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Booker T. Jones, best known for his work in the '60s as an organist with Booker T. & the MGs, chose a seemingly unlikely source of inspiration for his new album, "Potato Hole" (Anti): the growling sound of Neil Young's favorite Les Paul guitar through his Fender Tweed Deluxe amplifier.

Mr. Young "was a pretty big influence on me in the early '90s," said the 64-year-old Mr. Jones when we met in Indian Wells, Calif., prior to his appearance at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. Mr. Jones toured with Mr. Young, as well as with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and played on Mr. Young's 2002 album "Are You Passionate?" (Warner Bros.).

"I wanted to cop his big sound," Mr. Jones told me. "You hear overtones in his playing. I wrote most of the album on guitar, then I imagined how I could get that sound on the organ."

After Mr. Jones and the Athens, Ga.-based group Drive-By Truckers cut the basic tracks, Mr. Young added his guitar to nine songs. Since the DBTs already feature three guitarists -- Mike Cooley, Patterson Hood and John Neff -- most songs have four guitar players on board. Some have more: Mr. Jones overdubbed electric and acoustic guitars on some songs.

The opener, "Pound it Out," announces the new Booker T. sound: Mr. Jones plays a little figure on the organ and then a guitar explodes the tranquility. "Native New Yorker" is a flat-out Young-style rocker. But on most tunes, out of the organized chaos comes Mr. Jones's Hammond B-3 organ, a rich, distinctive instrumental voice and a bedrock of American soul music.

Born in Memphis, Tenn., Mr. Jones became a professional musician at age 16, playing sessions at the hometown labels Stax and Volt where he and the MGs recorded their hits "Green Onions" -- cut while Mr. Jones was on summer break after his sophomore year of high school -- "Time Is Tight" and others. The MGs also provided backup for the likes of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, the Staple Singers, Wilson Pickett and Albert King.

After leaving Memphis for Los Angeles in 1970, Mr. Jones produced and played on many recordings, including Willie Nelson's "Stardust" and Bill Withers's debut "Just As I Am," worked as a sideman and occasionally reunited with the MGs. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

Throughout his career, Mr. Jones's playing has been characterized by his composure and consideration, which give the music a sense of swing as well as a mellow, soulful depth. As we spoke I proposed that he played intentionally behind the beat to achieve the feeling. At first, he disagreed, but soon warmed to the idea. If it is so, he seemed to say, it's not calculated. It reflects the way he is.

"I'm relaxed when I play," he acknowledged. "It gives me time to think. I probably speak like that too -- just a little bit behind the beat." "Space City," the new disc's closing number, presents Mr. Jones at his thoughtful, poignant finest.

Drive-By Truckers shaped the project, he said. He jammed with the band in 2007, but his link to them was temporarily severed with the resignation of Jason Isbell, the DBT member he knew best. Still, having enjoyed playing with the group, Mr. Jones decided he'd like to record with them.

"I didn't know what to expect, but they gave everything over to me," he said. "Maybe it's a Southern-hospitality thing. They submitted themselves to me and it opened a creative avenue for us."

Formally trained at Indiana University, Mr. Jones said much of his work over the years has been in the form of 32-bar standards or 12-bar blues. The DBTs are more intuitive, he said, going by feel rather than a formal structure. "I learned some flexibility I didn't have before," he said. "Part of the beauty of the nature of music is that you can continue to learn."

Throughout "Potato Hole," many of Mr. Jones's solos are meatier and louder than what appeared on his early hits; only "Reunion Time" conjures a memory of the MGs. The Neil Young sound dominates to be sure, but the album presents a seasoned musician choosing what to play to accommodate his surroundings. If the midrange is overcrowded at times, Mr. Jones avoids adding to the clutter by withdrawing until needed: In the title track, the B-3 sits among the chugging guitars until he issues an understated solo after almost two minutes have passed. In his cover of OutKast's "Hey Ya," he alternates long, sweeping lines with little stabs at the keys, while in Tom Waits's "Get Behind the Mule," he emphasizes the first beat in each measure as a nod to the original. One complaint: At just over two minutes, "Nan," a gorgeous ballad Mr. Jones wrote in tribute to his wife, is much too short.

Having played Coachella and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, where they mixed songs from "Potato Head" with MG classics, Mr. Jones and the DBTs are on tour for much of the summer, here and overseas. See www.bookert.com for dates.

