since the 1960s for his command of guitar, harmonica, ukulele, and banjo, brought his 84 years of mastery to Montreal's Maison symphonique Thursday, performing seated but with undiminished joy.
Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr.—Taj Mahal since the 1960s—crossed the stage with help from his Phantom Blues Band's drummer, a name that turned out to be anything but ironic. The band, comprising seasoned musicians, delivered tight arrangements that let Taj explore his sprawling musical landscape: from deep blues standards like Elmore James and T-Bone Walker to his own catalogue spanning from 1967's "Paint My Mailbox Blue" to the exquisite "Corinna."
Taj played everything he touched: a National Steel guitar, a Gibson from the best era, a banjo, his harmonicas, and a ukulele, using his signature thumb-picking technique. The Phantom Blues Band matched his energy with organ, keyboards, percussions, horn sections, and tight rhythm work. The setlist ranged wide—a shuffle take on "Strut," the funky "Chevrolet," and a blues-brothers nod with "She Caught The Katy And Left Me A Mule To Ride." Between songs, Taj would throw his head back, smiling beneath his sunglasses and wide hat, thanking his musicians repeatedly.
Four of the band members were making their debut appearance. "This is vacation for us," Taj told the audience in French: "Bonjour, mes amis!" He spoke of learning the language and his love for Montreal and Quebec, though he deflected talk of current politics with humour. "Oublions le hibou!" he declared—forget the owl—before diving back into music.
