CD Review: Booker T. & The M.G.'s - Stax Profiles - Page 3

The band's initial breakup occurred in 1971; Booker T. Jones, who'd had enough with the way he was being treated, left the company. Soon after, Steve Cropper left in protest of the company's change in business practices. Jackson and Dunn, still loyal to the company, tried to reform the M.G.'s, but the ensuing album was a flop; they eventually reestablished connections with Jones and Cropper, and the group decided to reform and start fresh. However, in late 1975, the great and still fiercely respected Al Jackson was fatally shot in his home by a burglar. Just as Otis Redding's death had drawn the line of Stax's before and after and crossed it, Jackson's death was the end of Stax for good. A few months after his death, Stax filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors forever. But Booker T. & The M.G.'s still live on: with Anton Fig replacing Al Jackson, the group has played behind Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and other artists. After all this time, the three original members of the band are still jamming away. Booker T. Jones continues playing music but also went on to a career as a producer, including such classics as Willie Nelson's Stardust album. Dunn and Cropper both play in the Blues Brothers band that they've been associated with since the late '70s, and Cropper is still banging away on the Telecaster and cutting albums.

I haven't even mentioned the specifics of their music much; I haven't talked about why they're such icons, and respected and venerated as musicians. There are so many reasons, approaches, innovations and technique from each player as to why that's true, and why all these parts fit together to build an instrumental group that topped the charts in a sexy and soulfully unheard of way. So when you celebrate Stax, take a minute and think about Booker T. & The M.G.'s. When you're listening to Stax records, listen real close to the music going on: chances are that somewhere back there, Booker T. & The M.G.'s are playing their hearts out, tirelessly carving out that R&B paragon: the musical essence of Stax.

Article Author: Modern Pea Pod

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