For English cricket fans, Booker T & the M.G.'s Soul Limbo is the sound of the summer. For America's National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Booker T. Jones is treated as royalty, awarding him Grammys for Lifetime Achievement and for his last two albums.
Now in the twilight of his career, Booker T is a soul survivor whose standing is such that he can pretty well pick and choose from the best of the current crop of soul and R&B artists.
Releasing the album on Memphis' legendary Stax Records is also a neat way of coming full circle since, during its heyday in the 1960s, he and his M.G.s were the house band on a label which boasted artists of the stature of Isaac Hayes, Wilson Picket and Otis Redding
The Avila Brothers provide a tight rhythm section and guest crooners include Mayer Hawthorne (Sound The Alarm), Anthony Hamilton (Gently) and Jay James (Broken Heart).
This may be a collaborative effort but you never lose sight of the fact that this is Booker T's baby. He wrote or co-wrote all the tunes and his trademark Hammond B3 Organ sound is prominent in the mix throughout. He even sings on one of the many highlights, duetting with Bill Withers' daughter Kori on the smooth ballad Watch You Sleeping.
Another standout track is Your Love Is No Love where the impassioned vocals from Vintage Trouble's Ty Taylor show that these artists are not simply going through the motions for a nostalgia trip.
|
A strength of the record is that Booket T does not set out the replicate an old school analogue sound but seeks to combine classic elements with contemporary touches helped by co-producers Bobby Ross and Issiah 'Iz' Avila who have worked with Usher, Mary J. Blige and Janet Jackson.
One of the fruits of this is Can't Wait where the organ's echo effect is part of vibrant arrangement for this commercial soul tune featuring British singer Estelle.
Five instrumentals balance up the vocal tracks and titles like Fun and Feel Good emphasise the spirit of optimism and joy behind the record.
Austin City Blues features Texas blues guitarist Gary Clark jr, while Poncho Sanchez and Sheila E bring distinctive Latino salsa rhythms to 66 Impala.
The closing track, Father Son Blues, is a double hander with son Ted on guitar.
Symbolically passing the baton to a new generation neatly illustrates that this album is not the end of an era but another chapter in the continuing history of soul music.
Booket T's official website
|
