Music History

Starting Somewhere

Taj Mahal - Taj Mahal (1968)

Label: Columbia

Side 1
"Leaving Trunk"
"Statesboro Blues"
"Checkin' Up on My Baby"
"Everybody's Got to Change Sometime"


Side 2
"EZ Rider"
"Dust My Broom"
"Diving Duck Blues"
"The Celebrated Walkin' Blues"


Recorded in August of 1967, Taj Mahal was the self-titled first album by the musician Taj Mahal. Featuring covers of blues songs credited to Sleepy John Estes, Blind Willie McTell, Sonny Boy Williamson II, and Robert Johnson, this album is a well-selected collection of blues standards and is a great listen from beginning to end. "Dust My Broom," credited to Robert Johnson, had been covered and rearranged many times before, most notably by Elmore James. James's version, released in 1951 would become one of the most influential recordings of electric guitar. Another touchstone of slide playing contained on the album, "Statesboro Blues," featured a young Jesse Ed Davis on the slide guitar. It was this recording that inspired Duane Allman's cover, which would become a staple of the Allman Brothers' live performances.


The story goes that Duane injured his arm in a horse riding accident and couldn't play guitar. He apparently felt his brother Greg was responsible for the injury because he was the one who convinced him to go riding. Duane was living by himself, recovering from the fall and suffering from a cold. Since they were not on speaking terms, Greg left a few birthday gifts on Duane's porch. Greg's care package included Taj Mahal's first album and a bottle of Coricidin, which at the time was made of glass. A few hours later Duane called Greg and told him to come over. Duane had dumped out the pills, washed the label off the bottle, and used it on his finger as a slide to play along with the record.

Jesse played with Taj Mahal on his next three albums as well. He can also be heard on records by Bob Dylan ("Watching the River Flow," 1971), Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and many others. Davis's session work includes performing the guitar solo heard on Jackson Browne's "Doctor, My Eyes." According to Browne, he wanted Davis to play on a different song on Browne's debut album. Davis listened to the song and said he couldn't hear himself playing on that track. Browne let him listen to "Doctor, My Eyes" and Davis said that one he knew what to do with. In a single take, having only heard the song one time, Davis played one of the most tasteful and memorable guitar solos ever recorded. Other musicians featured on the track were Graham Nash and David Crosby, providing backing vocals, Leland Sklar on bass, and Russ Kunkel on drums.