Southern Jazz Music

I love this box set.

The most amazing thing about this set is how completely familiar everything on it is. You have heard every cut on these discs...mostly is movies and commercials.

Nice sprinkling of surf, early rock and jazz here...

Sure the '70's disc is mostly of academic interest, the music is so disco infused its silly...

This is the kind of collection that has you chasing after more work from the artists featured.

You can buy all of the discs here individually, but the box looks nice and the liner notes are typically Rhino complete. Also typical for Rhino, the cuts are clean and nicely mastered for CD.

A wonderful colltection for the expanding CD collection, and a lot of fun as party background music. "Words? We don't need no stinking words!"

This is THE definitive rock instrumental set. Well worth the price, each of the selections is an outstanding piece of work. There are some notable omissions, especially The Shadows and some of the Ventures'(Perfidia,Hawaii Five-O) and Fireballs'(Torquay) material, but space limitations meant something would be missed, even with 90 tracks. If you are into instrumental rock, this is the purchase for you.

Good CD with good musicians. If you like blues, jazz, or both -- you'll like this CD. The title track is probably the best.

The Bo-Keys are an all-instrumental group who specialize in funky southern soul. Guitarist Skipp Pitts and Drummer Willie Hall are both veterans of the legendary Stax records, the label which called itself "Soulsville USA." "The Royal Sessions" channels the spirit of Memphis and Muscle Shoals; each track is infused with a pulsating rhythm section and down-home horn charts.

The Bo Keys are at their best when they keep it simple; tunes like "Coming Home Baby" and "Deuce and a Quarter" feature soulful organ and horns over a fatback rhythm groove. The ballad "I Remember Stax"- which features some beautiful guitar work by Skip Pitts- is one of the disc's highpoints. While most of the tracks on "The Royal Sessions" are solid performances, there are a few weak-points. A decent performance of the Jimmy Smith workhorse "Back at the Chicken Shack" is marred by a silly vocal track featuring a Wolfman Jack sound-alike babbling about hot sauce or ribs or something. It's the kind of gimmick that might impress House of Blues patrons, but serious music fans will probably find themselves reaching for the "skip" button on their CD player. "My Country Loves Me", another tune with a spoken vocal track, sounds like an attempt at Gil Scot-Heron style political commentary that never quite coheres.

"The Royal Sessions" is the musical equivalent of comfort food; while not necessarily original or innovative, it's hot, greasy and sure to bring a smile.

It's awful nice when you find a record label you can trust to deliver something great or at the very least interesting. Memphis' Yellow Dog Records is just that. Home to one of the best blues artists of the last couple years Mark Lemhouse as well as The Bluff City Backsliders Yellow Dog now brings us in it's on going tradition of great AND interesting Memphis' own new instumental soulfunk masters The Bo-Keys and their new release The Royal Sessions. I would say first release but they did back up the legendary Rev.Al Green on his gorgeous return to tip-top pop form I Can't Stop. There's been some talk about the Bo-Keys using words like revival,revisionism,and the dreaded retro but that plain don't get it. Yeah, Ike Hayes begat Booker T begat The Bar-Kays begat the Bo-Keys or somethingerother and yeah, it was recorded at the amazing Willie Mitchell's Royal Studio (home to Rev. Green's classic recordings) but that's just a pinch of the spice in the recipe for this new and greasier Memphis stew and supa summer evening BBQ. This is The New Sound of Memphis baby. This is a sharp-dressed and sweatin' at midnight popped crease hangin' loose broke down no need to fix it glide in yr slide dip in yr hip stroll from uptown to straight DOWNtown freshness. I know you already read the Who's WHO on this but to refresh howsabout Skip Pitts (you know his wahwah built the Theme from Shaft)on guitar bobbin' and stingin' like a summer picnic bee. Back that up with keyboard maestro Ronnie Williams (that's him on Rufus Thomas' Do The Funky Chicken) on the B3 organ then back that up with Bar-Kays drummer Willie Hall keepin' it slapped down. Don't forget former garage band bassist and Bo-Keys band leader Scott Bomer drivin' the bottom and trumpeter Marc Franklin and sax man Jim Spake shinin' like new chrome dubs and this Caprice classic is swangin' with funky junque in the trunk to spare. Fans of the old skool Stax/Volt/Atlantic/Motown sound and fans of new soul kool bands like Mofro get yr wallets out now. The Bo-Keys are the Feel Funky hit of the summers to come!

i bought this cd recently after i'd read a few favorable reviews, the memphis gunslingers involvment, etc. the cd is okay, but doesn't live up to all the hype. here's a few things: the rap/spoken vocal stuff is really really awful. the jimmy smith cover song is unlistenable. their originals are not that hot. overall, regardless of the personnel, it's not essential. if you are already hip to this genre of music, this cd is no big deal. i already used my copy for trade credit at my local cd store. if you are looking for a new band playing this type of music, try a cd by "the dipolmats of solid sound" or bands on desco or soul fire records - they are current 60's/70's soul-funk-etc instrumental bands who absolutely bury the bo-keys.

My sister sent me this CD for my recent birthday. I'm glad she did. This is a nasty, greasy mix of full-on funk, R&B, and soul ripped out by some masters in Memphis. These cats played with Isaac Hayes, Booker T and the M.G.'s, and sat in on Stax sessions. They throw down the jams live to tape and we get to listen in. If you want some music that feels like late 60s music updated for today - this is your stuff. Daddy like. Smoke up some ribs and spin this ASAP.

danny bedrosian is a member of p funk all stars, and 420 fm and smoke you wanna hear weird p funk cuts with danny on keyboards cop this p funk heads will love this alaso check out danny bedrosdian's other cd secret army if you can't stop tripping off this make my funk the p funk.

If there are any objections sustained on the standing up for the truth guidelines of Funk law and order, please be the first to fulfill the ignominy of such. Chief Sun Star Ali hears and feels the very essence of the far east coast connection, and some
reel reel Mean Mugging. Prepare once again the sound system, for
the "Deeper Prophecy is Clear!" Flick the lights, for the 'Last Dance' is near.
In it's day this album must not be overlooked!