Room on the Porch

Room on the Porch is the second collaborative studio album by American musicians Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo'. It was released on May 23, 2025 via Concord Records. Produced by the duo themselves, it features guest appearances from Ruby Amanfu and Wendy Moten.

Room on the Porch
Studio album by Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo'
Released	May 23, 2025 (2025-05-23)
Studio	Stu Stu (Franklin) Addiction Sound (Nashville) Kona (Redondo Beach) Joy Ride (Chicago)[1]
Genre	Blues
Length	43:45
Label	Concord
Producer	Keb' Mo' Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo' chronology
TajMo (2017) Room on the Porch (2025)
Taj Mahal chronology
Savoy (2023) Room on the Porch (2025)
Keb' Mo' chronology
Good to Be... (2022) Room on the Porch (2025)

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	76/100[2]
Review scores
Source	Rating
All About Jazz	[3]
AllMusic	[4]
PopMatters	7/10[5]
Tom Hull	B+()[6]

Room on the Porch was met with universal acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 76 based on five reviews.^[2]

AllMusic's Thom Jurek praised the album, calling it "a beautifully produced, modern, deep blues and roots album drenched in an all-inclusive Americana, generosity, and good vibes".^[4] Eoghan Lyng of PopMatters declared: "while the record isn't bold or brash, it is excellent fun, mirroring a camaraderie and respect heard on the 1985 country music effort by the Highwaymen, Highwayman".^[5] Tom Hull compared the album with the pair's previous effort, stating: "this one is better, perhaps because it's loose enough to just let that genius seep to the surface".^[6]

Track listing

Room on the Porch track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Room on the Porch" (featuring Ruby Amanfu)	Kevin R. Moore Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr. Ruby Amanfu Ahmen Mahal	4:05
2.	"My Darling My Dear"	Fredericks Moore K. Roosevelt Colin Linden Mahal	3:58
3.	"Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out"	Jimmy Cox	3:42
4.	"She Keeps Me Movin'"	Moore Fredericks John Oates	4:01
5.	"Make Up Your Mind"	Moore Fredericks Roosevelt Mahal	4:40
6.	"Thicker Than Mud"	Moore Fredericks Linden Roosevelt	4:38
7.	"Junkyard Dog"	Gabriel Barry Dixon Maia Sari Sharp Park Chisolm	4:20
8.	"Blues'll Give You Back Your Soul"	Fredericks	4:47
9.	"Better Than Ever" (featuring Wendy Moten)	Moore Fredericks Wendy Moten Mahal	5:03
10.	"Rough Time Blues"	Jontavious Willis	4:31
Total length:			43:45

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.^[1]

Musicians

• Keb' Mo' – vocals (all tracks), acoustic guitar (tracks 1, 2, 5–7, 9, 10), resonator guitar (1, 7), percussion (2, 9); slide guitar, banjo, octave mandolin (2); electric guitar (3, 4, 6–9); steel drum, harmonica (5); mandolin (9)
• Taj Mahal – vocals (1, 3–10), background vocals (2); percussion, acoustic guitar (5); ukulele (8, 9), resonator guitar (10)
• David Rodgers – Hammond organ (1, 5, 7–9), synthesizer (1, 5, 7, 9)
• Brian Allen – upright bass (1, 3, 8), bass (4, 5)
• K. Roosevelt – drums (1, 4–9), vibraphone (5), bass (9)
• Ruby Amanfu – vocals (1)
• Jenee Fleenor – violin (1)
• Robbie Brooks Moore – background vocals (1)
• Jimmy Nichols – Hammond organ (2, 3, 6), Wurlitzer (3)
• Anton Nesbitt – bass (2, 6, 7)
• Lauren Lucas – background vocals (2, 9)
• Michael B. Hicks – background vocals (3–6)
• Ron Poindexter – background vocals (3–6)
• Gene Miller – background vocals (3–6)
• Keio Stroud – drums (3)
• John Oates – background vocals (4)
• Jeff Coffin – saxophone (8)
• Billy Branch – harmonica (9)
• Wendy Moten – background vocals (9)

Technical

• Keb' Mo' – production
• Taj Mahal – production
• Zach Allen – recording, mixing
• Casey Wasner – recording
• Bobby Loudin – additional engineering
• David Kalmusky – additional engineering
• David Shivers – engineering assistance
• Ross Collier – engineering assistance
• Richard Dodd – mastering
• Jeff M. Bates – additional Keb' Mo' vocal recording
• Brian Leach – Billy Branch harmonica recording (9)

Charts

Chart (2025)	Peak position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[7]	55
Croatian International Albums (HDU)[8]	14
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[9]	94
Scottish Albums (OCC)[10]	86
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[11]	7
UK Americana Albums (OCC)[12]	21
UK Jazz & Blues Albums (OCC)[13]	4
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[14]	28
US Top Current Album Sales (Billboard)[15]	22
US Top Blues Albums (Billboard)[16]	2