Booker T Twitter Updates
Watch Booker T. on PBS. See more from On Canvas.
NEW VIDEO FROM THE ALBUM "THE
ROAD FROM MEMPHIS"
Booker
is featured in the New
York Times in the August 6th issue. "...
After going nearly three decades without making a
solo record, Mr.
Jones has suddenly delivered two in the last three years. “Potato
Hole,” a guitar-driven outing with the Drive-By Truckers and his pal
Neil Young, won him a Grammy last year, and now there is the groove-oriented
“Road From Memphis,” whose title refers to the city where Mr. Jones,
66, was born and came of age as a musician. “I’m always
having to compromise, but both those records are snapshots of what’s
been going on inside me, the sounds that have been gestating,” Mr.
Jones, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992,
said in a recent interview in Manhattan." Read
more->
Larry
Rohter speaks with Booker T. Jones, composer of “Green Onions” and other
classic tracks, about his time at Stax Records and “The Road From Memphis,”
his recent collaboration with members of the Roots. “I’m living my life
in a very reckless fashion — there is no plan for anything having to
do with my musical creativity,” says Booker. “I’m trying to faithfully
follow the inner muse that I connect with, and that leads me in directions
that surprise me.”
STREAM
OR DOWNLOAD THE MP3 HERE!
On
July 23rd, Booker will be performing at the WXPN Exponential Music Festival
at Wiggens Park at Camden Waterside in Camden, New Jersey alongside other
amazing musicians such as Emmylou Harris, Clap Your Hands Say Yea, Citizen
Cope, Joseph Arthur, Ben Folds, The Smithereens, and many others!
Booker
T. and band stopped by the KCRW
studios for an interview and to play
a few songs from the new record 'The
Road From Memphis' as long as some
of Booker's older classics. You can watch
or listen to the performance
here! Tune
in!
Check
out an interview
and video performance from Booker at National Public
Radio Studios..RECORDED BY DAPTONE'S GABRIEL ROTH
WITH BACKING FROM THE ROOTS AND GUEST VOCALISTS
MATT BERNINGER (THE NATIONAL), YIM YAMES (MY MORNING JACKET), SHARON
JONES AND LOU REED
Booker T. Jones' historic life in music has brought
him international fame, awards (he’s a three-time Grammy winner and
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer), and iconic status as one of the architects
of American soul music. With his new album 'The Road From
Memphis,' due May 10 on Anti- Records, Jones traces his journey from
his hometown of Memphis, TN to the world stage. The album follows
Jones' 2009 Anti- release 'Potato Hole' which won the Grammy for
“Best Pop Instrumental Album."
Produced by Jones with The Roots' ?uestlove and Rob Schnapf (Beck,
Elliot Smith), 'Memphis' was recorded by Daptone Records mastermind
Gabriel Roth with backing by The Roots. 'The Road from Memphis' refers
not only to Booker T's journey but to the evolution of the soul music
he helped invent as it traveled from Memphis to Detroit, Philadelphia
and beyond. The music's many iterations are represented here with
a broad range of guest vocalists including Matt Berninger of the National
and Sharon Jones on "Representing Memphis," Yim Yames of
My Morning Jacket on "Progress" and Lou Reed on "The
Bronx." The album also features a rare vocal from Jones himself
offering a first-hand look at his hometown on "Down in Memphis." Legendary
motor-city guitarist Dennis Coffey contributes to the album as well.
Full track listing for 'The Road from Memphis:'
Walking Papers
Crazy
Progress (feat. Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket)
The Hive
Down In Memphis
Everything Is Everything
Rent Party
Representing Memphis (feat. Matt Berninger of The National and Sharon Jones)
The Vamp
Harlem House
The Bronx (feat. Lou Reed)
Booker T. won a GRAMMY in 1997 for his work with Booker T. & The
MGs, taking home honors for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. He
was named a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award recipient ten years
later, also for his work with the MGs.
But on Sunday night at the 52d Annual GRAMMY Awards, Booker T. scored
his first-ever GRAMMY as a solo artist, winning the Best Pop Instrumental
Album trophy for his April 2009 release Potato Hole (Epitaph/ANTI-). Potato
Hole, on which Booker is backed by the blistering Drive-By Truckers,
was Booker T.'s first new album in nearly two decades, and the lead
single "Warped Sister" had been nominated for Best Rock
Instrumental (the legendary Jeff Beck took home that award.)
