Recently, we featured an interview with Roben Jones regarding her newly published book about the Memphis Boys. I'm delighted to report that it's a truly great read, and I'm of the opinion that this is THE standard reference for fans of the Memphis Boys. The book succeeds on so many levels, I don't know where to start! So as not to incur carpal tunnel syndrome :), I'll just highlight some of my favorite aspects of the book:
1) A birds-eye view of the sessions. I often have to remind myself that most of these sessions took place more than 40 years ago. Even those who were there have sketchy memories of what happened. Roben has done a great job of conducting extensive interviews with a wide range of participants to give us a real sense of 'you-are-there.'
2) A better appreciation of how songwriters contributed to the success of American Studios. We now know more about the roles of writers like Wayne Carson, Dan Penn, and Spooner Oldham (and many others) as musicians, producers, and engineers.
3) Wider recognition of Tommy Cogbill as innovator and leader. Although the recordings speak for themselves, Roben's interviews with session mates underscore how highly regarded Tommy was as musician, friend, and mentor.
4) Acknowledgment of the Memphis Boys as music industry pros. It's great to read about how much admiration and respect colleagues had for their work.
I have only scratched the surface here, but I strongly encourage you to buy this book! You won't regret it! Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Memphis-Boys-Story-American-Studios/dp/1604734019/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269792106&sr=8-1
Sunday, April 04, 2010
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