In 2017, blues veterans Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ teamed up to release the Grammy-winning collaborative album TajMo. Now, the two acclaimed singer/songwriters have joined forces once again as TajMo for a new studio effort titled Room on the Porch that’s due out on May 23.
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The 10-track collection features a number of original tunes co-written by Mahal and Keb’ Mo’. The album includes guest appearances by singer/songwriter Ruby Amanfu and jazz vocalist Wendy Moten.
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In a statement, Keb’ Mo’ reflected on deciding to reunite with Mahal after winning a Grammy in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category for TajMo.
“That first album turned out so great that part of me wondered if maybe we just got lucky,” he joked. “But when we got back into the studio together, I felt that same magic again, and I realized it wasn’t luck at all.”
Mahal, meanwhile, commented on the various musical genres that can be heard in the songs on which he and Keb’ Mo’ collaborated, including folk, blues, soul, and Americana.
“If you take the African imprint out of Western music for the last 500 years, there’s almost nothing left,” Taj said. “As much as it might feel like we’re touching on all these different genres, the way I see it, we’re just connecting with the music of our ancestors and their influence on what’s happening now.”
Room on the Porch can be pre-ordered now.
About the Album’s Title Track and Lead Single
The title track, which features Amanfu on guest vocals, has been released as an advance digital single. The song is a lighthearted acoustic folk-blues tune.
“This song started out as a little guitar piece I used to play by myself after shows when I was still wired from the stage,” Mahal explained about “Room on the Porch.” “I shared it with everybody in the studio, and then Keb’ and Ruby Amanfu built this whole beautiful song around it.”
TajMo Have a 2025 Tour Lined Up
At the 2025 Grammy Awards earlier in February, Mahal took home his fifth career Grammy. He won the Best Traditional Blues Album honor for Swingin’ Live at the Church in Tulsa.
Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ have scheduled a late-spring U.S. tour to promote Room on the Porch. They’ll kick things off May 23 with a special appearance at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville that also will feature Amanfu. The outing will officially get underway on May 28 at The Town Hall in New York City. The trek is plotted out through a June 15 concert in Detroit.
Leading up to the TajMo tour, Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ also have their own separate shows scheduled. Taj’s itinerary includes an April 26 performance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Keb’ will be playing a series of joint shows with folk singer/songwriter Shawn Colvin in March.
TajMo 2025 Tour Dates:
5/23 – Nashville, TN @ The Grand Ole Opry
5/28 – New York, NY @ The Town Hall
5/30 – Sidney, ME @ Bowl in the Pines
5/31 – Hammondsport, NY @ The Pavilion at Point of the Bluff Vineyards*
6/1 – Hyannis, MA @ Cape Cod Melody Tent
6/3 – Concord, NH @ Capitol Center for the Arts – Chubb Theatre
6/4 – South Deerfield, MA @ Summer Stage at Tree House Brewing
6/6 – Bensalem, PA @ Xcite Center at Parx Casino
6/7 – Selbyville, DE @ Freeman Arts Pavilion
6/8 – Vienna, VA @ Wolf Trap – Filene Center
6/10 – Huber Heights, OH @ Rose Music Center at The Heights
6/12 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
6/13 – Interlochen, MI @ Interlochen Center for the Arts
6/14 – Highland Park, IL @ Ravinia Festival
6/15 – Detroit, MI @ Masonic Cathedral Theatre
Room on the Porch Track List:
- “Room on the Porch” (featuring Ruby Amanfu)
- “My Darling My Dear”
- “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out”
- “She Keeps Me Movin’”
- “Make Up Your Mind”
- “Thicker Than Mud”
- “Junkyard Dog”
- “Blues’ll Give You Back Your Soul”
- “Better Than Ever” (featuring Wendy Moten)
- “Rough Time Blues”
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