<\/p>\n
With a cast of all-star musicians around him and a capacity crowd before him, Taj Mahal<\/a> looked out at his fans and stated the obvious:<\/p>\n \u201cThis is off the charts.\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed, it was a very special night for the legendary Berkeley-based blues musician<\/a>, who was being honored by numerous high-profile musicians in concert at The Masonic in San Francisco on Saturday (Feb. 21).<\/p>\n The role call featured a number of other Bay Area greats, including Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Joan Baez<\/a> and Van Morrison, as well as many other notable artists who have been inspired by vocalist\/multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal<\/a> over the years. The latter category ranged from fellow blues belters like Otis Taylor to platinum-selling pop star Hozier<\/a>, the \u201cTake Me to Church\u201d singer who ranks as a first-tier arena headliner at this point in his still-young career.<\/p>\n Dubbed \u201cA Night to Honor Taj Mahal,\u201d the 3\u00bd-hour show also doubled as a benefit for the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund (sweetrelief.org<\/a>), which provides services and financial assistance to musicians and others working in the music industry.<\/p>\n\n The show had its share of difficulties, all of which were pretty common to the all-star tribute concert format, including that it moved too slow, felt too long, seemed too disorganized and had too many breaks in the action. But, again, that\u2019s what happens when you\u2019re dealing with too many stars on the bill, not enough rehearsal time, and the need to do a ridiculous number of stage changeovers per hour.<\/p>\n Still, there were far more highlights than mediocre moments and really only one true faceplant, which, sadly, came at the very end of the show and provided a lasting memory for those walking out of the venue.<\/p>\n Oh, but that downer moment was still hours away as the night kicked off with a steady succession of artists \u2014 country musician Will Hoge, Bay Area blues belter Lady Bianca, blues great Otis Taylor with Cassie Taylor and Oakland\u2019s own Alvin Youngblood Hart, etc. \u2014 taking short spins under the spotlight.<\/p>\n Most of the artists performed one to two songs each, supported by a topnotch house band. The most notable exception to that rule was the man of the evening himself, Taj Mahal, who sat in with several artists as well as performed some music in a solo setting.<\/p>\n The first real highlight came relatively early in the night when Taj Mahal, who works reggae, jazz, gospel, calypso, Afro-Caribbean and Hawaiian sounds into his music, took the stage with Van Morrison for an old-timey rock \u2018n\u2019 roll\/R&B set that included a screaming versions of Little Richard\u2019s \u201cLucille\u201d and the Big Joe Turner favorite \u201cShake, Rattle & Roll.\u201d The two legends were absolutely cooking, to the point where Joan Baez<\/a> just walked on stage and began dancing away to the music (drawing big cheers from the audience in the process).<\/p>\n It really felt too early in the evening to serve up such a big moment, especially since it made so much that followed feel pretty anticlimactic. Morrison wouldn\u2019t be seen again and was noticeably absent during the big all-star finale. Given what happened with that finale, however, perhaps that was a good thing.<\/p>\n Still, I do think it was a big missed opportunity not to have \u201cThe Belfast Cowboy\u201d meet up with the current hottest Irish singer on the planet, Hozier<\/a>, for a little \u201cMoondance.\u201d<\/p>\n Taj Mahal was then joined onstage by yet another Bay Area legend, Maria Muldaur, for a sweet take on his love song \u201cBaby, You\u2019re My Destiny.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you ready?\u201d Taj asked the folk\/pop\/blues vocalist.<\/p>\n \u201cAs ready as I will ever be\u201d Maria answered.<\/p>\n Little Steven Van Zandt, of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band fame, was another highlight of the night, bringing the garage rock energy to Taj Mahal\u2019s \u201cGive Your Woman What She Wants.\u201d<\/p>\n George Thorogood also brought the big-time energy to his two-song set, which consisted of the Willie Dixon-penned \u201cHowlin\u2019 for My Baby\u201d (the definitive version of which, of course, was served by Howlin\u2019 Wolf) and the country blues classic \u201cMidnight Special.\u201d<\/p>\n And the Dynamic Miss Faye Carrol, the sensational blues belter who hails from Pittsburg, definitely impressed with her soaring vocal work on the Percy Mayfield favorite \u201cPlease Send Me Someone to Love.\u201d<\/p>\n