Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band

On July 6, 2026 at the Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres in Toronto, Taj Mahal takes the stage with The Phantom Blues Band. A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born Henry Saint Clair Fredericks Jr., he emerged in the 1960s West Coast folk and blues scene with Rising Sons alongside Ry Cooder before starting a solo run on Columbia. His catalogue draws a line between country blues, folk and rhythm and blues, then opens to currents from the Caribbean, Africa and the Pacific, from early albums like The Natch’l Blues to later projects such as TajMo and Savoy.

Live, he moves between acoustic and electric textures, voice, guitar, harmonica and resonator carrying the songs from a front-porch shuffle to a slow, road-worn blues. The Phantom Blues Band sets a steady, adaptable frame that leaves room for detours through calypso lilt, ragtime figures or old swing phrasing. The set links roots traditions to the crossings he has explored over the years, with arrangements that keep the groove clear and the storytelling upfront.