Time is tight as concertgoers make their way over to Kennedy Plaza on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ this Wednesday, August 19, 2026 evening for the start of a free Mardis Gras AC concert by the internationally-known architect of the Stax Records’ Memphis soul sound, Booker T. Jones.
Backstage before the show, Jones recalls performing at the Jersey Shore in the summer of 1980 with his band, Booker T. and the MGs, backing singer Rita Coolidge, explaining, “We went everywhere with that show — the Southeast and Japan,” prior to declaring, “It’s beautiful being back in New Jersey, just beautiful! There’s only one place in the world like it — it’s so special — so much good music has happened here. Plus, it’s such a beautiful evening on the Boardwalk — the weather couldn’t be better — so I’m looking forward to playing some keyboard, some guitar, doing some vocals and playing some old songs, some new songs, and just a little bit of everything here tonight.”
Mardi Gras AC concert producer Carmen Marotta welcomes the crowd and introduces tonight’s opening act, The Billy Walton Band, starring guitarist/vocalist Billy Walton, saxophonist/keyboardist Vaughn Stavropoulis, bassist William Paris, drummer Kiba Julion, and singer Toni Teschner, along with the Salmon Plaid Horns featuring William Keiter on alto sax, PJ Keiter on trumpet, and Ricky Roehm on trombone.
“How’s everybody doing out there today?” asks Walton as he and the ensemble open tonight’s set with “Knife in My Back” where Walton sings in his soulful voice, “In a world that’s so cold/Somebody cut me some slack,” on this original funky minor-key rocker.
Segueing into the R&B tune, “One in a Million,” Walton picks out a guitar solo and is followed by a tenor solo by Vaughn Stavropoulis, a William Keiter alto solo, a trombone solo by Ricky Roehm, and a PJ Keiter trumpet solo as the arrangement builds in intensity and Walton’s guitar wails.
Walton talks about touring with Booker T.’s bandmate in the MGs, guitarist Steve Cropper, before sailing into a soulful rendition of Sam and Dave’s Stax Records’ hit, “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” which segues into a brassy rendition of Henry Mancini’s theme from Peter Gunn which elicits avid cheers and applause.
Following bassist William Paris’ bluesy and Cajon-influenced “Avenue A,” vocalist Toni Teschner is featured singing with feeling on the upbeat and rocking “Playing with Fire.”
Walton is back on the mic for “Hell or High Water,” a brassy swing tune where his bluesy guitar solo has the crowd clapping for more.
“This is a song by my old band, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes,” announces Walton as he and the ensemble launch into a rockin’ rendition of “Talk to Me” where concertgoers sing and dance to the song’s “Talk to me until the night is over” refrain.
Following up with The Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Lovin’,” audience members join in singing with William Paris on the tune’s “I’m so glad we made it/So glad we made it/Gimme some lovin’” refrain.
Walton concludes his set with Sam Cooke’s “Having a Party,” where he, his bandmates, and the Salmon Plaid Horns set the Boardwalk on fire with this tune which has the crowd clapping, singing, and dancing.
Following a short intermission, guitarist Dylan Jones, bassist Melvin Brannon, and drummer Ty Dennis take the stage and the crowd cheers as Booker T. Jones makes his entrance.
Taking a seat at the organ, Jones, 81, opens his set with the Booker T. and the MG’s instrumental “Hang ’Em High,” an R&B/soul version of the theme song from the 1968 Clint Eastwood film.
Following a bluesy Dylan Jones guitar solo, the arrangement builds to a climax which ends in avid audience cheers and applause.
After Jones introduces the members of his band, his swirling organ is featured on a bouncy rendition of the MG’s Memphis soul instrumental, “Soul Dressing.” Jones follows up by playing both organ and keyboard while singing, “Born under a bad sign/Been down since I began to crawl/If it wasn’t for bad luck/You know, I wouldn’t have no luck at all,” on the 1967 Albert King Stax hit, “Born Under a Bad Sign.”
The crowd cheers and Jones explains, “Albert King came to the studio without a song to record so my partner, William Bell, and I wrote that song for him,” prior to sliding into the cool groove of the MG’s R&B instrumental “Hip Hug-Her.”
Booker T. stands center stage singing, “Hey Joe, where you goin’ with that gun in your hand?” on Jimi Hendrix’s psychedelic rocker “Hey Joe” where he also plays electric guitar.
Following up with “The Thrill is Gone,” Jones is back on the organ crooning, “The thrill is gone/The thrill is gone away,” on this minor-key blues classic from B.B. King.
Music lovers hoot and holler and Jones recalls, “We had a very good run with Booker T. and the MGs but in the ‘70s we wanted to make a change so we went to New York City where we recorded this next song.” Stepping into “Melting Pot,” Booker T.’s organ flutters before Dylan Jones renders a modal guitar solo, Melvin Brannon impresses by scatting as he solos on bass, and Ty Dennis keeps the beat with his precision drumming.
“How’s everybody? Doing alright?” asks Jones as he stands center stage with his guitar. After talking about meeting Otis Redding, he pays tribute to Redding with a soulful interpretation of “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” a song which was co-written by Redding and Jones’ long-time MG’s guitarist, Steve Cropper.
The band exits the stage leaving Jones to perform Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On” where he accompanies himself on guitar as the audience joins in singing on this intimate solo performance.
The musicians return for a rhythmic rendition of Booker T. and the MG’s 1968 instrumental “Soul Limbo,” a bouncy calypso piece which features an extended Ty Dennis drum solo and Jones’ whistling organ.
Music lovers are mesmerized by Jones’ slow and soulful instrumental treatment of George Gershwin’s “Summertime.” He and the band follow up by playing his debut hit which, as he explains, he recorded with the MGs in 1962 after he had “just graduated high school.” Here, the crowd grooves to a stellar rendition of “Green Onions.”
Concluding tonight’s show with the theme song from the 1968 motion picture, UpTight, Jones makes his organ swell on Booker T. and the MG’s “Time is Tight” which opens slowly before picking up speed. The audience claps and dances along to this rhythmic R&B instrumental which decrescendos to near silence and then increases in volume and pitch prior to ending in a flurry of sound.
Fans stand and cheer and Booker T. exclaims, “Thank you so much!” before performing an encore of Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” where he accompanies himself on guitar as he sings with feeling, “With you, my life has been so wonderful/I don’t want to stop now!” to audience cheers, applause, and an enthusiastic standing ovation.
To learn more about Booker T., please go to bookert.com. For information on future free concerts on the Atlantic City Boardwalk at Kennedy Plaza — including Flow Tribe on August 31 — please click on tonymart.com.
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