![\"\"](\"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/booker-bio1.jpeg\" "\\"Booker")
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Booker T. Jones. What\u2019s the first thing we think of when we hear that name?<\/p>\n
A. “Green Onions”
\nB. B3 Hammond Organ
\nC. Stax
\nD. Booker T & the MG’s
\nE. Grammy Award winner
\nF. Musical Genius<\/p>\n
Or there\u2019s always G. All of the Above.<\/p>\n
Booker T is a living legend. He\u2019s credited with pioneering the modern rock organ. That tone you hear on every late night show? Guess who that\u2019s inspired\u00a0by? Nord Keyboards\u2014 who do they ask to review their latest keyboards? It\u2019s a little overwhelming to prepare to interview him. I\u2019m not going to lie\u2014 I\u2019ve been stressing this week\u2014 a lot. Where do you even begin to talk about a career than spans half of a century and includes dozens of #1\u2019s, countless accolades, ridiculous collaborations, and more? What can you ask the person who inspired the sound you personally aim for every time you sit down at a keyboard?<\/p>\n
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I decided to go the simple route. I asked the questions that I wanted to know, and also tried my hardest not to sound like a crazy psycho-fan (I might have just a tad, and for that, I apologize to Mr. Jones). So, without further gushing, babbling, or non-sensical rambling, here is my interview with the humble, gracious, and incredibly talented Booker T. Jones.<\/p>\n
CP: <\/strong>I haven\u2019t been able to turn off The Road From Memphis this week. I\u2019m totally in love with the album, and I love that you collaborated with The Roots. Tell me about making it- was this the dream album you\u2019ve always wanted to make? How did it come about?<\/em><\/p>\n BTJ:<\/strong> Well thank you. That\u2019s very nice to hear. This album I think is one of the best I\u2019ve ever made. It got started when I was invited to New York City to sit in with The Roots on Jimmy Fallon\u2019s show. I flew out there and we came up with some original music for the walk-ons, and it was just a really nice match. We worked really well together, and it just came together. So, we got Jimmy\u2019s blessing to do the record together, you know, he\u2019s a big music fan. I took about 5-6 months to write it, and then we went in.<\/em><\/p>\n CP: <\/strong>What was it like working with ?uestlove as a producer on the album?<\/em><\/p>\n BTJ: <\/strong>He\u2019s one of the most creative people out there. He had a lot of input about the overall sound. He had a lot of input about different drum sounds, different micing, that sort of thing. We recorded the album old school- we used the analog tape machine to give it that really fat sound, and we used some old microphones. It was old school. We recorded it live, all of us together in one room.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> That\u2019s always so cool to hear. You can really tell that the album was recorded to tape\u2014 it has that warmth to it. <\/em><\/p>\n BTJ:<\/strong> Cool. I\u2019m glad you can hear that. <\/em><\/p>\n CP: <\/strong>So tell me a little bit about some of the other vocalists you worked with on the record. I know Sharon Jones sang on it, and your daughter wrote some lyrics if I understand correctly?<\/em><\/p>\n BTJ:<\/strong> Yes, my daughter, Olivia, wrote the lyrics to, \u201cRepresenting Memphis.\u201d Sharon Jones is a good friend of mine. I met her jamming a while back, and she just blew everyone away. She has an incredible voice.<\/em><\/p>\n CP: <\/strong>When you were writing the song, did you have her and Matt Berninger in mind, or did that come afterward?<\/em><\/p>\n BTJ:<\/strong> I knew I wanted a duet. I love duets, and I knew I wanted a male and female to sing. They were both available, and they just fit the song perfectly. It came out really nicely. Their voices just fit.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> Now, you seem to have a knack for covering some really great current songs. On this album you covered, \u201cCrazy\u201d as well as \u201cEverything is Everything\u201d. How did that come about?<\/em><\/p>\n BTJ: <\/strong>Well, I don\u2019t want to put them both in the same category, but they\u2019re both songs that stayed in my head until I recorded them, and well, I guess they\u2019re still in my head. \u201cCrazy\u201d is a really great song. It sounds really simple, but it\u2019s really quite challenging and interesting. The melody is classic, but it\u2019s not at all simple. \u201cEverything is Everything,\u201d is also challenging, but in a very different way. It\u2019s easier to play, but the emotional content is much harder to capture. The song is very intense, and trying to communicate that was the biggest challenge.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> And how about \u201cJust A Friend\u201d? Was that also a song that you had in mind?<\/em><\/p>\n BTJ: <\/strong>That song has been one of my favorite songs for a long time now. I always wanted to do it, and Matt was willing to do it. He really brought the sessions up in spirit. He\u2019s one of the nicest people in this business. I really think it added to the diversity of the album.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> I don\u2019t think anyone can argue with that. On top of all of that, you also sang on this album. Tell me about that! It\u2019s not something we usually get to hear from you! Did you write \u201cDown In Memphis\u201d knowing you\u2019d be the one singing it?