RISING SONS Rising Sons featuring Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder (CD)

(Columbia) 22 tracks

You had to wait a long time for this album. Actually it is not an album, it is the recordings of the short-lived band Rising Sons. Rising Sons were formed in 1964 in Santa Monica by Taj Mahal, Ry Cooder and Jessie Lee Kincaid. Taj Mahal and Jessie Lee Kincaid had been playing as a duo for some time until they met 17-year-old Ry Cooder. To complete the band, the three brought in Gary Marker on bass and Ed Cassidy on drums. After their first recording, Statesboro Blues, Ed Cassidy left the Rising Sons to form California Spirit with his stepson Randy. He was replaced by Kevin Kelley in 1965.

1965 was the time when the blues became more and more interesting for the record industry. Columbia Records had no blues bands under contract at the time. Allen Stanton of Columbia signed the Rising Sons and wanted to record a hit with them. Terry Melcher, who had already worked successfully with the Byrds, was hired as producer. Melcher was a friend of country blues. The Devil's Got My Woman with Candy Man were recorded and released as singles.

The two songs would be the only ones of the recordings to be released by 1992. It had to be a hit and Melcher picked ake A Giant Step by the duo Goffin/King for it. The band preferred other songs. The chemistry between Melcher and the Rising Sons didn't seem to be right. After recording with Melcher, the band broke up in 1966.

In 1992, Columbia was reminded of the old recordings by Taj Mahal. He took some songs recorded by the Rising Sons only as instrumentals and recorded the vocal track afterwards. Columbia risked releasing the recordings on an album and called it Rising Sons featuring Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder for publicity.

The songs have nothing to do with the later recordings of Ry Cooder or Taj Mahal. It is a mixture of folk, country blues, rock and folk rock. Some of it is reminiscent of the Byrds. Basically, this collection of styles would have failed as an album and Columbia knew it. Decades later, they were able to use the two household names to sell it and the whole thing ranked as a historically valuable recording, which is true.