81-year-old American roots music legend Taj Mahal is readying a new album. Swingin’ Live at the Church in Tulsa pays tribute to the late great Leon Russell and the contributions of the Tulsa music scene to American roots music. To announce the album, Mahal released a new live recording of his classic “Queen Bee.” Check it out below.
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Mahal recorded the album in front of a live audience at The Chuch in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to a press release. Russell bought the space in 1972 and transformed it into an office and recording studio for his label, Shelter Records. Over the years, The Church hosted iconic acts like Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, Jimmy Buffett, Stevie Wonder, and many more. Current owners Ivan Acosta and Teresa Knox renovated the building and dedicated it to showcasing Tulsa’s musical legacy.
[Taj Mahal Tour 2024: Get Tickets]
Swingin’ Live at the Church in Tulsa sees the roots legend backed by the Taj Mahal sextet. This six-piece band features Mahal’s longtime quartet—Bill Rich (bass), Kester Smith (drums), Bobby Ingano (guitar/lap steel. Rob Ickes (dobro) and Trey Hensley (vocals/guitar) round out the sound.
The new album will drop on March 8 via Lightning Rod Records. Pre-order your copy today.
Taj Mahal on “Queen Bee”
“Queen Bee” started as an instrumental piece buoyed by Mahal’s Mississippi John Hurt-inspired fingerpicking. Then, it evolved into what it is today. He first released the song on his 1977 album Evolution (The Most Recent). Then, he included it in his Grammy-winning 1997 album Señor Blues.
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“It’s a fun song. It’s a positive song, from a male’s perspective, you know, to speak good about women,” Mahal explained. “I feel like there’s an awful lot of angst between men and women these days, from whatever stripe or ethnic group or culture they’re coming from. There’s a lot of tension,” he added. “You’ve only got so much string in this ball of yarn and if you waste your time fighting with one another, you’re gonna look back one day and realize that, boy, did I waste a lot of time. I could have been feeling good, talking nice, being nice to people, so many things you could be doing,” Mahal continued.
Swingin’ Live at the Church in Tulsa Tracklist
- “Betty and Dupree”
- “Mailbox Blues”
- “Queen Bee”
- “Lovin’ in My Baby’s Eyes”
- “Waiting for My Papa to Come Home”
- “Slow Drag”
- “Sitting on Top of the World”
- “Twilight in Hawaii”
- “Corina”
- “Mean Old World”
Featured Image by Phil Clarkin
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