The new release on Nonesuch Records by contemporary blues masters Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder, Get On Board is a remake of the 1952 original record, Get On Board: The Songs of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee. Like Sonny and Brownie, Taj and Ry are longtime friends and collaborators — since 1965 when they first played together in the Rising Sons. They both remember being inspired by this record as teenagers. Taj is on vocals, harmonica, guitar, and piano, with Ry on vocals, guitar, mandolin, and banjo. They’re joined by Ry’s son Joachim Cooder on drums and bass. The album cover design and typography were inspired by the soul of the original Folkways package.
Congrats to Taj and Ry on their 2023 Grammy win for Best Traditional Blues Album!
Art Direction by Al Quattrocchi & Jeff Smith of Tornado Creative, Los Angeles. Photography by Abby Ross.