Various Artists
Concord, 2024, CD
Instrument: Instrumental
Issue: 30.2
Jazz Ruler Type: Bebop
Performance: 5
Sound: 4
Score: 97
O’s Notes: Back in the 1960s there were a few record labels that produced a wealth of number 1 hits. Stax zeroed in on that formula with a Memphis sound and lyrics that resonated on both soul and pop charts – 167 songs on the pop top 100 and 243 songs on the R&B charts over a 15-year span! That includes timeless classics like “The Dock of The Bay” by Otis Redding, “Knock On Wood” by Eddie Floyd, The Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There”, and Jean Knight’s “Mr. big Stuff”. You may not remember some of these artists but for sure you know the songs, and that’s part of that Memphis mystique of Stax. This collection features 15 number ones that are timeless. Stax died and was resurrected through several M&A events but like many record labels of the time, it disappeared, but the music lives forever. Concord owns the catalog and Memphis is home to the Stax Museum, a part of the Soulsville Foundation that continues to inspire youth through music.
Publicist: Concord