Taj Mahal: Autobiography of a Bluesman

by Taj Mahal, Stephen Foehr

With 40 albums behind him, including two Grammy Award winners, Taj Mahal conveys his personal honest and frank account of his life and legacy.

Genres: Music, Biography

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Henry Saint Clair Fredericks, who goes by the stage name Taj Mahal, is an internationally recognized blues musician with two Grammy Awards to date who folds various forms of world music into his offerings. A self-taught singer-songwriter and film composer who plays the guitar, banjo and harmonica (among many other instruments), Mahal has done much to reshape the definition and scope of blues music during his 40+ year career by fusing it with nontraditional forms, including sounds from the Caribbean, Africa and the South Pacific.

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not an easy read- however I learned a lot about one of my favorite musicians...

[Susie James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, informative adventure not only about the life and talents of the bluesman called Taj Mahal (Henry Fredericks) but also about his interactions with oodles of other artists. I mean, Stephen Foehr's bio with the named gentleman, "Taj Mahal: Autobiography of a Bluesman", is significant history. I first heard of Taj Mahal from a tribute CD he and others, including Alvin "Youngblood" Hart, also a significant musical artist and poet with ties to the real blues and rural South, contributed to. I got to see and meet Alvin in person as they say, first, some years ago when he headlined the Mississippi John Hurt Festival east of Avalon in my home county, Carroll County, Miss. Alvin's parents had roots in the McCarley area and had retired to this county. In 2019 I ambled into a special wonderland that was the John Hurt Festival starring and produced by the amazing Taj Mahal. Actually so much of his life and times as told in the book some might view as repetitive -- but it's a wonderful history I am glad I read.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's easy to see why Mahal chose Foehr to write his biography -- they're both prone to rambling. The book contains an awful lot of stuff (probably at least 50 pages' worth) that isn't really germane to the Taj Mahal story, and Mahal doesn't come off as the most likable guy, but for in-depth information about one of music's greatest living bluesmen, you really don't have any other choices, do you?

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read most of this book; it's pretty interesting if you love Taj Mahal. He's my top bluesman! It's a little disappointing that it's written like an interview, so it's not really a pure autobiography, but I still enjoyed learning about Taj's life and how he came by his music.

[Pia]

I listen to the Blues Show as regularly as I can, and I so appreciate the contemporary Blues of Taj Mahal. He's one of my favorites.

[Spruden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written like an early College writing assignment. Doesn't do the artist justice.