The former leader of Booker T and the MGs, organist Booker T. Jones has been jamming for nearly four decades, paving the way for countless forms of funk and soul music. From his professional debut at 16 with Stax Records to his latest all-star collaboration, Jones' passion for the beat has only grown over the years.
Raised in America's blues and soul heartland, Jones was a child prodigy in the Memphis music scene. As a teenager, he was backing big names like Otis Redding, Rufus and Carla Thomas and Eddie Floyd. He soon became the star of the fabled Stax label, and anything his fiery, funky sound touched leapt onto the charts. His main project, Booker T and the MGs, recently won him a lifetime achievement Grammy and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Jones' latest album, Potato Hole, is his first solo release in 20 years. With backing from Drive-By Truckers and Neil Young, he crafts a set of 10 meaty jams, each held together by his Hammond B-3 riffs. In the process, Jones lets loose the Southern rock that's been suggested in his earlier work.
Copyright 2009 XPN