PHANTOM BLUES BAND "OUT OF THE SHADOWS" Source: Blues Revue Magazine Date: 01/2007 Writer: THOMAS J. CULLEN III

Taj Mahal¹s backing band steps out with its first album as a musical entityof its own. The group¹s seven members (Mike Finnigan on keyboards and vocals, drummer Tony Braunagel, bassist/vocalist Larry Fulcher, guitarist/vocalist Johnny Lee Schell, Joe Sublett on sax, Darrell Leonard on trumpet, and guitarist Denny Freeman) have played with a veritable who¹s who of blues, soul, country, rock, R&B, and reggae luminaries.

Savvy veterans, they deliver a smooth, polished, soulful set from start to finish. The varied tunes on Out of the Shadows include 14 covers and one Finnigan original, ³Baby Doll,² a slow blues in the style of early Ray Charles. Eight tracks come from familiar sources: Bobby Bland, Jimmy McCracklin, Lowell Fulson, the Meters, Syl Johnson, Chuck Berry, Little Johnny Taylor, and Ray Charles. Fulson¹s universally appealing, funky lament from the late '60s "My Aching Back" is the biggest surprise among this group. Taj Mahal contributes choking harp on one of Syl Johnson¹s best-known tunes from his Hi year, "I Only Have Love."

The remaining songs are an eclectic group that includes the Olympics' rollicking tale of a reputed bad-ass, "Big Boy Pete"; a slice of reggae with the Heptones" "Book of Rules"; sinewy soul-rock with Glenn Frey¹s "Who¹s Been Sleeping in My Bed?"; the soaring gospel of Jesse Winchester's "I'm
Looking for a Miracle"; and two R&B nuggets from the heyday of King Records, Little Willie John's yearning "Let Them Talk" and Hank Ballard¹s churning midtempo jeremiad "Rain Down Tears."

Schell, Fulcher, and Finnigan share vocals, and the latter¹s gospel-tinged approach evokes Ray Charles. The group's musicianship is impeccable, but it's difficult to tell who's taking guitar solos, and the liner notes provide no clues. Still, Out of the Shadows is recommended for those who savor a hearty menu that¹s full of variety.