The Memphis Horns

Widely regarded as the finest soul horn section in history, the Memphis Horns proved indispensable to Stax Records’ signature sound throughout the 1960s and 1970s while also lending their talents to countless additional dates after the company folded. Although the name now primarily evokes the partnership of trumpeter Wayne Jackson and tenor saxophonist Andrew Love, an earlier configuration also featured tenor saxophonist Ed Logan, trombonists Lewis Collins and Jack Hale, plus baritone saxophonist James Mitchell. That same lineup cut several albums for RCA during the 1970s under the supervision of Booker T. Jones and other producers. In the same decade they provided support for both King Curtis and Aretha Franklin. Their most celebrated work, however, remains the countless tracks they supplied for nearly every artist on the Stax roster. Jackson and Love later released an album of their own on an independent imprint in 1992. Love received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2002 and passed away a decade afterward at his Memphis residence, aged 70.