courtesy of the Los Angeles Philharmonic

“Here you can take an exclusive first listen to Sound the Alarm, which was released on his first label, the venerable Stax Records. On opener “Sound the Alarm,” the lead guitar riff and Hawthorne’s vocals slink around snappy percussion, and “Fun” finds Jones constructing a thumping piece of instrumental pop blues. Estelle shows up on the soulful atmospheric stomper “Can’t Wait,” while album highlight “Austin City Blues” finds hotshot guitarist Clark Jr. weaving licks with ease around the heavenly wail of Jones’ organ.”

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Booker T. Jones will follow back-to-back GRAMMY wins for his previous twoalbums with ‘Sound The Alarm‘ out June 25 on Stax/Concord Music Group. This marks Booker’s return to Stax, a label revered for the gritty soul sound he helped create with Memphis’ first integrated band in the early ’60s, and features collaborations with some of the finest talents in modern soul and R&B including Mayer Hawthorne, Anthony Hamilton, Vintage Trouble, Estelle, Gary Clark, Jr., Luke James and more.

‘Sound The Alarm’ is a celebration of the past, present and future of R&B with flares of hip-hop bravado on the title track with Mayer Hawthorne and “Gently” with Anthony Hamilton, plus an explosive performance from Vintage Trouble’s Ty Taylor on “Your Love Is No Love.” Booker’s B3 is front and center, especially on instrumentals “Feel Good,” “Austin City Blues” with Gary Clark, Jr. and “Fun,” a joyous, pulsing jam. “Watch You Sleeping” features Bill Withers’ daughter Kori on a vocal duet with Booker, and an instrumental with his son Ted on guitar on “Father Son Blues” closes the album.

Booker T wrote or co-wrote all twelve songs on ‘Sound The Alarm.’ He co-produced the album with brothers Bobby Ross and Issiah “IZ” Avila, who haveworked with Usher and Mary J. Blige. The Avila brothers also play in the rhythm section on most of the tracks.