Green Onions, Time is Tight, Soul Limbo. These tunes were the work of Booker T. and the MGs, the first rhythm section ever to have instrumental hits on the charts. Their first hit, "Green Onions", can still be heard on TV. The MGs would create and define the Stax sound. Raw, funky and dynamic.
The MGs: Booker T. Jones, (organ, piano), Steve Cropper (guitar), Lewis Steinberg (bass) and Al Jackson Jr. (drums) played on every recording released in the 60's by Stax.
What made them unique was Jones' trance-like sound on organ and a behind-the-beat groove that made everything they played infectious.
The "delayed back beat", as it was then called, was the creation of guitarist Steve Cropper and drummer Al Jackson, Jr., who were trying to musically emulate a dance move. The groove allowed the musicians to sit in a pocket at the very bottom of the beat.
The Stax sound was complete when bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn replaced Lewis Steinberg. What occurred next was a musical role reversal with Cropper and Jones taking on a greater rhythmic role, allowing Dunn to play more melodically.
What made them unique was Jones' trance-like sound on organ and a behind-the-beat groove that made everything they played infectious.
The "delayed back beat", as it was then called, was the creation of guitarist Steve Cropper and drummer Al Jackson, Jr., who were trying to musically emulate a dance move. The groove allowed the musicians to sit in a pocket at the very bottom of the beat.
The Stax sound was complete when bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn replaced Lewis Steinberg. What occurred next was a musical role reversal with Cropper and Jones taking on a greater rhythmic role, allowing Dunn to play more melodically.
Sam and Dave's "Soul Man" became Stax's anthem of the mid-60's. The song has a melodic line that sits on the edge of the beat, yet the band sits at the very bottom of the beat creating a tension that permeates the entire track.
In the late 60's, new management and external forces would forever change the relationships that were at the core of Stax's sound. Booker T. became frustrated with the company's treatment and was the first to leave. The others would soon follow.
The Group was dealt a final blow with the murder of drummer Al Jackson, Jr. Al was building a career as a producer when he was cut down. Ringo Starr would pay him the ultimate tribute calling him the "Groove Maestro".
The surviving musicians would continue to play with many major artists, including a resurrection for Cropper and Dunn with the Blues Brothers. But the sound they created for "Soulsville" will forever be a part of the American soundtrack.
The Groove Continues...
The Group was dealt a final blow with the murder of drummer Al Jackson, Jr. Al was building a career as a producer when he was cut down. Ringo Starr would pay him the ultimate tribute calling him the "Groove Maestro".
The surviving musicians would continue to play with many major artists, including a resurrection for Cropper and Dunn with the Blues Brothers. But the sound they created for "Soulsville" will forever be a part of the American soundtrack.
The Groove Continues...
RSS Feed
