Dom Flemons and Rev. Peyton's Big Band Join Forces with Steve Cropper to recreate Elmore James' "Shake Your Money Maker"
Roots musician/musicologist and Grammy Award winner Dom Flemons and country blues guitarist Reverend Peyton who are known for their knowledge of roots music’s past and the exciting ways they bring the music into the present day, have joined forces retrieving a new rendition of Elmore James’ slide-guitar blues classic “Shake Your Money Maker,” available today September 9, 2020.
Flemons and Peyton have been friends for decades, the initial idea came together during the grand finale of the 2019 Blues Music Awards mojo in Memphis, Tenn. The two were part of a star-studded ensemble — which also included Booker T. and the MGs guitarist Steve Cropper — performing an encore jam of “Shake Your Money Maker,” a song that had been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame the day before by Flemons himself. He recalls from the performance: “I looked back at the stage and saw magic electric sparks flying from the dueling guitars of Rev. and Colonel Cropper. At that moment I saw the potential for an amazing record that would commemorate Elmore James as well as electrify a classic into a modern masterpiece.” Soon thereafter, Flemons decided to ring up his friend Rev. Peyton, invite the legendary Steve Cropper into the mix, and bring it all to life at Sun Studios, where it would not only have historical significance, but where he had laid down tracks before, for his work with and in the CMT show Sun Records.
Despite starting with just a few arrangement charts, this expert crew quickly got up to speed and, once the tape starting rolling, “the music roared to life like a freight train,” says Flemons. He continued with, “The two electric guitars combined with a big bass sound and a polyphonic rhythmic section mixed with the bones, washboard and drum set to conjure up thespirit of Elmore James, the frenetic slap-back of Sam Phillips, and the deep river of soul that defined Stax Records — distilling it into one song that’ll blow the speakers out of the room.”
Speaking about their new collaboration with the legendary Steve Cropper, Peyton says "Steve Cropper is one of the most important guitar players in American music history. I tried hard not to give him much direction,” continuing "I just wanted to let Cropper be Cropper. The results were perfect. I just wish that the folks that hear this record could also hear the stories he told between takes. I’ll cherish the memories for the rest of my life."
Watch a behind the scene footage of the recording process below.
Flemons and Peyton have been friends for decades, the initial idea came together during the grand finale of the 2019 Blues Music Awards mojo in Memphis, Tenn. The two were part of a star-studded ensemble — which also included Booker T. and the MGs guitarist Steve Cropper — performing an encore jam of “Shake Your Money Maker,” a song that had been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame the day before by Flemons himself. He recalls from the performance: “I looked back at the stage and saw magic electric sparks flying from the dueling guitars of Rev. and Colonel Cropper. At that moment I saw the potential for an amazing record that would commemorate Elmore James as well as electrify a classic into a modern masterpiece.” Soon thereafter, Flemons decided to ring up his friend Rev. Peyton, invite the legendary Steve Cropper into the mix, and bring it all to life at Sun Studios, where it would not only have historical significance, but where he had laid down tracks before, for his work with and in the CMT show Sun Records.
Despite starting with just a few arrangement charts, this expert crew quickly got up to speed and, once the tape starting rolling, “the music roared to life like a freight train,” says Flemons. He continued with, “The two electric guitars combined with a big bass sound and a polyphonic rhythmic section mixed with the bones, washboard and drum set to conjure up thespirit of Elmore James, the frenetic slap-back of Sam Phillips, and the deep river of soul that defined Stax Records — distilling it into one song that’ll blow the speakers out of the room.”
Speaking about their new collaboration with the legendary Steve Cropper, Peyton says "Steve Cropper is one of the most important guitar players in American music history. I tried hard not to give him much direction,” continuing "I just wanted to let Cropper be Cropper. The results were perfect. I just wish that the folks that hear this record could also hear the stories he told between takes. I’ll cherish the memories for the rest of my life."
Watch a behind the scene footage of the recording process below.
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