Room on the Porch is the second collaborative studio album by American musicians Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo'. It was released on May 23, 2025 via Concord Records. Produced by the duo themselves, it features guest appearances from Ruby Amanfu and Wendy Moten.
Critical reception
Room on the Porch was met with universal acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 76 based on five reviews.[2]
AllMusic's Thom Jurek praised the album, calling it "a beautifully produced, modern, deep blues and roots album drenched in an all-inclusive Americana, generosity, and good vibes".[4] Eoghan Lyng of PopMatters declared: "while the record isn't bold or brash, it is excellent fun, mirroring a camaraderie and respect heard on the 1985 country music effort by the Highwaymen, Highwayman".[5] Tom Hull compared the album with the pair's previous effort, stating: "this one is better, perhaps because it's loose enough to just let that genius seep to the surface".[6]
Track listing
Room on the Porch track listing| Title | Writer(s) |
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| 1. | "Room on the Porch" (featuring Ruby Amanfu) | | 4:05 |
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| 2. | "My Darling My Dear" | | 3:58 |
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| 3. | "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" | Jimmy Cox | 3:42 |
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| 4. | "She Keeps Me Movin'" | | 4:01 |
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| 5. | "Make Up Your Mind" | - Moore
- Fredericks
- Roosevelt
- Mahal
| 4:40 |
|---|
| 6. | "Thicker Than Mud" | - Moore
- Fredericks
- Linden
- Roosevelt
| 4:38 |
|---|
| 7. | "Junkyard Dog" | | 4:20 |
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| 8. | "Blues'll Give You Back Your Soul" | Fredericks | 4:47 |
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| 9. | "Better Than Ever" (featuring Wendy Moten) | - Moore
- Fredericks
- Wendy Moten
- Mahal
| 5:03 |
|---|
| 10. | "Rough Time Blues" | Jontavious Willis | 4:31 |
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| Total length: | 43:45 |
|---|
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[1]
Musicians
- Keb' Mo' – vocals (all tracks), acoustic guitar (tracks 1, 2, 5–7, 9, 10), resonator guitar (1, 7), percussion (2, 9); slide guitar, banjo, octave mandolin (2); electric guitar (3, 4, 6–9); steel drum, harmonica (5); mandolin (9)
- Taj Mahal – vocals (1, 3–10), background vocals (2); percussion, acoustic guitar (5); ukulele (8, 9), resonator guitar (10)
- David Rodgers – Hammond organ (1, 5, 7–9), synthesizer (1, 5, 7, 9)
- Brian Allen – upright bass (1, 3, 8), bass (4, 5)
- K. Roosevelt – drums (1, 4–9), vibraphone (5), bass (9)
- Ruby Amanfu – vocals (1)
- Jenee Fleenor – violin (1)
- Robbie Brooks Moore – background vocals (1)
- Jimmy Nichols – Hammond organ (2, 3, 6), Wurlitzer (3)
- Anton Nesbitt – bass (2, 6, 7)
- Lauren Lucas – background vocals (2, 9)
- Michael B. Hicks – background vocals (3–6)
- Ron Poindexter – background vocals (3–6)
- Gene Miller – background vocals (3–6)
- Keio Stroud – drums (3)
- John Oates – background vocals (4)
- Jeff Coffin – saxophone (8)
- Billy Branch – harmonica (9)
- Wendy Moten – background vocals (9)
Technical
- Keb' Mo' – production
- Taj Mahal – production
- Zach Allen – recording, mixing
- Casey Wasner – recording
- Bobby Loudin – additional engineering
- David Kalmusky – additional engineering
- David Shivers – engineering assistance
- Ross Collier – engineering assistance
- Richard Dodd – mastering
- Jeff M. Bates – additional Keb' Mo' vocal recording
- Brian Leach – Billy Branch harmonica recording (9)
Charts
References
- ^ a b Room on the Porch (Media notes). Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo'. Concord Records. May 23, 2025.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
- ^ a b "Critic Reviews for Room On The Porch - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ Housh, Frank (June 1, 2025). "Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo': Room On The Porch album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ a b Jurek, Thom. "Room on the Porch - Keb' Mo', Taj Mahal, TajMo". AllMusic. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ a b Lyng, Eoghan (May 21, 2025). "Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo' Sound Happy and Bring the Fun » PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ a b Tom, Hull (May 27, 2025). "Tom Hull: Grade List: Taj Mahal". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Taj Mahal / Keb Mo – Room On The Porch" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ "Lista prodaje (strano) 23. tjedan 2025. (02.06.2025. - 08.06.2025.)" (in Croatian). Top lista. June 16, 2025. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Taj Mahal %2F Keb Mo – Room On The Porch" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Taj Mahal / Keb Mo – Room On The Porch". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ "Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart Top 30". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ "Taj Mahal Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ "Keb Mo Chart History (Top Current Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ "Taj Mahal Chart History (Top Blues Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
External links
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