Tag Archives: Rudy Costa

Taj Mahal: Like Never Before

On October 31, 1991, “Private Music” label released “Like Never Before”, the 17th Taj Mahal album. It was recorded in 1991, at “Studio 4 Recording”, “Paramount Recording Studios”, “Studio 55”, “Orca Studios”, “Platinum Island Studios”, “Criteria Recording Studios”,  and was produced by Skip Drinkwater.

Personnel:

  • Taj Mahal – vocals, guitar, banjo, piano, harmonica
  • Hiram Bullock – guitar
  • David Lindley – guitar, lap steel guitar
  • Mark Tyler – guitar
  • Paul Barrere – guitar
  • Jerry Williams – guitar, backing vocals
  • Eric Bazilian – acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar, mandolin
  • Sonny Rhodes – lap steel guitar
  • Dr. John – piano
  • Mark Goodman – electric piano, synthesizer
  • Donald Robinson – keyboards
  • Mark Jordan – piano, organ, synthesizer
  • Jim Salomone – synthesizer
  • Rob Hyman – organ, accordion
  • Jerry Cohen – organ
  • Doug Grisby – bass
  • Tony Jones – bass
  • Andy Kravitz – drums, percussion, castanets, tambourin
  • Bill Summers – congas, percussion triangle, batas, guiro, percussion
  • David Johnson – percussion, bells
  • Phil Nicolo – cymbals, programming, engineer, mixing
  • Richard Feldman – programming
  • Rudy Costa – soprano saxophone
  • Ron Kerber – alto saxophone
  • Haywood Henry – alto saxophone, clarinet
  • “Jammin” Jay Davidson – tenor and baritone saxophone, horn arrangements
  • Claire Daly – tenor saxophone
  • Ed Kalney, Gary McKeen – trumpet
  • Jeff Lego – trombone
  • Art Baron – trombone
  • Howard Johnson – tuba, cornet, horn arrangements
  • Daryl Hall, John Oates, Sheryl Crow, Porter Carroll, Augie Johanson, Greg Maha, Louis Patton, Reggie Ellis, Willie Green, Rob Hyman – backing vocals
  • The Pointer Sisters (Anna, June, Ruth) – backing vocals
  • DJ Jazzy Jeff – turntables
  • Myric “Freeze” Guillory – washboard
  • Joe Nicolo – engineer, mixing
  • Bruce Weeden, John Moyer, Michael Schlesinger – additional engineering
  • Brandon Harris, Doug DeAngelis, Steve McLoughlin, Christopher Thomas, Lou Catanzaro, Mark Schulz, Chris Furman, Kurt BuJack, Scott Blockland – engineer assistant
  • Skip Drinkwater – mixing
  • Greg Fulginiti – mastering
  • Andy Van Dette, Ray Legnini, Scott Hall – digital editing
  • Andy Bauer, Mark Goodman – guitars technician
  • Larry Vigon – art direction, design
  • Brian Jackson – design
  • Chris Callis – photography
  • Brooke Drinkwater, Robert L. Stephenson – production coordinator
  • Jamie Cohen – executive producer

Track listing:

  1. Don’t Call Us – Richard Feldman, Taj Mahal
  2. River of Love – Jimmy Scott, Porter Carroll, Richard Feldman
  3. Scattered – Mark Jordan, Patrick Dollahan, Richard Feldman, Taj Mahal
  4. Ev’ry Wind (In the River) – Richard Feldman, Taj Mahal
  5. Blues with a Feeling – Walter Jacobs
  6. Squat That Rabbit – Joe Nicolo, Taj Mahal
  7. Take All the Time You Need – Jerry Williams
  8. Love Up – John Martyn
  9. Cakewalk into Town – Taj Mahal
  10. Big Legged Mommas Are Back in Style – Taj Mahal
  11. Take a Giant Step – Gerry Goffin, Carole King

Taj Mahal: Maestro

On September 30, 2008, “Heads Up International” label released “Maestro”, the 26th Taj Mahal album. It was recorded in 2008, and was produced by Taj Mahal and The Phantom Blues Band.

