Various Artists
Stax 50th Anniversary Celebration


One little label in Memphis sure put out a whole lotta good music in it’s day. If you’ve never been to the Stax studios and toured around the town, your next best bet is to hear the stuff that this capital of dry barbecue can put down. Tunes by the likes of Booker T. & The MGs, Sam and Dave, Otis Redding, Jonni Taylor, The Staple Singers and Isaac Hayes capture the heart and soul of what good music is all about. A good solid backbeat, fiery gospel drenched vocals, visceral accompaniment by the Memphis Horns,and infectious guitar work by Steve Cropper are all hallmarks of this label’s half century of music. It’s amazing how the beat and groove of the church was able to become the foundation for a generation of music fans who wouldn’t have darkened the door of a Southern cathedral. Stax brought the pews to the people, and a nation danced to it’s beat. Essential music that is in the dna of everyone from 6-60.


-George W. Harris