Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

Out of the Blue

Taj Mahal conquered the blues at an early age — and he’s been expanding the genre ever since. Called “both a spelunker and an astronaut in the musical world” by Puremusic, the 70-year-old borrows from reggae, jazz, gospel, R&B and zydeco to create an unparalleled sound. His most recent album, Maestro, definitively establishes him as a living legend. The Grammy-nominated collection features Los Lobos, Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Angélique Kidjo and Ziggy Marley, all major artists who cite Taj Mahal’s body of work as inspiration. Fall under the influence at Spruce Peak next Wednesday.