Taj Mahal - The Best of Taj Mahal Volume I

I bought this album after seeing Taj Mahal open for Dave Matthews Band in 1998. I remember being the only guy in the Dave Matthews crowd that felt like anyone should be paying attention to the dude on stage who clearly knew how to play some blues.

This disc of Taj Mahal hits features some very fine down-home folksy blues. My favorite track is "Fishing Blues" because Taj's raspy vocals carry the track better than any other version of the song I've ever heard. I believe it was this album and a little research that introduced me to Howlin' Wolf. Although Howlin' Wolf is superior to Taj Mahal, I still have a fondness for the man that started my serious interest in the blues. This album is always a fun listen, and it'll spin again before a lot of things in my collection.