In a Benefit for the Wonderful Women of Science, maestro Taj Mahal and his Trio and sultry songstress Maria Muldaur and the Bluesiana band put the uplifting, positive power of the blues behind three remarkable women whose projects are making a difference in Afghanistan, Tanzania, and right here in the Bay Area.

Singer, instrumentalist, composer, producer and two-time Grammy winner Taj has proven himself to be "one of the enduring figures in American blues" (Rolling Stone). In his teens Taj performed with blues legends Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Muddy Waters, and as a mature artist he has become a fearless musical explorer and innovator, collaborating with Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt and such celebrated world musicians as India's V.M. Bhatt and African kora master Toumani Diabate. Tonight with his longtime trio, Taj plays guitar, piano, and banjo, Bill Rich plays bass, and Kester Smith on the drums.

Maria Muldaur is an acclaimed interpreter of just about every stripe of American roots music: blues, early jazz, gospel, folk, country, R&B. Maria grew up exploring blues, bluegrass, and Appalachian old-time music and began her music career applying her magnificent honey-vinegar voice to the Even Dozen and Kweskin Jug Bands. Her passion for an eclectic range of musical genres is reflected in her 35 solo recordings, which include children's albums and her 2001 Grammy Award nominated Richland Woman Blues.

Tonight's show benefits the projects of three Bay Area women. Marianne Walpert (Tanzsolar, Ltd.) quite literally is bringing light to Tanzanians—house by house, village by village. In the Lake Zone of Tanzania, 90% of rural households have no electricity and rely on Kerosene—which causes deadly fires, consumes much of a family's income, and results in respiratory ailments responsible for the deaths of millions of children annually. TanzSolar's mission is to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life for people throughout Tanzania through the promotion of affordable technology powered by renewable energy, distributed to communities not served by an electricity grid. Camilla Barry (Classrooms Across Cultures) has helped restore education for Afghans since 2003, especially for girls and women, after decades of war that destroyed most of the country and its schools. Recognized for her very real connection to the Afghan people, Camilla is currently working with Afghanistan's Ministry of Education to develop hands-on science lessons plans using local plants and materials to complement the new science curriculum in elementary and secondary schools. KO (EV/Makers Project) discovered that converting her car to electric power was so easy she thought a Middle school kid could do it. She bundled the technology for her Silicon Valley prototype into a curriculum, and is now bringing it to kids in the Bay area. Middle School children participating in the after school EV/Makers Project learn the fundamentals of electrical engineering and physics the hands-on way, developing skills to take on their own projects-skills they'll use to build their lives and possibly shape ours as well.

Visit Tansolar's website

Visit Classrooms Across Cultures' website

Visit Taj's website

Visit Maria's website