Shoutin' In Key: Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band Live

Amazon.co.uk Taj Mahal's material has always been like a breath of fresh air in an increasingly dull world of obtuse blues rockers. Shoutin' In Key recorded live in LA with the Phantom Blues Band is no exception. It's a subdued album which makes it all the more welcome. There are no fireworks, no hidden agendas, no flailing pretensions. Consequently, it runs the risk of being polite barroom blues. However, this is nothing less than riveting. A kind of skewed Americana. With the music switching from the straight ahead Honky Tonk to the intimate, Sentidos Dolces; Mahal's soul baring songs are tempered by his quirky humour. After 40 years in the business, the remarkably vivid Taj Mahal shows no sign of running out of steam. --Maxine Kabuubi