Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal >She Caught the Katy

I need to regain my credibility.

In 1969, my new best friend's dad was an executive at Columbia Records. In an unbelievable turn of events for music freaks, every weekend he would give us two tickets to the Fillmore East in New York. The Fillmore was nearing it's peak; at least two A level acts every show, top ticket prices were $5.50 (still too much for a high school senior), and not every seat was sold in the 3000 seat auditorium. And the Joshua Light Show. My friend knew a lot more about the acts than I did (he was a great musician himself, and his father's access gave him a lot of information), but I'd go every week even if I hadn't heard of anyone on the bill; the Fillmore's credibility was such that I just knew I'd learn something. (It was a bonding experience with my friend that has served us well for 35 years.)

The last weekend in April was a case in point. I thought 'Taj Mahal' was a building, James Cotton had to be cool (he was older, black, and in a blues band), and I thought I couldn't stand Joni Mitchell. (It's for another post, but when Joni came out in a long, red velour, dress and sang her first song accapella, I had to throw out all my bad attitudes towards 'chick' singer-songwriters.)

My friend had just met Taj at his father's office and said his record was cool. The band opened the night and Taj and Jesse Ed Davis, his guitarist, blew me away. They still do. This track is my favorite from that period, and I'm sure if I Googled it, I would know the blues history of what the hell "she caught the katy" means.

Taj Mahal >She Caught the Katy

(By the way, it's funny what comes up when you search Amazon for Taj Mahal.)