Steve Cropper has had more influence in the history of rock ‘n’ roll than most other musicians. As the signature guitarist of Booker T and the MG's, he performed on nearly every song released on Stax Records from 1961-1970, including songs by Sam and Dave, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett (he actually wrote “Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay” and “In the Midnight Hour”) and many others.

His recognizable sound and style were just what John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd were looking for when they formed The Blues Brothers, and he became an integral part of their success. Recently, Cropper has released a couple of albums with Felix Cavaliere, the creative force behind the Young Rascals, to critical acclaim. Now, the man immortalized in the Sam and Dave tune “Soul Man,” with the words “Play it, Steve!” has released an album that is clearly a labor of love and respect.

“Dedicated” is billed as “A Salute to the 5 Royales,” and boasts enough rock royalty to fill a castle. The 5 Royales were a rhythm and blues band from Winston-Salem, NC, who recorded most of their hits between 1952 and '53, including the classics “Dedicated to the One I Love” (covered by the Mamas and Papas and The Shirelles), and “Think” (James Brown) and an important influence on Cropper as a young guitarist.

The songs included here are timeless, and the performances incredible, with guest stars on nearly all the songs. Steve Winwood starts it off with “Thirty Second Lover,” and that's only the beginning. Other memorable performances include Bettye LaVette and Willie Jones, B.B. King and Shemekia Copeland, Lucinda Williams and Dan Penn, John Popper, Delbert McClinton, Brian May, Sharon Jones, Buddy Miller and Dylan LeBlanc.

Cropper puts every bit of himself in these performances, and even without all the guest stars, that would be enough to make this album an instant classic.

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