Time Is Tight: My Life, Note By Note

by Booker T. Jones

The long-awaited memoir of Booker T. Jones, leader of the famed Stax Records house band, architect of the Memphis soul sound, and one of the most legendary figures in music.


From Booker T. Jones's earliest years in segregated Memphis, music was the driving force in his life. While he worked paper routes and played gigs in local nightclubs to pay for lessons and support his family, Jones, on the side, was also recording sessions in what became the famous Stax Studios-all while still in high school. Not long after, he would form the genre-defining group Booker T. and the MGs, whose recordings went on to sell millions of copies, win a place in Rolling Stone's list of top 500 songs of all time, and help forge collaborations with some of the era's most influential artists, including Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Sam & Dave.




Nearly five decades later, Jones's influence continues to help define the music industry, but only now is he ready to tell his remarkable life story. Time is Tight is the deeply moving account of how Jones balanced the brutality of the segregationist South with the loving support of his family and community, all while transforming a burgeoning studio into a musical mecca.




Culminating with a definitive account into the inner workings of the Stax label, as well as a fascinating portrait of working with many of the era's most legendary performers-Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and Tom Jones, among them-this extraordinary memoir promises to become a landmark moment in the history of Southern Soul.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Autobiography

352 pages, Hardcover

First published October 29, 2019

Reviews

[Valleri · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Ever since reading My Life with Earth, Wind, & Fire, and reading of the childhood friendship between Maurice White and Booker T. Jones, I've wanted to know more about Booker. What a life he has led! To have gone from growing up during racial segregation to becoming a Superstar, this book tells it all. "Green Onions" has always been one of my favorite songs and I laughed when I read that it might have been called "Funky Onions"! Another of my favorite parts was reading about the PBS special "In Performance at the White House," when President Obama told Jones he’d like to enter the room to “Green Onions” instead of “Hail to the Chief”!

My only complaint about the book is that it isn't in chronological order. One minute I'd be losing myself in the stories of Booker's childhood - and then, boom! I'd be reading about Booker as an adult, living in Malibu. Then he'd be in high school. Then he'd be an adult, building a house in the redwoods. For me, anyway, the lack of continuity made the book a little less enjoyable to read. (Maybe it's an old age thing on my part, ha!) I still recommend it, though. 😁

I won this book in a giveaway from Little, Brown and Company. Thank you!

[Lydia Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great life story of Booker T. Jones and his family and friends. I grew up listening to Booker T. Jones great music, but I never realized how hard it was for a artist of color to become recognized. When he was paid after a recording he wasn't made aware of all the money the record producers were making off his music. He was getting paid the bare minimum. He met and played with a lot of musicians that became great stars including himself. He met the love of his life after a few failed marriages and raised his biological children and his step children as his own. All of his children went to college and made a success of their lives. Booker T. wasn't a fan of drugs and drinking, not that it was offered to him all the time. He would rather be coming up with songs in his head continuously, always a step ahead of his next hit song or album. He shared his knowledge of what he knew of his music with other musicians and got them involved in producing award winning records and albums. A great family man, husband, father, and musician. A must read.

[Kent Hayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

More proof that interesting musicians aren't necessarily the best guys to write about their lives. Mr. Jones does provide a lot of detail about his recordings particulary about the Stax years on Memphis but has an annoying time shift every second chapter. 1956 - 2003-1965-1971. I was dizzy trying to figure it out.

[Dean Browell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible memoir and instantly one of my favorites (I... uh... read A LOT of musician bios). Soaked in Booker’s incredible role in music’s history from such an insanely early age (a working Stax in-house musician and nighttime club band member by age 16) but also tempered by a transparency and openness about his life one rarely sees. Also - each section in every chapter is tied to a specific note that makes a song - it’s so brilliant and weaves well with his own accounts that refreshingly aren’t always chronological. By the time I got toward the end and he references Booker T. Washington, born not far from where I was reading, the magic of the honesty was still at an all time high for me. (Inspired by recent movements, Booker T. Jones has started a Black-Owned Business finder called, “potato hole” after the song and reference in Booker T. Washington’s “Up From Slavery” to the hole slaves dug to hide valuables.) It’s an incredible journey of music, civil rights, and family.

