Stax soul jag

Oops! Brief brain cramp. The Staples weren't on Hi Records- I meant Ann Peebles ("I Can't Stand The Rain", among others).

Fun thread.

Marty

Funny you should mention it!

Yesterday, while my wife was shopping for whatever it is she shops for, I stopped in at HEAR music and found Billy Stewart's "Best Of" cd. This includes a personal favorite of mine, his R&B take on "Summertime" from Porgy & Bess. I'll try to let you know about the rest of the cd after a full listen.

Almost anything from Stax/Volt has some merit. Most of the music was played by the MG's- Booker T, Duck Dunn, Steve Cropper, Al Jackson, and (for a while), Isaac Hayes. Personally, I'll take this band over the Funk Brothers any time. The Mar-Keys, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and Booker T, were probably the best known Stax artists but you could also check out Eddie Floyd and Ruby Johnson. The big box set on Rhino is excellent.

After Stax petered out in the early '70's, Hi Records carried the flag for southern fried R&B. Willie Mitchell ran the show and his recordings are among my favorites. Al Green and The Staples were probably the best known artists on the label.

Good listening.

Marty