Stax 50th Anniversary Celebration @ The Orpheum Proves That Soul Isn’t Dead…
Tha Artivist Reports…
Tha Artivist Reports…
Although I’m an 80s baby it was truly a treat for yours truly to be able to get a chance to go down memory lane with many a baby boomer last Friday night (6-22-07)!!! It's been 50 years ago since Estelle Axton and her brother James Stewart decided to change American Music and Pop Culture History Forever when they put their financial resources together to create Satellite Records in a North Memphis Garage…This venture eventually became the now legendary Stax Records Brand…
If Motown was the embodiment of mainstream pop appeal then Stax truly epitomized the universality of soul…Many a legendary musical act made their mark at Stax which distributed the soul sound world wide…The list of names and hits reads like a who’s who and that’s my jam of jams of r & b, funk, gospel and soul…Everybody from James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Taylor, Otis Redding, The Bar Kays, The Mar Kays, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, The Memphis Horns, The Staple Singers, Rance Allen, The Soul Children, Eddie Floyd, Booker T. And MGs, Dr. Mable John, William Bell, Sam and Dave, comic great Richard Pryor and the Black Moses Himself Isaac Hayes among countless others played their part in this revolution to make soul music a household name and world wide phenomenon!!!
So it was truly a pleasure and a honor to see some of these headliners and legends on Friday @ The Memphis Orpheum Theatre…Although I am hometown boy myself I still had no idea how deep these soul roots ran…Memphis is truly Ground ZERO…This is where all the music came and crossed together to be distributed throughout the country and beyond…Blues had humble beginnings on famous Beale Street where W.C. Handy had the chance to write them down and in the process rewrite history…Rock N Roll was arguably first recorded @ Sun Records…True divas Aretha Franklin, Alberta Hunter, Lil Hardin Armstrong and Dee Dee Bridgewater were born in Memphis…Some of the greatest jazz, r and b, blues and gospel greats and near greats in their own right came out of Manassas High School, Overton High School and Booker T. Washington High School respectively…The legendary team of Al Green and Willie Mitchell hooked up in Memphis to create the Al Green sound and those legendary timeless hits!!! Let us not forget Orange Mound’s own Southern Hip Hop Pioneer duo 8Ball & MJG, the group which paved the way for other super successful acts like Outkast as well as the Oscar winning Three Six Mafia and their impressive albeit controversial legacy in the world of rap and Hip Hop…
But let us get back to the main point of this article which is Stax’s 50th Birthday Celebration…The purpose of this event was to raise money for Stax Museum of American Soul Music and Academy which presently stands on the same spot where the original recording studio stood @ College and McLemore in South Memphis back in 1960 (after moving from their original North Memphis location)…This manifestation owes its being to the dedicated pioneer and visionary work of Ms. Deanie Parker, a former vocal talent and longtime employee of the original Stax Records where she worked since she was a teenager…It took her 20 plus years of perseverance and diligence in seeing this project through to completion…And her hard work definitely paid off…
Like I said before it was truly an enjoyable and memorable program…It reminded me of one of those PBS specials where they have those DooWop groups from the 1950s and 60s perform their hits for their original and new fans…It was truly a rarefied and electrified air for many in attendance…What I also liked about the event was the fact that it also bridged the gap in having new school acts paid homage to the Old School pioneers who paved the way…This event definitely provided many edutaining (educational and entertaining) moments…
I thought both Hip Hop Icon Chuck D and American Idol Judge Randy Jackson did a great job in emceeing the event…Both men are very capable musicians and well read musicologists in their own right…They kept the show moving, but really I would say their job wasn’t that difficult because number one people who were there in attendance were already sold and grew up on the Stax Brand of Soul Music and Number Two the music acts were really really good!!!