[Donna Wetzel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks Goodreads for my copy of Time is Tight by Booker T. Jones. Booker T of Booker T. and the MGs is the story of his life and rise to fame with lots of musical references. If you are a true aficionado of music you will appreciate much of the discussion of the songs. I grew up listening to his music and looked forward to reading about his life and musicians he interacted with along the way. Booker's choice to make the stories not be in chronological order was the books downfall, in my opinion. It came across as very disjointed and didn't seem to make sense.Still his stories were interesting, even if at times hard to follow. I do now have an understanding of how gifted and musical a performer he truly is and especially hard working.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable memoir by one of soul music's most important musicians. Written in a "not-quite chronological" style (in the prologue Booker explains that "Time doesn't always move straight forward....Time is open, yet time is tight") it is nonetheless a mostly straight forward story taking us through Booker's upbringing in Memphis, through his education and early work at Stax, and eventually to his "California Free" lifestyle. There's a lot of "inside-music" stuff - musicians will probably enjoy this more than non-musicians - but regardless it's a great insight into the mind of a pivotal artist during a pivotal time in American music.

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this three stars for the way it was written. It was very disjointed with multiple flashbacks in the same chapters. 1950’s, 1990’s, 1970’s, then back to 1950’s. It was all over the place with little continuity. He has an interesting story but it was hampered by the way he told it. Needed an editor badly.

[Thomas P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the story was very good but too disjointed. I did not mind the author jumping back and forth with regard to time periods, but new people and events sometimes would just randomly pop into the story with no background given. This whole story of Booker T. Jones, organ and piano player of Booker T. and the MGs, was written by Booker T. himself, which would explain some of the rough edges of the book, as Jones is not a writer. Though I would have preferred that Jones include more about his time at Stax Records of Memphis with other greats of 60s R and B like Sam and Dave, Arthur Conley, etc. he certainly provided enough material of his time spent there. Overall, this was a good enough book, and Booker T. Jones actually has a good writing style. But because the story was all over the place from the beginning to the middle, it's difficult to give it four stars.

[Susan The Book Dragon Campton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Happy Thanksgiving on this Throwback Thursday, my Fellow Book Dragons. I hope you had a lovely one. Our Gem this evening is “Time is Tight: My Life, Note by Note” by Gem creator Book T. Jones of Booker T & the MG’s. This Gem is not exactly a Gem, it is a creation made of Ebony, Ivory and Music. Let us take it from the beautiful green felt cloth it rests in and hold it up to the light. See the brilliant white of the Ivory, and the shimmering black of the Ebony. Feel the vibration of the tones as the Music flows through it?

I really liked this book. Jones tells his story honestly. He is not an egoist and doesn’t make himself out to be a hero. As you read, you will find he often makes himself the goat by revealing his regrets about relationships and could haves and should haves. I would have given his story a solid four but he jumps back and forth through time in his entries and it is very hard to follow the story, especially in the first 100 pages. He explains why he does this in his Introduction and I get why he does it, but it is disconcerting nonetheless.

This book was perfect to review today. Booker T. is very thankful for his parents, his gift, his experiences (playing music from a young age all the way to touring Europe), his loves and his losses. He never demeans anything that he has been through because all of that has lead to a very full life for a 75 year old man. The book isn’t pompous. It doesn’t talk down to you. It speaks to you. I felt like I was sitting across from him, having coffee and talking. If it hadn’t been for the skipping around, which caused me to have to keep going back and finding the year and then going back some more for continuity, it would have been perfect.

