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guitar and harmonica. John Anderson’s ecological song ‘Seminole Wind’ begins with simple
piano and the track gradually builds adding backing vocals and brass and the brass stays for

‘Wonderland’—a real high-energy banger with JJ’s shouted vocals—it reminded me of classic
Ike and Tina Turner.

‘Starry Night’, ‘Waiting’ and the closer ‘Deeper than Belief’ are all ballads, ‘Starry Night’ is
tender, while ‘Waiting’ is a real heartfelt old skool soul-ballad and ‘Deeper Than Belief’ is jazzy

with flute and strings. In between we get ‘Free High’ another blaster with riffing brass and
slashing guitar and ‘Rooster’ is a chicken-pickin’ funky song with brass, backing vocals and
thundering bass.

As well as his excellent vocals throughout JJ Gray also plays guitar, dobro, keyboards and

harmonica, while Mofro consists of Eric Brigmond (keyboards), Pete Winders (guitar), Dennis
Marion, Marcus Parsley and John Reid (trumpet), Quinn Carson (trombone), Kenny Hamilton
(saxophone/flute), Todd Smallie (bass) and Craig Burnett (drums).

Graham Harrison

Taj Mahal Sextet—Live At The Church At Tulsa—Lightning
Rod Records (CD and Vinyl LP)

I had the huge pleasure of seeing Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr.

(aka Taj Mahal) in a nightclub in Texas. The show still lives with
me as one of my abiding musical memories. That was close to 40
years ago and at the age of 81, he is STILL at the top of his form.
As then he wields with huge skill a wide range of instruments,

guitar, piano, banjo, harmonica, and many other gizmos.

Never fearful of musical adventures (his last album “Savoy” was
jazz based) here he returns to his roots and with a six-piece band, sounding remarkably like the
Phantom Blues Band that played with him in the 1980s —bassist Bill Rich, drummer Kester

Smith, and guitarist/Hawaiian lap steel player Bobby Ingano - augmented by dobro player Rob
Ickes and guitarist and vocalist Trey Hensley.

The tracks are a wonderful mix of Mahal’s own music and that of others: 'Betty and Dupree'
(Chuck Willis) – 'Mailbox Blues' (Mahal) – 'Queen Bee' (Mahal) –'Lovin' in My Baby's Eyes'

(Mahal) – 'Waiting for My Papa to Come Home' (Mahal) – 'Slow Drag' (Mahal) instumental –
'Sitting On Top of the World' (Chester Burnett) – 'Twilight in Hawaii' (David Keliʻi) – 'Corrina'
(Jesse Edwin Davis III and Mahal) – 'Mean Old World' (Aaron Walker and Marl Young) and it is

stunningly good.

Forty years fall away and it is like being back in “The Caravan Of Dreams” in Fort Worth again.
Wonderful. This (in March) may be my record of the year.

Ian K McKenzie