The first acts did a great job in warming up the crowd for things to come...The vocal acrobatics of the great William Bell and great Eddie Floyd (who later came back and did a rump shaking cover of his signature tune “Knock On Wood”) paved the way for the wonderful bluesy, folksy and engaging story telling antics of beautiful Ray Charles alum (Rayette) Dr. Mable John…Storytelling has always been part of the African/African American art tradition…New School songstress and Neo-Soul stalwart Angie Stone did a great job in covering Shirley Brown’s soul standard “Woman to Woman”…Angie is definitely a born show woman because she showcased the band a la Jimmie Lunceford style by highlighting the horns, the rhythm section and those troopers the back ground singers letting them do what it do!!! The crowd was really into it at that point and in stand up mode…
Up and coming future soul legend N’Dambi took us there with her rendition of the late great Luther Ingram’s signature hit “Loving You Is Wrong I Don’t Want To Be Right…”…It was definitely hard not too fall for the leggy beauty from Dallas who really played her part with her large reddish brown Angela Davis style afro and blue turquoise mini skirt 70s style with retro boots to match…She looked like a taller version of the Beyonce Character (Foxy Cleopatra) from the last Austin Powers movie…I don’t doubt that we will be hearing more things from this song seductress in the very near future…
Some other surprises included the son of late great Otis Redding (arguably the greatest soul singer ever) performing one of his father’s signature tunes “Tenderness”…Otis Redding’s son bares an uncanny resemblance to his iconic father who perished in an airplane crash at the age of 26…Lalah Hathaway the daughter of another iconic singer who died all too soon, the great Donnie Hathaway, did a good cover of the popular “Mr. Big Stuff”…
The Soul Children proved that true soul never ages…It was truly enjoyable to watch their live stage performance which reminded of a cross between James Brown, KC and JoJo and Bobby Womack…Their act showed me that Stax did not only believed in recording great timeless music but also putting on great timeless live performances…
Trumpet virtuoso Wayne Jackson of the legendary Memphis Horns did up his group’s biggest hit “O Last Night” to a receptive audience…His performance reminded me of something that Louis Armstrong and Louie Prima would do…I really enjoyed it because I’m a trumpet man and show man in my own right…It was good to see Mr. Wayne Jackson do what it do with the seemingly same enthusiasm and spirit as when he first recorded his signature song…
New school act Soulive a.k.a. The Groove Machine of NY proved that true soul knows no geographical boundaries…They performed a very energetic version of Sam and Dave’s “Thank You”…
Gospel Soul artist Rance Allen hasn’t lost a step in his pep and proved that anytime is the right time to convert and save even the most soulful of souls through his songs…For a big man he really moved or grooved well (Mr. Allen reminded me in look of an older Heavy D)…He really made his stage time a time of worship and church….I thought they were about to pass around a bucket to take up tithes and offerings…
So it was truly a pleasure and a honor to see some of these headliners and legends on Friday @ The Memphis Orpheum Theatre…Although I am hometown boy myself I still had no idea how deep these soul roots ran…Memphis is truly Ground ZERO…This is where all the music came and crossed together to be distributed throughout the country and beyond…Blues had humble beginnings on famous Beale Street where W.C. Handy had the chance to write them down and in the process rewrite history…Rock N Roll was arguably first recorded @ Sun Records…True divas Aretha Franklin, Alberta Hunter, Lil Hardin Armstrong and Dee Dee Bridgewater were born in Memphis…Some of the greatest jazz, r and b, blues and gospel greats and near greats in their own right came out of Manassas High School, Overton High School and Booker T. Washington High School respectively…The legendary team of Al Green and Willie Mitchell hooked up in Memphis to create the Al Green sound and those legendary timeless hits!!! Let us not forget Orange Mound’s own Southern Hip Hop Pioneer duo 8Ball & MJG, the group which paved the way for other super successful acts like Outkast as well as the Oscar winning Three Six Mafia and their impressive albeit controversial legacy in the world of rap and Hip Hop…
But let us get back to the main point of this article which is Stax’s 50th Birthday Celebration…The purpose of this event was to raise money for Stax Museum of American Soul Music and Academy which presently stands on the same spot where the original recording studio stood @ College and McLemore in South Memphis back in 1960 (after moving from their original North Memphis location)…This manifestation owes its being to the dedicated pioneer and visionary work of Ms. Deanie Parker, a former vocal talent and longtime employee of the original Stax Records where she worked since she was a teenager…It took her 20 plus years of perseverance and diligence in seeing this project through to completion…And her hard work definitely paid off…
Like I said before it was truly an enjoyable and memorable program…It reminded me of one of those PBS specials where they have those DooWop groups from the 1950s and 60s perform their hits for their original and new fans…It was truly a rarefied and electrified air for many in attendance…What I also liked about the event was the fact that it also bridged the gap in having new school acts paid homage to the Old School pioneers who paved the way…This event definitely provided many edutaining (educational and entertaining) moments…
I thought both Hip Hop Icon Chuck D and American Idol Judge Randy Jackson did a great job in emceeing the event…Both men are very capable musicians and well read musicologists in their own right…They kept the show moving, but really I would say their job wasn’t that difficult because number one people who were there in attendance were already sold and grew up on the Stax Brand of Soul Music and Number Two the music acts were really really good!!!