If you get the chance I still encourage you to read this. If you have a young musician in your life, get them a copy for Christmas, it will encourage them, but also serve as a warning. Booker T. Jones was at his height in the 60’s and 70’s. Drugs were all the rage among musicians. Booker T never did drugs. He never lived that part of the life style.

Until tomorrow I remain, your humble Book Dragon, Drakon T. Longwitten

I received a copy of this book from Little, Brown in exchange for an honest review.

[Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not gonna lie, I LOVE the MG’s records for the following reasons, in order:

Al Jackson, Jr.
Duck Dunn
Cropper
Booker T.

No slight intended, but he’s the least idiosyncratic in a group so greasy you’ll find yourself duct taping your wallet to your turntable’s dustcover. The reason doth not lay in Booker T.

Docked a point for a rather pronounced piety. Docked another for blaming each wife for being responsible for his absolutely having to fuck other women—serially!—on the road.

Raised a billion points for the pentatonic descending piano scale motif in “Try a Little Tenderness” ALONE.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read for any fan of Booker T, Stax or southern soul in general. This offers a really refreshing take on the Stax years/people that is rarely heard. Since it's coming from a first-hand black perspective, it rubs up against alot of the kumbaya stories about Stax and the MGs which (now I realize) tend to come from a white viewpoint. Booker pulls no punches...it seems like it's his perspective, but maybe a little more truthful than most.

The writing isn't stellar, but I didn't expect it to be (but this is the only reason it didn't get a 5 star). Alot of times I think knowledge about the players and studio folks is required since he tends to gloss over who is who and what's what when telling stories. If you've got a basic working knowledge of the Stax environment, you'll do OK. If you don't, I'd recommend a little pre-reading about the people Booker has worked with so you don't get lost.

The structure of the book is interesting...he jumps around to stories from the 50s - the present to share memories on similar themes, while the book generally progresses along an expected timeline from past to present. It's an effective way to tell a story, which I enjoyed.

Also, note that it's not just a story of the Stax years. You get plenty of pages about his youth and about his life after Stax.

Booker seems like an interesting man who has led an interesting life...I really appreciated hearing his perspective. I found it really though provoking and a fun read overall.

[Barry Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether playing keyboards in the Staxx Records house band with Steve Cropper, Al Jackson and Duck Dunn on classic soul songs by Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Bill Withers and many others or composing classic instrumental tracks like "Green Onions," "Soul Limbo," or "Hang 'Em High," Booker T. Jones was an unstoppable musical force. But besides his most well-known accomplishments, he did many other projects over the years, such as producing, arranging and playing on Willie Nelson's biggest selling disc of standards, "Stardust," writing the score for one of the first black exploitation films, "Uptight," playing on tour for Neil Young, Leon Russell, playing bass on Bob Dylan's "Knocking On Heaven's Door," and playing for at least two presidents in the white house. His story, told in his own words, is a fascinating journey of education and accomplishment by an extremely musically talented man. - BH.

[Keith Herrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welp ... my apologies to Booker T. Here I thought his career was mostly spent cranking out variations of "Green Onions," and boy was I wrong. For starters, I had no idea he was the producer for Willie Nelson's "Stardust" album -- and the album itself might not have happened if it wasn't for Booker T. What I *did* know was his work ethic -- as a teen in Memphis, he simultaneously went to school, delivered *both* daily newspapers on his trusty bicycle, gigged at clubs regularly and worked on Stax recording sessions. (The glimpses of segregation-era Memphis are predictably sobering, by the way.) After high school, it was off to Indiana University where the side musical jobs continued via weekend trips back home and he served as a student teacher in Gary, Indiana (remember, this was *after* "Green Onions" was a megahit). As for the book itself, it's a series of vignettes, in keeping with the title, and tends to jump around a fair amount. That was fine with me.

