Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Any chance to see one of the last surviving legit blues legends should be snatched up regardless of the cost and thankfully the City Winery was filled to standing room only status with a wide range of ages looking to catch a glimpse of the Taj Mahal Trio. Now that he’s 76-years-old, who knows how much longer the singer/songwriter/guitarist and sometimes ukulele/keyboard player will be grinding on the road, though outside of staying seated for all of the 100-ish minute set, age was just a number to the Harlem native.

Mahal was indeed a man of many moods, going from the calm and cool “Slow Drag” one moment to turning the burner back up come “CC Rider” and practically making the guitar talk throughout “Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue.”

Beyond his stamina, Taj Mahal stayed a staple on the scene for more than 50 years thanks to taking an optimistic twist on the frequently sorrow-filled genre, while also peppering it with world beats and international flavors. Unless he was deeply engrained in a solo or instrumental (which shifted from jazz to calypso, tropical and Celtic shades), the headliner grinned from ear to ear and beamed those wide eyes all around one of the most coveted halls in Chicago.

In addition to moving along as the vibe dictated, the Taj Mahal Trio got to the meat of several selections with its leader frequently swapping out the axes that basically surrounded him at every angle. But it was far from a claustrophobic feeling, instead giving the “Corrina” hit maker a chance to approach “Good Morning Little School Girl,” “Queen Bee,” “Satisfied ‘N’ Tickled Too” and “Fishin’ Blues” with the tools needed to truly throw down.

Mahal was indeed a man of many moods, going from the calm and cool “Slow Drag” one moment to turning the burner back up come “CC Rider” and practically making the guitar talk throughout “Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue.” The greats kept right on rolling with “Lovin’ In My Baby’s Eyes” and “Take A Giant Step” (amongst others), adding savory flavors to a sumptuous evening of flashbacks that always felt like it was fully alive and perhaps even thinking ahead.

Click here for more photos of Taj Mahal Trio at City Winery.

For additional information on Taj Mahal Trio, visit TajBlues.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at City Winery include Willy Porter Band with Martyn Joseph (Sept. 28); Jump, Little Children with Michael Flynn (Oct. 1); Matt Andersen with Terra Lightfoot (Oct. 2); Jane Monheit (Oct. 3); Charlie Hunter Trio (Oct. 4); John Lennon Birthday Retrospective featuring Phil Angotti, Tommi Zender & Casey McDonough (Oct. 7); Trace Bundy & Sungha Jung (Oct. 7); Crystal Bowersox (Oct. 8); Basia (Oct. 10); Chicago Plays The Stones featuring Ronnie Baker Brooks & Billy Branch (Oct. 12) and Incognito featuring Maysa (Oct. 14). For additional details, visit CityWinery.com/Chicago.

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