<\/em><\/p>\n BTJ: <\/strong>Yes. That song was something I wrote for me to sing. I always loved to sing, and I was always really a singer. I grew up singing in church and school, but we always resisted the singing once we got to Stax. We were really pushed to be instrumental\u2014 that was what we were known for. But I always sang in my live shows and things like that. All the songs on this album are personal to me, but this one I had to sing. I could\u2019ve sung the others, but it just wasn\u2019t the right thing for them. This song was a good fit for me to sing. I may start doing a little more of that in the future.<\/em><\/p>\n CP: <\/strong>Tell me a little bit about how over time your writing process has changed as technology has changed. I know you\u2019ve done some testing with Nord organs and studio set ups. What\u2019s the writing process like now?<\/em><\/p>\n BTJ:<\/strong> It\u2019s much easier to get more material out. I probably write more music now than I ever did. I used to have a tape recorded, you know, just a simple two track that I think could hold 15 minutes or something like that. Now I can use Ableton Live to record lots of ideas. Then I can compare, listen, it\u2019s much easier now. It just used to be cumbersome with the larger equipment. Just last week, I took my digital recorder down to Nashville and was able to record some writing down there.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> I know you have something that isn\u2019t all that common in this business- a degree in music from Indiana University.<\/em><\/p>\n BTJ:<\/strong> Yes. It was very important to me.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> You\u2019ve said previously that it allowed you to do more than just play, particularly at Stax. You mentioned that it opened you up to arrange and produce. Do you still feel like you draw from it all the time?<\/em><\/p>\n BTJ:<\/strong> I draw from that all the time, but not just the technical skills. I listened to so much music in the library there. I listened to composers like Sibelius, Beethoven, and Bach, some French composers, American composers. It gave me more of an insight into the soul of music. You get to feel the pain and the joy and all of the emotions that go into it. It gave me a broader base for my music emotionally. The skills were helpful to write those things down.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> Absolutely- it gives you an edge. I feel like I talk to so many people who can\u2019t write their ideas down, and then they lose them.<\/em><\/p>\n BTJ:<\/strong> Well, I\u2019ll tell you about my philosophy on that. Learning is part of the game. I get ideas for music when I\u2019m driving, when I\u2019m sleeping, when I\u2019m eating. I get them all the time, and I can\u2019t always get them down. I have to compromise. That\u2019s what I\u2019ve learned. I\u2019ve lost some of my best ideas. I feel fortunate for the ideas I didn\u2019t lose. You can\u2019t hang onto them all, although I probably remember more than I forget.<\/em><\/p>\n CP:<\/strong> Well, we\u2019re certainly thankful for that! <\/em><\/p>\n BTJ: <\/strong>(Laughs) This is true.<\/em><\/p>\n CP: <\/strong>Is there anything else about the album or your writing process that you\u2019d like to share or comment on?<\/em><\/p>\n BTJ: <\/strong>You know, it was just so gratifying to finish the album. It\u2019s always a really nice moment when you have someone say that they\u2019ve listened to it or that they like it. I really enjoy that. I enjoy that people have access to it. I want them to have access to it. I want it to be a part of their lives. It\u2019s really rewarding.<\/em><\/p>\n CP: <\/strong>Tell me a little bit about what our audience here at Anthology can look forward to this Sunday.<\/em><\/p>\n BTJ: <\/strong>Well, I\u2019m really looking forward to playing. I\u2019ve heard wonderful things about the venue, and I am excited to see it and play. As far as the show goes, I really like to mix it up on stage. There\u2019s so much music from my past that I love, and the most recent songs from Potato Hole and Road From Memphis. I love playing the new stuff like, \u201cWalking Papers,\u201d and, \u201cHarlem House,\u201d and then I also like to play my favorites like, \u201cGreen Onions,\u201d and some of the MG\u2019s material. I also love to play tunes that I\u2019ve played bass or guitar on for Elvis King and Bob Dylan. My band gets frustrated with me sometimes because I like to switch it up, and I change my mind all the time. (Laughs) I have a great band. They\u2019re very talented, and it\u2019s going to be a great show.<\/em><\/p>\n Don\u2019t miss this show. For real. Don\u2019t do it. Get off the couch and get down to Anthology this Sunday, November 20th<\/sup> for the show of a lifetime. Be sure to check out my Spotify playlists of favorites as always, as well as Booker T. Jones\u2019 latest release The Road From Memphis<\/em>.<\/p>\n Booker T. Jones Favorites<\/a> WHAT: <\/em>Booker T. Jones<\/strong><\/em>
\nThe Road From Memphis<\/a><\/p>\n
\nWHEN: <\/span>Sunday, November 20, 2011, 6:00pm & 8:30pm <\/strong><\/em>
\nTICKETS: $10-$38 <\/span>Buy Tickets<\/a><\/em>
\nMORE INFO: <\/span>Artist Profile<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n