Songcraft: Spotlight On Songwriters

18-time Grammy nominee and American musical legend Taj Mahal goes deep on his influences and his approach to the craft. PART ONEPaul and Scott kick off the new year with a discussion about the nominees for the upcoming Grammy Awards. And more! PART TWOOur in-depth conversation with Taj MahalABOUT TAJ MAHALSinger, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal has mastered the blues form and has further built upon it by incorporating world music influences and expanding the boundaries of the genre. Growing up in Massachusetts, he made his way to Southern California in the mid-1960s where he formed the Group Rising Sons with Ry Cooder, Jessie Lee Kincaid, and Kevin Kelley. They signed with Columbia Records but, upon disbanding, Taj joined forces with guitarist Jesse Ed Davis and remained on the label as a solo artist. After a dozen albums with Columbia, he moved to Warner Bros. Records in the mid-1970s. Following a period spent living in Hawaii and largely out of the limelight in the 1980s, he ultimately reeme