MAY 6, 2009 - By JIM FUSILLI - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

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	Booker T. and the DBTs


	Booker T. Jones, best known for his work in the '60s as an organist with Booker T. & the MGs, chose a seemingly unlikely source of inspiration for his new album, "Potato Hole" (Anti): the growling sound of Neil Young's favorite Les Paul guitar through his Fender Tweed Deluxe amplifier. Mr. Young "was a pretty big influence on me in the early '90s," said the 64-year-old Mr. Jones when we met in Indian Wells, Calif., prior to his appearance at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. Mr. Jones toured with Mr. Young, as well as with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and played on Mr. Young's 2002 album "Are You Passionate?" (Warner Bros.). "I wanted to cop his big sound," Mr. Jones told me. "You hear overtones in his playing. I wrote most of the album on guitar, then I imagined how I could get that sound on the organ." After Mr. Jones and the Athens, Ga.-based group Drive-By Truckers cut the basic tracks, Mr. Young added his guitar to nine songs. Since the DBTs already feature three guitarists -- Mike Cooley, Patterson Hood and John Neff -- most songs have four guitar players on board. Some have more: Mr. Jones overdubbed electric and acoustic guitars on some songs. The opener, "Pound it Out," announces the new Booker T. sound: Mr. Jones plays a little figure on the organ and then a guitar explodes the tranquility. "Native New Yorker" is a flat-out Young-style rocker. But on most tunes, out of the organized chaos comes Mr. Jones's Hammond B-3 organ, a rich, distinctive instrumental voice and a bedrock of American soul music. Born in Memphis, Tenn., Mr. Jones became a professional musician at age 16, playing sessions at the hometown labels Stax and Volt where he and the MGs recorded their hits "Green Onions" -- cut while Mr. Jones was on summer break after his sophomore year of high school -- "Time Is Tight" and others. The MGs also provided backup for the likes of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, the Staple Singers, Wilson Pickett and Albert King. After leaving Memphis for Los Angeles in 1970, Mr. Jones produced and played on many recordings, including Willie Nelson's "Stardust" and Bill Withers's debut "Just As I Am," worked as a sideman and occasionally reunited with the MGs. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Throughout his career, Mr. Jones's playing has been characterized by his composure and consideration, which give the music a sense of swing as well as a mellow, soulful depth. As we spoke I proposed that he played intentionally behind the beat to achieve the feeling. At first, he disagreed, but soon warmed to the idea. If it is so, he seemed to say, it's not calculated. It reflects the way he is. "I'm relaxed when I play," he acknowledged. "It gives me time to think. I probably speak like that too -- just a little bit behind the beat." "Space City," the new disc's closing number, presents Mr. Jones at his thoughtful, poignant finest. Drive-By Truckers shaped the project, he said. He jammed with the band in 2007, but his link to them was temporarily severed with the resignation of Jason Isbell, the DBT member he knew best. Still, having enjoyed playing with the group, Mr. Jones decided he'd like to record with them. "I didn't know what to expect, but they gave everything over to me," he said. "Maybe it's a Southern-hospitality thing. They submitted themselves to me and it opened a creative avenue for us." Formally trained at Indiana University, Mr. Jones said much of his work over the years has been in the form of 32-bar standards or 12-bar blues. The DBTs are more intuitive, he said, going by feel rather than a formal structure. "I learned some flexibility I didn't have before," he said. "Part of the beauty of the nature of music is that you can continue to learn." Throughout "Potato Hole," many of Mr. Jones's solos are meatier and louder than what appeared on his early hits; only "Reunion Time" conjures a memory of the MGs. The Neil Young sound dominates to be sure, but the album presents a seasoned musician choosing what to play to accommodate his surroundings. If the midrange is overcrowded at times, Mr. Jones avoids adding to the clutter by withdrawing until needed: In the title track, the B-3 sits among the chugging guitars until he issues an understated solo after almost two minutes have passed. In his cover of OutKast's "Hey Ya," he alternates long, sweeping lines with little stabs at the keys, while in Tom Waits's "Get Behind the Mule," he emphasizes the first beat in each measure as a nod to the original. One complaint: At just over two minutes, "Nan," a gorgeous ballad Mr. Jones wrote in tribute to his wife, is much too short. Having played Coachella and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, where they mixed songs from "Potato Head" with MG classics, Mr. Jones and the DBTs are on tour for much of the summer, here and overseas. See www.bookert.com for dates. MAY 6, 2009 - By JIM FUSILLI - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Back to Media Page, Click Here