Singer, songwriter and guitarist Taj Mahal received the B.B. King Award for his extraordinary contribution to blues music at the 37th Montreal International Jazz Festival.
The award was presented by André Ménard, artistic director and co-founder of the festival, during Mahal’s concert as part of the “Grands concerts Rio Tinto Series” on July 2.
Mahal is the third recipient of the B.B. King Award, which was created by the Montreal International Jazz Festival in 2014, to honor and recognize an artist who has left an indelible mark on the blues scene. The previous two recipients of the award were singer and harmonica player James Cotton in 2015 and the artist in whose name the trophy was created, B.B. King, in 2014.