(March 2026) Episode 712 is the BAR-KAYS. I knew them as the secondary house band of Stax Records (behind Booker T. & the MGs), for “Soul Finger,” and because four of their members died in the plane crash with Otis Redding. But what I didn’t know is that they reformed as a quality funk band in the mid-1970s — a pleasant discovery. While you could accuse them of being derivative of the Ohio Players and Earth Wind & Fire, that sound makes it all the more enjoyable to me. They recorded through the 80s and sparsely thereafter, even into the present decade.
Favorite album: Coldblooded
Favorite song: Humpin’
Compared to expectations: ↑
Recommendation: I liked best the mid-70s albums: Coldblooded, Too Hot To Stop, Flying High on Your Love
Opus Project 