5/13/2004

Bassist Scott Bomar, a mere slip of a lad at age 28, didn't mess around when he founded his instrumental soul combo, the Bo-Keys. He went straight to the source, enlisting Stax legends Willie Hall on drums and Ronnie Williams on organ, as well as guitarist Skip Pitts, whose funky wah you'll recall from Isaac Hayes's 'Theme from Shaft' and Rufus Thomas's 'Funky Chicken.' The band's debut album, The Royal Sessions (Yellow Dog), serves up a heaping helping of memorable tunes with a generous side of deep-pocket grooves. Still, what we wouldn’t give to hear this band percolating behind a memorable vocalist like Al Green, maybe even Joss Stone.