Kyle Meredith caught up with the legendary Taj Mahal to discuss his Grammy-winning live album Swingin’ Live at the Church in Tulsa and the deep-rooted history that fuels his music. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts.

Mahal’s signature style — deeply informed by blues, jazz, folk, and world music — stems from a lifetime of self-taught exploration, starting with a childhood discovery of his stepfather’s abandoned guitar. “I figured out how to play with an old comb,” he recalls. He later met a neighbor from North Carolina who introduced him to Jimmy Reed and Blind Blake, and the story of a future blues legend began to grow.

The new live album captures that same spirit, recorded at Tulsa’s historic Church Studio, originally founded by Leon Russell. The setlist includes classics like “Queen Bee” and a fiery jam on “Mean Old World,” proving his music is as vibrant as ever.

Listen to Taj Mahal chat about all this and more or watch it on YouTube. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.