PORT TOWNSEND — Taj Mahal will headline Centrum’s weeklong 20th annual Acoustic Blues Festival this summer.

The festival will take place at Fort Worden State Park from July 31 to Aug. 7, with a performance by Mahal at McCurdy Pavilion on Aug. 3.

Tickets will go on sale to Centrum members April 15 and to the general public May 1.

“Taj Mahal is a true blues musician who appeals to a wide range of audiences,” said Centrum Executive Director John MacElwee.

“We’re very excited that he will be returning to Centrum after many years.”

‘Excited’ about his return

Mahal played Port Townsend several times in the 1990s, appearing in Centrum-sponsored shows while never performing at the blues festival.

In addition to the concert appearance, Mahal will be a featured guest at a meet-and-greet, open exclusively to registered festival participants, earlier in the day.

“Taj Mahal has kept his vision for many decades and is totally involved with the blues,” said Peter McCracken, blues festival founder and program manager.

“He’s committed to the music, and he’s in tune with what’s happening, having worked his way around the Caribbean and African styles.”

McCracken said the festival was negotiating with Mahal for last year’s festival but ran into scheduling problems.

“We’re in the Northwestern corner of the country, and it’s hard to get people to come up here to play because 90 percent of the concerts happen east of Cleveland,” he said.

“We were able to pull it off this year but had to schedule it in the middle of the week.”

Mahal’s presence in Port Townsend is expected to attract a wide variety of people who might not normally attend a blues festival.

Economic boost

“Anytime you have big name come to Port Townsend, it brings people to town, and that fills our hotels, fills our restaurants and gets people to shop at local stores,” said Christina Pivarnik, Port Townsend director of marketing.

“This is so cool for Centrum that they got Taj Mahal, and it will give the town an economic boost.”

Mahal, 68, was born Henry Fredricks in New York City and adopted the alias of Taj Mahal after having a dream about India.

He began recording in the mid-1960s and has released more than 30 albums in various styles, from standard American acoustic blues to music that incorporates a variety of “world music” styles.

In the 1960s and 1970s, he played as the opening act for many of the era’s biggest bands playing only an acoustic guitar.

In subsequent years, he has varied his styles, most recently appearing in Seattle as the leader of a jazz trio. He also toured with Bonnie Raitt this summer.

For information about registering for the 2011 Acoustic Blues Festival or for Taj Mahal ticketing information, visit www.centrum.org or phone 360-385-3102.

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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.