Potato Hole is a collection of tracks for the true old-schoolers. Mellow, twangy, and easy on the ear, these instrumental songs are full of life. Booker T. Jones is a master at his medium.

Booker T. Jones’s has been a backing artist (both in the recording studio and on the road) for many talents, including Otis Redding, Eddie Floyd, John Lee Hooker, Bobby Darin, Bill Withers, and Willie Nelson. While his work speaks for itself, it wouldn’t hurt to mention that he has earned wide praise and recognition, as well as several awards. Jones has already been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and recently received a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement.

I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of genres and levels of force present on this album. From extremely soulful to harder rock and roll, Jones seems to have a sixth sense about the finer details of music — it all sounds spot on. I certainly didn’t expect to hear more heavily rock-inspired tunes, particularly “Native New Yorker”, which just screams out quintessential rock. Not only do these tracks ring out true to their genres, many of them also have that rare quality (especially in purely instrumental tracks) of being appealing to today’s audience — those of us with any sense of good music, anyway. Another bonus is that, unlike other instrumental albums, Potato Hole’s tracks are all distinct, each having its own flavour.

There are three cover songs on this album: Outkast’s “Hey Ya”, Tom Waits’s “Get Behind the Mule”, and Drive By Truckers’s “Space City”. Each cover is made into something completely fresh and new. They are so musically separate from the original, you almost can’t believe it’s the same melody. A definite gem among gems on this release is the revamped Waits cover. I could just listen to that one all day.

Jones has a full year ahead of him as he travels across the United States for gigs and special events, both promoting Potato Hole and discussing his life in music.



TRACK LISTING:

POUND IT OUT
SHE BREAKS
HEY YA
NATIVE NEW YORKER
NAN
WARPED SISTER
GET BEHIND THE MULE
REUNION TIME
POTATO HOLE
SPACE CITY