[Don Gorman · Rating 2 out of 5]

(1 1/2). In my never ending quest for knowledge of the music world I was drawn to this memoir. I had heard about Booker for years, my older brother was at Indiana University when Booker was also a student there and I had heard about unbelievable jam sessions and local concerts. The book is a little sketchy, short fragments of stories about musical and personal goings on. It was refreshing to read about a childhood that was not abusive or dysfunctional, and the music history of Memphis is robust and incredible. Booker’s talent for everything except a little business and women is remarkable, and his abilities beyond playing an instrument were new to me. Lots of information here, some of it juicy, but the presentation leaves lots to be desired. Reasonable stuff.

[Sheehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable musings on Booker T's history as a musician, arranger and producer.

What I knew about his Stax Records heyday, was enriched and so many great anecdotes about the personalities of the MGs and other Stax artists. The chapters on Otis Redding were poetic and reflective; his respect for the wide array of artists he worked with palpable.

Clearly he is a class act, humble and gifted, he does not shy from candor and self-reflection on his stumbles.

I'd say anyone who wants to see how many OTHER things Booker T got into aside from just the magic Stax era, how he helped move forward the music dialogue, will enjoy this book.

[Brian Rucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially I was disoriented by the way he moves back and forth through time but I gradually adjusted and grew to appreciate his more stream-of-c0nsciousness style of narrative. Certainly an interesting life that I knew a bit about and learned a lot more. It's always enlightening and often sobering to read about life in the US from a perspective so different from mine. Recommended.

[Ed Zaremba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a music fan (not a musician), especially from the '60's & '70's, love reading biographies, & memoirs by artists. Since I'm very familiar with Memphis soul / Stax Records music (in fact, Melissa Etheridge did a tribute album, "Memphis Rock & Soul"), Booker T., Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck' Dunn, et al, I looked forward to reading this book. The book's subtitle ("My Life, Note by Note") was meant literally as every paragraph subheading ended with a musical note! (The last five pages of the book have musical phrases! Who knows what they mean!). And when Booker wrote about writing, composing & playing of music - note by note, chord by chord - in sometimes graphic detail, it was meaningless to me; only a musician or composer could decipher. Another annoying thing was that this book was not written in any chronological order, a lot of rambling & musings at different times in his life. Spent a little too much time at the end about his extended family. Sorry to say not a completely satisfying read for me.

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the man, Booker T. (and yes, I have met him) but this book is so poorly written and edited that I had to put it down. Technically the writing is not bad, it is the structure of the book that is so distracting that it ruins the book. Each chapter is divided into sections of a few paragraphs for some reason and the sections jump all over the place. It is a non-linear biography. Very odd and hard to follow. I had to keep looking back to see which year I was reading about and trying to figure out how or why the bits of the stories were connected. I know that there is a great story in there and Booker T. is very talented as a musician and producer but someone else needs to tell the story. Maybe someday his story will be made into a great movie. (I did respect that he is candid about how he was a poor husband to his first wife since he was on the road or in the studio so much.)

