Stagger Lee Saturdays - Taj Mahal and the Hula Blues Band

Taj Mahal first recorded a version of Stag in 1969, and here's his take 31 years later. This is a lovely island version, with ukuleles and a full, Hawaiian-tinged band.

This is, if I'm not mistaken, the first version of the song I've posted which posits that Stag's hat is, in fact, magical. I read in Cecil Brown's masterful book Stagolee Shot Billy that quite a few versions indicate that Stag traded his soul to the devil for a magical hat which would give him good luck gambling, but at the time I couldn't think of any version in particular which did so. Here's one of them.

It's weird, kind of, to hear the New Orleans version of Stag ("...every step you take, you're stepping in Delyons' blood...") with this type of backing music, but this is great fun. I recently had to pass up on an opportunity to see Taj and Bonnie Raitt live (due to lack of funds and concert companion), and while it's unlikely he did a version of Stag at that show, I still mourn the lost opportunity.

Taj Mahal and the Hula Blues Band - Stagger Lee
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Stagger Lee Saturdays - Taj Mahal

This is the second version of Stag I heard in my young life (the first, of course, being Lloyd Price). It's from a 1969 double album which also includes Taj Mahal's covers of Hank Ballard, The Band, Leadbelly and even Dave Dudley's "Six Days On The Road."

This is the first blues album I ever bought (after hearing Taj on Prairie Home Companion) and probably still the one I've listened to all the way through the most times.

Taj Mahal is, no foolin, the official blues musician of the Commonwealth of Massachusettes. For comparative purposes, the official insect is the ladybug, the official marine mammal is the right whale, and the official rock is the Roxbury Puddingstone. (I'm not sure, but I think that might also be the name of one of Bertie Wooster's close chums -- though he probably goes by "Bongo".)

Taj Mahal - Stagger Lee
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Music Via Chicago

So a few months ago my good friend who shall remain nameless (excepting his nickname, which is "Big'un") traveled on business to the city of Chicago. And I spent a few hours before that compiling music to make his trip more pleasant. It's certainly not a complete collection of songs about the city (as he points out, "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" is missing, and that one's just the tip of the iceberg).

However, it is a nice collection of blues and indie songs that help to capture, in some small way, the soul of the city. In fact, I collected too much music to fit onto one CD, so if you're burning it to a disc I recommend that you remove tracks 11, 13, and 19. At some point, I may expand this into a 2-disc set, if anyone else goes to Chicago.

1. Home To Emily (Theme From The Bob Newhart Show)
2. Via Chicago (Wilco)
3. Dear Chicago (Ryan Adams)
4. Chicago Promenade (Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, live)
5. Sweet Home Chicago (Robert Johnson)
6. A Dying Cubs Fan's Last Wish (Steve Goodman, live)
7. Chicago (Sufjan Stevens)
8. Chicago (Ladyslipper)
9. Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night (The Hold Steady)
10. Sweet Home Chicago (Taj Mahal feat. The Pointer Sisters)
11. Chicago (Microfilm, Sufjan Stevens cover)
12. Chicago X 12 (Rogue Wave)
13. Chicago (Frank Sinatra)
14. My Kind Of Town (Frank Sinatra)
15. On A Freezing Chicago Street (Margo & The Nuclear So And Sos)
16. Old Man Chicago (Alberta Cross)
17. Via Chicago (Jeff Tweedy, live)
18. Born In Chicago (The Paul Butterfield Blues Band)
19. Chicago (Sufjan Stevens, easy listening mix)
20. Blue Chicago Moon (Songs: Ohia)
21. Sweet Home Chicago (The Blues Brothers)

Zip file part 1 -- Zip file part 2