The first acts did a great job in warming up the crowd for things to come...The vocal acrobatics of the great William Bell and great Eddie Floyd (who later came back and did a rump shaking cover of his signature tune “Knock On Wood”) paved the way for the wonderful bluesy, folksy and engaging story telling antics of beautiful Ray Charles alum (Rayette) Dr. Mable John…Storytelling has always been part of the African/African American art tradition…New School songstress and Neo-Soul stalwart Angie Stone did a great job in covering Shirley Brown’s soul standard “Woman to Woman”…Angie is definitely a born show woman because she showcased the band a la Jimmie Lunceford style by highlighting the horns, the rhythm section and those troopers the back ground singers letting them do what it do!!! The crowd was really into it at that point and in stand up mode…
Up and coming future soul legend N’Dambi took us there with her rendition of the late great Luther Ingram’s signature hit “Loving You Is Wrong I Don’t Want To Be Right…”…It was definitely hard not too fall for the leggy beauty from Dallas who really played her part with her large reddish brown Angela Davis style afro and blue turquoise mini skirt 70s style with retro boots to match…She looked like a taller version of the Beyonce Character (Foxy Cleopatra) from the last Austin Powers movie…I don’t doubt that we will be hearing more things from this song seductress in the very near future…
Some other surprises included the son of late great Otis Redding (arguably the greatest soul singer ever) performing one of his father’s signature tunes “Tenderness”…Otis Redding’s son bares an uncanny resemblance to his iconic father who perished in an airplane crash at the age of 26…Lalah Hathaway the daughter of another iconic singer who died all too soon, the great Donnie Hathaway, did a good cover of the popular “Mr. Big Stuff”…
The Soul Children proved that true soul never ages…It was truly enjoyable to watch their live stage performance which reminded of a cross between James Brown, KC and JoJo and Bobby Womack…Their act showed me that Stax did not only believed in recording great timeless music but also putting on great timeless live performances…
Trumpet virtuoso Wayne Jackson of the legendary Memphis Horns did up his group’s biggest hit “O Last Night” to a receptive audience…His performance reminded me of something that Louis Armstrong and Louie Prima would do…I really enjoyed it because I’m a trumpet man and show man in my own right…It was good to see Mr. Wayne Jackson do what it do with the seemingly same enthusiasm and spirit as when he first recorded his signature song…
New school act Soulive a.k.a. The Groove Machine of NY proved that true soul knows no geographical boundaries…They performed a very energetic version of Sam and Dave’s “Thank You”…
Gospel Soul artist Rance Allen hasn’t lost a step in his pep and proved that anytime is the right time to convert and save even the most soulful of souls through his songs…For a big man he really moved or grooved well (Mr. Allen reminded me in look of an older Heavy D)…He really made his stage time a time of worship and church….I thought they were about to pass around a bucket to take up tithes and offerings…
Mr. Allen's wonderful act set the stage for true Hometown favorite sons Booker T. and The MGs, who according to Chuck D was the greatest rock instrumental band of all time…They played their mega hit “Green Onions” to standing room only…There was not one person in the audience that wasn’t moved by their display of musical brilliance and telepathy…Steve Cropper was very exceptional in his display of musical pyrotechnics on his guitar…The group was very inspiring as a whole and they would definitely be a hard act to follow…
Mavis Staples of the legendary Staples Sisters sang her hit solo tune “Respect” which once again pulled the audience out of their seats and had us all bouncing to the beat…