[John Lamiell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m a HUGE fan of the music that came from Stax Records. My style of playing sax derives directly from those great musicians, including the wonderful Booker T. The 1 star rating is only reflective of this book, not of Booker T. I found the book to be very disjointed and scattered, very difficult to read. Probably my fault, because my brain may be too linear.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Booker T is a great artist. TIME IS TIGHT sheds light on aspects of his life and creative process-- but also leaves the reader plenty of space to ponder what's left unsaid. It's interesting how many reviewers make negative note of the non-chronological structure. If you acknowledge his genius as a musician, it seems odd to be so free and casual with this particular criticism. And whether you care for that approach or not, it has become very common in fiction and memoir-- it seems odd that no one acknowledges that here. In any event my own take was a bit unconventional. I began by reading page by page and then found myself leaping back and forth in the book, rather like you might do with a book of short stories or poems. And then I began all over again, reading from the start and revisiting sections I'd already read. There is so much here-- about Jones's life, art, and world view, of course, but also about the music business, Memphis and the civil rights struggle, what it's like to weather the California lifestyle as an artist (and even as a homeowner! in a beautiful part of the world where a natural disaster can wreak havoc with your home in a heartbeat). I was amazed not only by Booker T's artistry but by his adaptability, versatility, work ethic and honesty. It is humbling (and disturbing) to read that such a prodigiously talented musician/composer/producer could not always find work, and at one point got a real estate license to support his large family. Another humbling point in my reading was when Booker T described, having grown up in segregated Memphis, how he and his family felt when they were able to eat in any restaurant/sleep in any hotel in unsegregated, 60s era Indiana. As a reader who has visited Indiana recently, I had a different set of expectations about what that might have been like-- it's a pretty white state, and not too progressive these days (understatement). But for a young man born and raised in mid century Memphis, Indiana was a completely different experience. Jones' determination to attend IU -- in the same time frame when he had written a song like "Green Onions" as a teenager (!)-- tells you so much about his values and commitment to his art (I recommend listening to his Fresh Air interview with Terry Gross, which is archived online). There's a whole aspect of this work that goes over my head because I'm not a musician, but I still found TIME IS TIGHT compelling. If you ever have a chance to see Booker T Jones in concert, take it-- he's brilliant and his work has and will stand the test of time-- tight or otherwise. Also because I'm obsessed with cover art-- what a photo! Beautiful.

[Harry Brake · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I sit here listening to Green Onions by Booker T Jones, you realize how much about musicians you do not know unless you venture outside of a realm you always knew. Pulled interest from an interview on NPR on his latest biography, I did not know who Booker T Jones was and then I was hooked once I grabbed this account of his life.

It is is all, the life of a rockstar only in the form of a R&B hanging with the greats like BB King, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, Eric Clapton and of course Booker T and the MG's - and wow, you see there is something mentioned that there is not often heard on musician's lives. Family. The accounts of racism, cultural bias, brilliance behind multitudes or organs, pianos, and developing some of the most week created music ever made, WHAT a BOOK. This was a sleeper as I knew nothing about what I should have known about Booker T Jones and this was an enlightening peek into what might be the greatest contributor to music as we know it. From many performances at the White House, notorious awards for albums and songs written for other artists, this is definitely a must read to believe experience. Loved EVERY note as blended with Booker T's accounts page by page.

[James McCann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this trip through the incredible life of Booker T. Jones! Others have commented that this book does not always follow a linear timeline- that is true, but the meat of this story definitely follows Booker's journey as he moved to California, revamps his career, and deals with a marriage in crisis. There were parts that skipped around a few years, but I really liked that touch as we were able to see the fruits of Booker's labor side by side with the labor itself. The guy worked his ass off to get to his position in life at such an early age, and he approaches life with such an openness of spirit that is easy to appreciate.

Booker has had ebbs and flows in his life and career, and I think that's what made this book so relatable. He created greatness, both in his professional and personal life, and he was around greatness. But there's no ego here, just someone enjoying the ride of life.

[Clifton Rankin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Booker T. Jones has written an autobiography about his fascinating life entitled, “Time is Tight: My Life Note by Note.” Starting even before he wrote and performed his first big hit, “Green Onions,” at the age of sixteen, Jones narrates the story of his personal, educational, and professional life that has spanned approximately seven decades. Granted, Jones is a much better musician and producer than he is author, and his organizational decisions can be confusing, it is a very interesting book for one who grew up enjoying listening to Booker T and the MGs, and those directly connected to him, such as Otis Redding. Eddie Floyd, Steve Cropper, Willie Nelson and many, many more. He also gives a peek into what life was like growing up as a black man in the Jim Crow South. He does spend a significant portion of time describing his musical work which someone who has no musical background would have to skip over, but for me it was a walk down memory lane. (320 pages)

[Diana Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I *loved* the book, as did my husband, who read it first. I *would* have given it 5 stars, except that I found Jones’s habit of switching back & forth between periods of time, within the same chapter, confusing. The lack of continuity in time and story thread didn’t make sense to me.

