Vikings, Taj and Telluride trippin’

by Chris Aaland

Otto hollered for Mommy two hours past bedtime last night that “There’s Vikings in my room.” Whether she was too tired, too busy watching TiVoed episodes of “The Voice” or too busy laughing her ass off, Shelly sent me into his room to deal with his latest nighttime crisis. Of all of the strange things that 5-year-olds fear go bump in the night, this one was new to me. But Daddy was prepared to stop the pillaging hoard right in their tracks.

“Of course there are Vikings in your room,” I countered. Otto stared blankly back at me, mouth wide open. “That’s because I’m a Viking and you’re a Viking. Dad’s half of the family is from Norway, and we’re Vikings.”

“Did they steal?” he asked. “Well, some of them did. But some were fishermen and carpenters and potato farmers, just like the Aalands were back in Norway,” I offered.

“Cool!” he exclaimed and a quick Daddy fishing story and one goodnight kiss later, he was sound asleep.

So I’m excited that today (Thurs., May 17) is Norwegian Constitution Day, marking 198 years since Norway declared its independence from Sweden. No more would my people be mere goons, raping and pillaging for Swedish crowns. Now we were free to focus on important tasks like pickling herring, rolling potatoes and lard into lefse, populating the Upper Midwest and becoming the butts of countless Ole and Lena jokes. So, Otto, it’s good to be a Viking. Especially this week.

When Taj Mahal returns to the Community Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, consider it an opportunity to earn three hours of upper division credit in the history of roots music. In his 50 years in the music biz, Taj has forged his own unique style of blues that layers Caribbean, West Indian, Hawaiian, African, Latin and Cuban sounds with folk, jazz, zydeco, gospel, rock, soul and R&B. He’s a self-taught musician who plays more than 20 instruments, including all types of guitar, Dobro, banjo, mandolin, bass, piano, organ, harmonica and assorted woodwinds and percussion. In many ways, he’s a musical sponge, absorbing influences from across the globe. His latest recordings reflect this. “Sacred Island” and “Hanapepe Dream” island hop from the South Pacific to the Caribbean. “Kulanjan” and “Mkutano” visit Africa. His most recent effort, 2008’s “Maestro,” is straight-up blues that garnered a Grammy nomination. This time around, Taj’s Durango date falls exactly 70 years and five days after he entered this world in Harlem, N.Y., as Henry Saint Clair Fredericks Jr. There’s no telling how long Taj will continue to tour, so take advantage of any chance you get to see this legend perform live … let alone as a freshly-minted septuagenarian. And move quickly … this one will sell out.

The Taste of Durango happens from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sunday downtown on Main Ave. Exchange your hard-earned dinero for tokens to redeem for tasty bites from local restaurants and pints of liquid love from the Bootleggers. Music, sweet music, will fill the air on Main, including that of a ringer: See-I, an offshoot of Thievery Corporation. Touted as America’s premier reggae party band, See-I features original Thievery vocalists Rootz and Zeebo. The fun-loving, firefighting bluegrass boys of Waiting on Trial share the bill. The Manna Soup Kitchen is this year’s beneficiary.

The Abbey Theatre gets into Taste of Durango by hosting two nights of live music leading up to Sunday’s downtown feast. On Friday, Gaudi — a London-based music composer and producer — will make a rare club appearance. His most recent collaborators include David Gilmour of Pink Floyd and The Orb. Then on Saturday, Tour de Brews hosts See-I with special guest Euforquestra. The latter, of course, features the funky global groove of the Iowa-cum-Fort Collins band.

Moe’s lineup this week is highlighted by the Splatterdays Urban Art Show at 9 p.m. Saturday. This one features live graffiti demonstrations, breakdancers and the hip-hop sounds of DJ Juan Blanco. Also on the weekly bill: an After-Taste Party with DJ Niko, Mr. Anderson and Brian Ess at 2 p.m. Sunday, the Jazz Church free-form jam session from 6-9 p.m. Sunday and tonight’s weekly salsa night with dancing and the soothing Latin sounds of DJ Soltron.

This week’s Summit bill of fare features Taxi Dancer, a blues act straight outta the 505 that dabbles in Chicago and Kansas City jump, New Orleans gumbo and Louisiana swamp forms of blues. The slate also includes a free Thirsty Thursday gig with Hello Doll Face, a Friday appearance by the new, local funk act Dysfunktion Band, and Wyl’ Out Wednesdays with DJ Dirty Habitz.

Also of note: The Assortment plays Americana, blues and folk at this week’s Ska-B-Q (Thurs., May 17); Psychedelic Mojo rocks the Balcony Bar & Grill at 5 p.m. Friday; and Pete Giuliani does an acoustic solo show at the Schank House’s charity pig roast at Vallecito Lake this Sunday.

This week’s Top Shelf list recalls the first time I saw Taj Mahal live. It was Telluride, August 1991, the final day of the Midsummer Music Festival — what the locals now call “Bill Graham Fest.” You know the sad tale of woe: A 23-year-old sleeps in the back of his ’74 Toyota Corolla, visits Rose’s Market to buy some fruit for breakfast, runs into a pretty hippie girl who invites him back to her condo. He thinks he’s going to get laid. Instead, he finds most of the members of Blues Traveler, Widespread Panic and NRBQ in various states of undress there. John Popper, dressed in boxers and trademark hat, devours the bread and grapes. Chan Kinchla comes out and kisses the pretty hippie girl. The 23-year-old doesn’t get laid, instead heads to Town Park. It rains nonstop through the first two acts. Some guy who looks like Ron “Pigpen” McKernan eats too much acid and pees on people’s tarps, including the 23-year-old’s. A new friend is made. Taj joined the Allman Brothers on organ for “Statesboro Blues.” The sun finally comes out during “Blue Sky.” Dickey Betts says it looks pretty cool from the stage, too, as everyone turns around to greet the combination of sunset and rainbow. It’s glorious. Greatest day of music in the San Juan Mountains. Ever. The lineup:
1. Widespread Panic
2. Taj Mahal
3. David Grisman Quintet
4. Hot Tuna
5. Allman Brothers Band
Your sister Lucille said she wanna go? Email me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net.