On the Friday night before the GRAMMY ceremony, Booker T. appeared
at the MusicCares benefit event honoring his old friend Neil Young--who
contributed guitar work to Potato Hole . As part of what Rolling
Stone called "a true power trio" (along with Keith
Urban and John Fogerty) Booker T. played keys on a rousing rendition
of “Rockin’ in the Free World.”
Potato Hole and two tracks from the album, "Hey Ya" and "Space
City," were all included in The Village Voice's annual
Pazz and Jop poll, which tablulates the votes of over 697 music critics'
in an attempt to distill the most important music of the prior year. Potato
Hole was also recognized by No Depression in its Top
Albums of 2009. Finally, yet another Potato Hole track, "Pound
It Out," will be prominently featured in Ken Burn's forthcoming "Tenth
Inning," an epilogue to the filmmaker's acclaimed nine-part "Baseball" documentary
series.
Following the GRAMMY's, Booker T. left California for the Pacific
Rim, where he has a whirlwind tour of Japan slated, prior to returning
to the States to work on his as-yet-untitled follow-up to Potato
Hole.
Booker T scored two nominations for the 52d Annual GRAMMY Awards for his April 2009 release Potato Hole, including Best Pop Instrumental Album. The track 'Warped Sister' from the album was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental, competing for that honor with tunes by Jeff Beck, Brad Paisley, Brian Setzer and Steve Vai. Booker previously won a GRAMMY for Best Pop Instrumental in 1994 with the MGs for the song Cruisin', but this marks the first time he has been nominated for a solo record. Potato Hole was Booker T's first new album in nearly two decades. The GRAMMYs will be held January 31, 2010 in Los Angeles and telecast on CBS at 8 PM EST.
Booker is also going to perform at the MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute to Neil Young to be held January 29th in Los Angeles. Performers include Jack Black, Jackson Browne, CSN, Elton John, Norah Jones, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Dierks Bentley, Red Hot Chili Peppers, James Taylor, Wilco and many others.
Stay tuned for word on a new record and
upcoming tour dates.
Booker is on Twitter and if you'd like to follow him and get the latest updates on what he's doing directly from Booker, you can do so here :
http://twitter.com/BookerTJon
Click here to check out the USA Today preview on Booker T.'s new record, Potato Hole, out April 21, 2009 on ANTI- Records.
The official word:
TRAILBLAZING SOUL MAN BOOKER T WRITES MOST AUDACIOUS CHAPTER OF HIS CAREER WITH ANTI- RECORDS DEBUT POTATO HOLE, SET FOR APRIL 21 RELEASE
ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAMER IS BACKED BY DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS AND NEIL YOUNG ON FIRST SOLO ALBUM IN TWENTY YEARS
JAZZFEST PERFORMANCE CONFIRMED WITH OTHER FESTIVAL DATES FORTHCOMING
With Booker T. and the MGs he led one of the first-ever integrated groups to soul immortality. As a producer, he has helmed sessions for million sellers. On April 21st, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Booker T will write the boldest, most dramatic chapter of his fifty year career with the release of his searing new album Potato Hole, on Anti- Records.
With backing from the Drive-By Truckers (at left) and guitar contributions from Neil Young on nine of the album's ten tracks, Potato Hole is the rawest, funkiest music Booker T has recorded since his archetypal hit Green Onions. Booker T plays organ, acoustic and electric guitar on Potato Hole and wrote seven of the album's songs. Potato Hole was recorded last fall in Georgia and California and produced by Booker T and Rob Schnapf.
Booker T will tour extensively in support of Potato Hole. An April 24 Jazzfest performance with the Drive-By Truckers has already been confirmed, with other festival dates to be announced soon.
Booker T was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 with his group The MGs. In 2007 he earned a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His production credits include Bill Withers' debut album Just As I Am, and Willie Nelson's Stardust.
Booker T :: Potato Hole
For more info and press tool, visit:
http://www.shorefire.com/clients/bookert