(Blues/Soul/R&B) Steve Cropper - Dedicated - A Salute To The 5 Royals - 2011, FLAC (tracks), lossless

"Dedicated" is Steve Cropper's debut project on 429 Records. For those of you unfamiliar with Cropper's track record, he has an impressive resume: a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the staff song writer and in-house guitarist on Stax Records staff, and a member of Booker T & the MGs. He also is credited with writing some true R&B classics: "Knock on Wood," "In the Midnight Hour" and "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." "Dedicated" is a tribute to guitar player Pete Pauling and his band of the Five Royales, one of Cropper's biggest influences, and named after the 5 Royales's hit "Dedicated To The One I Love." Aside from Cropper's guitar playing, the album features an amazing set of musicians which includes bassist David Hood (Muscle Shoals sideman), keyboardist Spooner Oldham (Fame Studios sideman and top notch song writer who has also played with Neil Young), Dap-Kings saxman Neal Sugarman, drummer Steve Farone, and drummer Steve Jordan. There's also an all star line up of special guests: Steve Winwood, B.B. King, Shemekia Copeland, Delbert McClinton, Lucinda Williams, Queen guitarist Brian May, and singers Sharon Jones and Bettye LaVette. Cropper's playing on "Dedicated" is classic; his rhythms are tight, his fills original and unique, and it's easy to see why he's one of the best guitar players of all time. The best part of these songs is that they are straight from his heart, something you can easily feel from your first listen. If you want to hear some incredible re-makes of classic songs that feature a phenomenal list of musicians, look no farther. You've found it here!