The Booker T. Set

Performer: Booker T. & the MG's
Engineer: Ron Capone; Steve Cropper
Producer: Booker T. & The MG's; Booker T. Jones
Distributor: Fantasy (distributor)

Notes: Booker T. & The MG's: Booker T. Jones (piano, organ); Steve Cropper (guitar); Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass); Al Jackson, Jr. (drums). Includes liner notes by Phyl Garland. Digitally remastered by George Horn (1987, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California). Personnel: Booker T. Jones (guitar, piano, organ, keyboards); Steve Cropper (guitar); Donald "Duck" Dunn (electric bass); Al Jackson, Jr. (drums). Liner Note Author: Phyl Garland. Unknown Contributor Roles: Al Jackson, Jr.; Steve Cropper; Booker T. Arranger: Booker T. & the MG's. THE BOOKER T. SET finds the legendary Stax instrumental quartet keeping pace with the times. The track list here consists mostly of covers of popular contemporary songs, including "Mrs. Robinson," "Light My Fire," and "Michelle." While the group's original compositions (almost always written collaboratively and usually outshining their cover versions) are sorely missed, the band is musically as in step as ever, with notably fine work from in-the-pocket rhythm masters bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn and drummer Al Jackson. As always, the group's chemistry is fueled by the dialogue between Steve Cropper's spare, wiry guitar leads and Booker T.'s thick, churning organ. THE BOOKER T. SET finds the funk coming full circle with the band's treatments of the Isley Brothers' "It's Your Thing" and Sly Stone's "Sing a Simple Song." The arrangements here are also interesting, showing how the band can play it straight, as on Burt Bacharach's "This Guy's in Love With You," or inventive, as on the low, almost boogie-woogie groove of "Lady Madonna." Altogether, SET is a musically strong, representative document of the MG's late '60s sound.

Booker T. & the MG's, led by soul organist Booker T. Jones, were the house band for much of the music that came out of Memphis in the 1960s on the Stax label. Their instrumental releases--typified by their minimalist classic "Green Onions"-- were the very definition of soulful economy, supple chops and laidback funk--truly regal stuff.

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