Taj Mahal

The moniker Taj Mahal came to Henry Saint Clair Fredericks in a dream, and now stands proud as shorthand for one of the prime movers on the blues, folk, and roots music scenes. Some of his early stuff, recorded in the last years of the '60s, mixes blues with easygoing ragtime; try "Take a Giant Step" for flavor.

Taj Mahal has made it his life's work to trace, and reinterpret, the roots of contemporary music, from Africa to the Caribbean. The "Taj Mahal Interview" fills in plenty of background, but for sheer eclecticism try flipping from the West African-tinged "Guede Man Na" to the Hawaiian-based "Sacred Island (Moku La'a)."

There's practically no end to Taj Mahal's talents or to the range of projects he tackles. To really feel the man's essence, it's rewarding to hear him live, backed by the Pointer Sisters on "Mary Don't You Weep" and still going strong on the post-millennial recordings "Autumn to May" and "Lovin' in My Baby's Eyes."

Taj Mahal can not only play just about every instrument under the sun; he's also one of the world's leading musicologists — he even studied the roots of black music at the University of Massachusetts in the '60s. Our collection of his work is one of the most diverse and satisfying lists you'll ever download. Just glance at the song titles for a hint of what's in store: "My Creole Belle," "Mississippi-mali Blues," "Clara 'St. Kitts Woman'." Vital listening.