Bonnie Raitt. Bonnie's supposed to be out in L.A., recording a third album with one of the West Coast's finer unknown rock bands, Lowell George's Little Feat. And she's putting together ideas for a series of inexpensive, community-oriented concerts. So she doesn't get east much, and she gets to Boston even less. Which makes it that much more imperative that you make it to Tufts this weekend. Bonnie Raitt can sing anything she puts her mind to, but she's best at the blues, besides being one of your finer slide and Mississippi National Steel guitar players. But it won't be worth the price of admission unless she sings "Waring Blender Blues." Be forewarned.

Loggins and Messina. Everything Jimmy Messina touches turns to gold. They say he doesn't like to tour, so he dropped out of Springfield while it was collapsing around him. To produce, they said. He shows up with Richie Furay's Poco, and that band promptly becomes the compleat incarnation of country rock. At which point Messina tires of touring, leaves Poco. To produce, they said. He falls in with a journeyman L.A. songwriter named Kenny Loggins, whose credits include "House at Pooh Corner," and the ability to sound like a cracker Elton John. Hired only to produce Loggins' first album for Columbia, Jimmy contributes songs and harmonies, and ultimately decides to hit the road again. This is L & M's third trip to Boston in under a year, the first as headliners. Everything that was good about Poco can be found, in abundance, in Loggins and Messina. Join the L & M moment.

Taj Mahal. Your standard "walking anachronism," at least according to the liners for his first album. Born in Harlem, educated at U Mass, probably not even thirty years old yet, this man sings country blues, and, incidentally, is one of the few people to play National Steel guitar as well as Bonnie Raitt. Taj has experimented, he once had a big band, one that featured four tubas, he's incorporated all sorts of West Indian influences into his music. Keeps coming back to the blues, though. His latest is Recycling the Blues, and recycle he does. More joyous music; watch him transport Paul's into Saturday night in the Delta.

Bonnie Raitt. Cousens Gym, Tufts University, Friday, March 2nd at 7:30.

Loggins and Messina. Orpheum Theater. Sunday, March 4th at 6:30 and 9:30.

Taj Mahal. Paul's Mall, 733 Boylston St., thru March 4th.