One of the most crowning moments of the night I would say was the emergence of Black Moses himself, Isaac Hayes!!! He more than anybody in my mind really embodied the legacy of Stax music…His songwriting ability along with David Porter were behind some of Stax’s biggest hits and truly defined the era…He had seven no 1 albums during that period, more than any of his peers during the era…He was also responsible for penning one of the most recognizable songs in the entire world, the theme from the movie Shaft which enabled him to become the first African American to receive an Oscar for Best Song…So it made sense to save this truly soul treasure for last...And Isaac did not disappoint…He opened up his act with one of his signature tunes “Walk On By” which had the crowd on their feet…After the song he made a point to state how much things have changed in 50 years….He said that he can remember when Blacks were only allowed to sit at the balcony level of the Orpheum Theatre to watch a movie because of Jim Crow when he was growing up…Luckily for me I was able to sit in the orchestra level to watch this brilliant artist do his thang…After a round of applause from the audience he went into a tour de force version of his award winning epic tune “The Shaft Theme”…It really blew me away…The precision of the band was unbelievable...Isaac went into conductor mode…It was like watching God create the world in seven days…He basically enveloped everyone in the audience into his world and took us on a journey…That alone was truly worth the price of admission…However, after his act was over and he received thunderous applause, you can tell that Isaac was a mere mortal after all…He looked tired and needed to be helped off stage due to recent health setbacks...In spite of that I was glad to see one of the greatest artists of any genre do their craft at the highest of levels…His music will live on for all times…
The Finale had everybody come back on stage to do two of Stax’s biggest hits...The first was Otis Redding’s “Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay” followed by the Staples Sisters’s “I’ll Take You There”…
The show was also broadcasted live on XM Satellite Radio…Some notables in attendance included Dr. W.W. Herenton the Mayor of Memphis, former NBA Superstar Penny Hardaway and U.S. Rep for District 9 Steve Cohen…
To Learn More About Stax And Its Legacy Please Visit The Following Websites:
http://www.stax50.com/
http://www.soulsvilleusa.com/
Mavis Staples of the legendary Staples Sisters sang her hit solo tune “Respect” which once again pulled the audience out of their seats and had us all bouncing to the beat…
One of the most crowning moments of the night I would say was the emergence of Black Moses himself, Isaac Hayes!!! He more than anybody in my mind really embodied the legacy of Stax music…His songwriting ability along with David Porter were behind some of Stax’s biggest hits and truly defined the era…He had seven no 1 albums during that period, more than any of his peers during the era…He was also responsible for penning one of the most recognizable songs in the entire world, the theme from the movie Shaft which enabled him to become the first African American to receive an Oscar for Best Song…So it made sense to save this truly soul treasure for last...And Isaac did not disappoint…He opened up his act with one of his signature tunes “Walk On By” which had the crowd on their feet…After the song he made a point to state how much things have changed in 50 years….He said that he can remember when Blacks were only allowed to sit at the balcony level of the Orpheum Theatre to watch a movie because of Jim Crow when he was growing up…Luckily for me I was able to sit in the orchestra level to watch this brilliant artist do his thang…After a round of applause from the audience he went into a tour de force version of his award winning epic tune “The Shaft Theme”…It really blew me away…The precision of the band was unbelievable...Isaac went into conductor mode…It was like watching God create the world in seven days…He basically enveloped everyone in the audience into his world and took us on a journey…That alone was truly worth the price of admission…However, after his act was over and he received thunderous applause, you can tell that Isaac was a mere mortal after all…He looked tired and needed to be helped off stage due to recent health setbacks...In spite of that I was glad to see one of the greatest artists of any genre do their craft at the highest of levels…His music will live on for all times…
The Finale had everybody come back on stage to do two of Stax’s biggest hits...The first was Otis Redding’s “Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay” followed by the Staples Sisters’s “I’ll Take You There”…
The show was also broadcasted live on XM Satellite Radio…Some notables in attendance included Dr. W.W. Herenton the Mayor of Memphis, former NBA Superstar Penny Hardaway and U.S. Rep for District 9 Steve Cohen…
To Learn More About Stax And Its Legacy Please Visit The Following Websites:
http://www.stax50.com/
http://www.soulsvilleusa.com/
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