That said, his story is simply amazing, especially when you realize: how many different instruments he’s able to play - and play *well*; how many different other musicians, of different music genres, he’s performed with, produced, and/or influenced; and what a loving family man he obviously is!

I was familiar with, and loved, some of his music with the MGs, especially “Green Onions” and “Time Is Tight”. In 2016, when my husband and I visited Memphis, we toured the Stax Museum, among other attractions, and saw the display featuring the keyboard that Booker played while at Stax.

[Eldon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an unusual book. Not much sign of a ghost writer. Rather, a series of memories by Booker that move forward and back in time that read like he wrote them himself. It is not linear. The best parts of the book is when he recalls conceiving, writing or recording individual songs. I found myself then listening to those songs and re-reading the passages where he wrote about them. This was a real treat. The less best parts of the book were about his love life. Not surprising that such a successful musician had lots of success with women but did not find it added much to the narrative. And sadly, like too many in the music business, he got screwed out of lots and lots of money. If you are or were a fan of Booker T and the MG's music, read this book.

[Sam Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always have been a fan of Booker T. & the MGs, and that era of Stax/Volt. As a musician, I really appreciated his technical explanations of where the songs came from. Like "Green Onions" being inspired by Bach. I'd also never realized he produced Willie's "Stardust" album. He could've written a separate book just based on all those classic Memphis recordings. I'd buy it.

A few other reviews stated that they thought the timeline jumped around and they found it hard to follow, and I have to disagree. I found that the anecdotes he was using whenever the timeline shifted just tied it all back together.

Even if you're only a casual fan, it's worth the read. Maybe it'll send you down the rabbit hole on decades of top-notch music. Overall, it's a good glimpse of the man behind it.

[Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Booker T. Jones has got to be one of the nicest, coolest, humble, down to earth and most talented musicians out there. After reading so many musicians biographies about drugs and alcohol, this book was really refreshing to read. Other than 2 failed marriages that screwed him financially and some freak Mother Nature accidents he seemed to have a good life and raised a good family. A lot of people saying him jumping around in time bothered them but honestly it didn’t bother me. Everything made sense and not only was he writing a book but a song as well. I wish I knew how to read sheet music so I know how the music at the end of the book went.

[Bob K · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a string-of-pearls series of interconnected anecdotes throughout Mr. Jones' life Well, not all of them are pearls, but there was enough to hold interest, mostly. I'm a massive Booker T. and the MG's fan and I actually was surprised how little MG-related stuff there was. Certainly a lot about his penchant for cheating on his spouses before he got himself straightened out in that regard.

My standard for musical memoirs/autobiographies is "Is this as good as Rodney Crowell's 'Chinaberry Sidewalks?'" That one sets the standard for greatness in the genre. The quick answer here is 'no,' but it still might be a worthwhile, quick read for fans of Booker T.

[Dave Gregorio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun book to read if you are a fan of soul music and rock and roll from the 1960s to the present day. Booker T. covers all the angles from growing up in the Jim Crow South to playing at Stax Records with his legendary band The MGs, touring with Otis Redding, living in Malibu in the ‘70s and hanging out with Dylan, Crosby, Stills Nash and Young, musical friendships with Carlos Santana, Willie Nelson and Neil Young and playing at the White House for Presidents Clinton and Obama. There is a generous amount of detail on music and songwriting but I wish there had been even more.

[Steve Boudreau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like this touched on everything that's important to me and unlike other reviews, I quite enjoyed the bite sized anecdotal format, it isn't directly chronological but it is overall and that's how we reminisce. I thought that might make this a nice slow gradual read but once I was into it I didn't want to read anything else until it was done. The sheet music at the end to set up each blurb looks like it was transcribed by bad midi software and wasn't edited by a musician so it's almost gibberish. I bet the audiobook nails it though, in theory it would make for nice chapter breaks.