A legendary musician who knows his Onions

Now performing solo and on his tenth album release, Sound the Alarm (2013) he’s out strutting his stuff on a massive tour that includes Germany, France, Switzerland, The Netherlands and the UK.

He’ll be appearing as part of The Sage’s Summertyne Americana Festival in a double bill with the American soul singer-songwriter Bettye LaVette.

I have to ask, what happened to The MG’s?

Two of the five MG's, Al Jackson, Jr. (Drums) and Donald “Duck” Dunn have passed away. Lewie Steinberg (original bass) lives in Memphis, and Steve Cropper (Guitar) lives in Nashville. Cropper and I occasionally play together. He sat in with my band at Eric Clapton’s Crossroad Concert last year at MSG in New York.

I always wondered what MG stood for, can you explain?

The band members wanted to call it the MG’s because they thought it would be cool to name the band after engineer Chips Moman’s little sports car that was parked out on McLemore the day of the session. He had been doing wheelies in the snow and the tracks were usually still visible for a few days. This was cool with me… until our PR folks started trying to contact British Leyland to let them know we had a big hit on a band with the same name as their car. It finally dawned on me they wanted nothing to do with us. I suspected they were kind of stuffy and weren’t at all happy to have a band like ours carry their moniker. So, I started telling the press the band was named “Memphis Group”. Years later I realised I was being as silly as they had been, and revealed the true source of the name.

The Hammond organ is an unlikely instrument for a Soul/R&B sound, why do you think it works so well?

The Hammond is capable of making so many different types of sounds: percussive, soft pads, horn-like sounds, and it’s own characters as well. It makes an engaging solo vehicle with the ability to produce daring, piercing leads. Also, it can soften to provide enchanting tones for vocal accompaniments, as well as sweet flute-like sounds.

You have loads of famous guests on your latest album, Sound the Alarm, can you introduce a few of the best?

a. Kori Withers is the daughter of my friend, Bill Withers. She has an earthy voice reminiscent of her father’s and I predict she will become a major influence.

b. Mayer Hawthorne has the R&B traits of his predecessor, Darryl Hall of Hall and Oates – his inherent instinct reminds me of the blue-eyed soul made famous in Philadelphia during the reign of Gamble-Huff.

c. Vintage Trouble – the writing session was one where all the players were present and in the studio and offered their ideas, and the songs were written by consensus. The results were 1960s Stax-style gems.

d. Luke James – skilful, soulful, spiritual.

e. Anthony Hamilton – classic. We met at the Grammies. Three Times.

f. Poncho Sanchez – a real Latin jazz bandleader in the tradition of Tito Puente, who was one of my influences as a boy. He and his band are an inspiration.

g. Sheila E – E for Escovedo. A long tradition of inspired Latin percussionists… and what a classy lady. My first introduction was when I was playing with her uncle Coke Escovedo in Carlos Santana’s band in the early 1970s in San Juan.

h. Gary Clark, Jr. – a blues/rock trooper from the same brigade I hung out with in my Austin, Texas days. I heard music being played at the Apple compound in Cupertino and went downstairs to check it out (leaving my own stage). It was Gary and a drummer. We exchanged numbers and stayed in touch, the real thing, he plays to please.

Can you tell us about the Grammy award you won in 2010.

This was the most surprising and gratifying award of my career. I had hoped to stage a comeback of some sort, but I didn’t like my chances, being already in my sixties. But the experience with the Drive-By Truckers, Neil Young and Anti- Records had been so rewarding I would have been happy and satisfied with the LP itself alone. When they called my name as winner, it was a moment I will never forget. My wife screamed – I froze, looking at her jumping in disbelief. I had to gather myself just to walk up to the stage.

If you could give a Booker T Jones award for the best music innovation since 1962, what or who would get the gong?

That is probably the most intriguing interview question ever asked of me. It would go to Marvin Gaye for What’s Goin’ On.

What can Newcastle’s Summertyne audiences expect from your concert in July?

I make every effort to follow the set-list on stage, but often I watch the audience and songs come to mind, which seem appropriate for the moment, then I flow with it and perform the song. With that mind, most usually I include MG's material such as Green Onions, Soul Limbo, and Hip-Hug-Her, and my preference also is to perform material which either has influenced me or that I have had some part in creating, such as I’ve Been Loving You Too Long or Born Under a Bad Sign.

Your son, Ted, has recently recorded with you, how did that come about?

My son is a person who gives his whole heart and soul to whatever he does, and I watched him give everything in soccer games for the first years of his life. Just before he graduated from college a couple of years ago he asked for a guitar and he repeated the process. So much so that I mistook him for Joe Bonamassa (who I assumed was playing on the TV in my family room one day). But it was not Joe it was Ted. He learned so quickly and plays so passionately that I wrote a song for him to play on my new album.

After the tour, what’s next on your musical itinerary?

Finish my memoirs, brush up on my orchestration skills, and write more music.

* Booker T. Jones (bookert.com) is just one of a compelling catalogue of Americana sounds at Sage Gateshead’s Summertyne Festival, which runs across the weekend commencing July 18 (Booker T - Sunday July 20). For more information visit sagegateshead.com.