Hot Southern Soul Reunion - Live (DVD)

Stax Records was founded in 1959 by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton (the ST and AX of STAX) and was located in a disused cinema in Memphis Tennessee. A rare spirit of inter-racial co-operation ran through the company which was one of the main reasons for its remarkable success.

Stax virtually created contemporary southern soul music, driven by gospel soul lyrics and the tight house backing band of Booker T and the MGs. This southern soul was different to the slick Atlantic soul sound and the more glitzy Motown. Stax's first major artist was Otis Redding. Isaac Hayes was the most innovative and successful of the Stax artists; he worked as a producer, song writer and recording artist. He was responsible for Sam and Dave s Killer hits 'Hold On I'm Coming' and 'Soul Man' and developed his own blend of soul jazz with an orchestral backing. He had multi-million sellers with the soundtrack 'Shaft' and his album 'Hot Buttered Soul'.

The spirit of the company was evident to visitors who would witness the MGs doing administrative duties, Isaac Hayes gold Rolls Royce gleaming in the car park and artists in the recording rooms working together as one. This reunion recording is a witness to this spirit and the artists involved are as soulful, dynamic and moving as they were back then.