Booker T. & The M.G.'s

Emerging from the gritty studios of Memphis, this quartet laid the rhythmic blueprint for 1960s soul. Led by Booker T. Jones’s Hammond M3 organ and Steve Cropper’s sharp, economic guitar phrasing, the ensemble anchored countless classic tracks for Stax Records. Their instrumental precision balanced gospel fervour with jazz coolness.

Beneath the melodies, bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn and drummer Al Jackson Jr. locked into a pocket that felt both effortless and immovable. They didn’t merely back up vocalists like Otis Redding or Sam & Dave; they crafted a shared language of groove that favoured understated authority over flash.