Taj Mahal & the Phantom Blues Band
Variety Playhouse
Saturday, April 16, 2026, 8pm
Catch “The Katy” and head on down to the Variety Playhouse for a set from the legendary Taj Mahal, backed up by his old buddies, The Phantom Blues Band. Celebrating over 50 years of recording blues music – with extensive detours into other genres – Taj brings his inimitable style and presentation to the stage at the Variety Playhouse. Opening will be rising americana star Kaia Kater, winner of the 2025 JUNOS Contemporary Roots Album of the Year.
What to know about TAJ MAHAL:
Genre-Blending Sound: He is known for integrating blues with folk, rock, calypso, reggae, Zydeco, gospel, and Afro-Caribbean musical elements.
Multi-Instrumentalist: Taj plays over 20 instruments, including guitar (National Steel, Dobro), banjo, piano, and harmonica.
Career Beginnings: Born in 1942, he grew up in Massachusetts and started his career in the 1960s with the band “Rising Sons” with Ry Cooder before launching a solo career with Columbia Records.
Major Accolades: He has won multiple Grammy Awards – including Best Traditional Blues Album – and received a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Prolific Discography: With over 30 studio and live albums, he has recorded extensively since 1968, with notable works including Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home and Kulanjan.
Recent Work: He continues to tour and release music, including collaborations with Keb’ Mo’ and a 2022 reunion with Ry Cooder.
The Phantom Blues Band
The Phantom Blues Band Are An Internationally Renowned Two-Time Grammy Award Winning Group. Together and separately, these six men have contributed to Blues and Rock and Roll musical history as session players and sidemen with scores of artists including Taj Mahal, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Little Feat, Jimi Hendrix, John Fogerty, Elton John, Leon Russell, Gregg Allman, Ziggy Marley, The Rolling Stones and many more. The Phantom Blues Band explores everything from Texas Blues to Memphis Soul with an injection of Reggae for good measure.
https://thephantombluesband.com/meet-the-band
Kaia Kater
2025 JUNOS Contemporary Roots Album of the Year Winner
2025 International Folk Music Awards Nominated
Montreal-born Grenadian-Canadian Kaia’s jazz-fueled voice and deft songcraft have garnered acclaim from NPR’s Tiny Desk, The Guardian, Rolling Stone and No Depression. Through her artful banjo playing and lush songwriting, Kaia draws on influences rooted in Quebec, the Caribbean, and Appalachia, all of which reflect the diversity of her background; her ties to the Canadian folk music scene; her college years spent soaking up Appalachian music in West Virginia.
https://www.kaiakater.com/home
