Today Legendary singer, songwriter Taj Mahal announced the release of his new album Time on May 1 via Resonatin’ Records/Thirty Tigers — a masterclass in soul, roots, folk, reggae and blues from one of the cornerstone architects of American music. Pre-order HERE
A deeply soulful and expansive collection, Time the album’s title track is a never-before-heard Bill Withers composition, originally recorded only as an unreleased demo and nearly lost to history. Close friend, music industry executive, and Producer, Steve Berkowitz, with the blessing of both Bill and Marcia Withers, brought the song to Taj and the band. Listen to the song HERE & watch visualiser HERE.
On Bill Withers and the origin of the song, Taj stated, “My former wife went to school with Bill Withers’ wife, so they knew each other, and I got a chance to spend some time around him. I had a lot of respect for the brother because of what he brought to music. Bill could walk out with an acoustic guitar and sing something like ‘Grandma’s Hands,’ and it would resonate so deeply with people. He wasn’t jumping up and down or trying to be flashy — he just had his own time and his own way of doing things. That honesty in his music meant a lot. So when this song came along, I listened to it a couple of times and felt that movement and that message in it. And we were grateful to receive his blessing to record it.”
Tony Braunagel added, “During the recording process of the forthcoming album Time, producers and members of the Phantom Blues Band, myself and Larry Fulcher, engaged longtime friend Steve Berkowitz as an advisor to help navigate record company connections for the release. Steve, a deeply creative and seasoned executive who previously ran Sony Legacy, had an inspired idea. While working with Bill Withers, when he was still with us, they had come across one of Bill’s unrecorded demos titled “Time.” It dawned on Steve that the song would be a perfect fit for Taj. With the album still in progress, he shared it, and it was immediately embraced. The lead vocal is earnest and heartfelt, capturing the depth and weight at the core of the Bill Withers original. Once the finishing touches were added and the track was mixed, it secured a permanent place on the album. The song conveys a shared human experience, Withers’ vision now honoured and celebrated through Taj and his gifted collaborators, ready to be heard and embraced.”
Read more at Variety HERE.
Elsewhere, Time features the Bob Marley classic ‘Talkin’ Blues’ with guest vocals from David ‘Ziggy’ Marley, alongside highlights including the breezy swing of ‘Wild About My Lovin’’ and an Afro-Cuban–infused “You Put The Whammy On Me.” Across the album, Taj’s unmistakable voice remains as resonant and communicative as ever, bridging blues, R&B, jazz, Caribbean traditions along with global and roots music.