Personnel:

  • Taj Mahal – vocals, guitar, harmonica, ukulele
  • Louie Pérez – guitar
  • Johnny Lee Schell – guitar
  • Cesar Rosas – guitar
  • Leo Nocentelli – guitar
  • David Hidalgo – guitar
  • Jason Mozersky – guitar
  • Takeshi Akimoto – guitar
  • Fred Lunt – guitar
  • Carlos Andrade – guitar
  • Mike Finnigan – keyboards
  • Jason Yates – keyboards
  • Michael Hyde – keyboards
  • Mick Weaver – keyboards, organ
  • Henry Butler – piano
  • Steve Berlin – organ
  • Ivan Neville – organ
  • Larry Fulcher – bass
  • Conrad Lozano – bass
  • Bill Rich – bass
  • Jesse Ingalls – bass
  • Paul “Pablo” Stennett – bass
  • George Porter – bass
  • Pancho Graham – acoustic bass, guitar
  • Tony Braunagel – drums
  • Cougar Estrada – drums
  • Raymond Weber – drums
  • Carlton “Santa” Davis – drums
  • Kester Smith – drums, percussions
  • Michael Jerome – drums, percussions
  • Angel Roché Jr. – percussions
  • Debra Dobkin – percussions
  • Toumani Diabaté – kora
  • Joe Sublette – tenor and baritone saxophone
  • Rudy Costa – alto saxophone, clarinet
  • Darrel Leonard – trombone
  • Angela Wellman – trombone
  • Billy Branch – harmonica
  • Pat Cockett – ukulele
  • Bassekou Kouyate – ngoni, xalam
  • Ziggy Marley – vocals
  • Angélique Kidjo – vocals
  • Ben Harper – vocals
  • Jack Johnson – vocals
  • C.C. White – backing vocals
  • Pebbles Phillips – backing vocals
  • Tracy Hazzard – backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. Scratch My Back – James Moore
  2. Never Let You Go – Deva Mahal, Taj Mahal
  3. Dust Me Down – Ben Harper
  4. Further On Down the Road – Jesse Edwin Davis III, Taj Mahal
  5. Black Man Brown Man – Taj Mahal
  6. Zanzibar – Angélique Kidjo, Taj Mahal
  7. TV Mama – Lou Willie Turner
  8. I Can Make You Happy – Taj Mahal
  9. Slow Drag – Taj Mahal
  10. Hello Josephine – Dave Bartholomew, Antoine Domino
  11. Strong Man Holler – Taj Mahal
  12. Diddy Wah Diddy – Ellas McDaniel, Willie Dixon
  13. Mambo No. 5 – Taj Mahal
  14. On A Little Bamboo Bridge – Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal And The Hula Blues Band: Sacred Island

On April 7, 1998, “Private Music” label released “Sacred Island”, album by Taj Mahal and The Hula Blues Band. It was recorded in May 1997, at “Messenger Studios” in Hawaii, and was produced by Carey Williams.

Personnel:

  • Taj Mahal – vocals, guitar, harmonica
  • Carlos Andrade – lead and backing vocals, guitar, slack key guitar, tenor Ukelele, ukulele
  • Rudy Costa – clarinet, flute, kalimba, pan pipes, alto curved soprano saxophone, zither, backing vocals
  • Wayne Jacinhto – guitar, slack key guitar, tenor ukelele, ukulele, backging vocals
  • Patrick Cockett – liliu ukulele, ukulele, backing vocals
  • Michael Barretto – ukulele, backing vocals
  • Pancho Graham – acoustic guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
  • Fred Lunt – steel guitar
  • Kester Smith – drums, cowbell
  • Carey Williams – backing vocals
  • John Gilleron – engineer
  • Daryn Roven – mixing
  • Dug Nichols – mixing
  • Bernd Steinwedel – mastering
  • Sonny Mediana – art direction
  • Petra Hanisch – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Taj Mahal, except where noted.

  1. The Calypsonians
  2. Coconut Man – Frederic Hibbert
  3. Sacred Island (Moku La’a)
  4. Betty and Dupree – Chuck Willis
  5. The New Hula Blues
  6. No Na Mamo – Carlos Andrade
  7. Mailbox Blues
  8. Kanikapila – Taj Mahal, Rudy Costa, Kester Smith, Pancho Graham