Taj Mahal is one of the most prominent figures in late 20th century blues. He is a self-taught singer-songwriter and film composer who plays the guitar, piano, banjo, and harmonica, among many other instruments. He often incorporates elements of world music into his work and has done much to reshape the definition and scope of blues music over the course of his almost 50-year career by fusing it with non-traditional forms, including sounds from the Caribbean, Africa, and the South Pacific. This album brought to you at mid-price is a diverse collection of many of his best performances for Columbia, including "Statesboro Blues" and "Leaving Trunk," as well as the unreleased "East Bay Woman". It features a variety of blues and roots-music styles, all fused together into a distinctive sound of it's own. Half the album is played on acoustic guitar, the other half with an electric band (which includes guitarists Ry Cooder and Jesse Davis on a handful of tracks), which gives a pretty good impression of the range of Mahal's talents.