Booker T and the MGs featuring Donald 'Duck' Dunn and Steve Cropper, Isaac Hayes, William Bell and Eddie Floyd... does this sound like a gift from above? It certainly was at SxSW this week. It's no wonder the Cropper and Dunn line-up of Booker T and the MGs is called 'Heaven's House Band'.
Without a doubt, the SxSW people were still talking about days later was the Stax 50th Anniversary party featuring Booker T and the MGs and special guests.Stax was recently reactivated by Concord Music and the catalogue is slowly being reissued.
Stax was the home of soul in the 60s. The label released soul greats Otis Redding, Rufus Thomas, Sam & Dave, The Emotions and Carla Thomas to name a few.
Concord Records will unveil a year of activity with Stax artists and the catalogue in 2007. This includes new music from Hayes, Angie Stone, Soulive and Leon Ware.
In its day, Stax achieved 167 hit songs on Billboard's Hot 100 but 243 hits on the R&B chart.
Today, the label is acknowledged in its hometown of Memphis with the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and Stax Music Academy.
The Booker T and the MGs show with special guests will have a repeat performance this summer at the Hollywood Bowl.
