Don Bryant & The Bo-Keys

Ponderosa Stomp

Saturday, October 7

- John Swenson

Don Bryant, one of the architects of the classic Memphis soul sound of Hi Records, made a spectacular comeback album, Don’t Give Up On Love, just in time to be a featured performer at this year’s Ponderosa Stomp. The record sounds astonishingly similar to a vintage Hi production thanks to a close relationship between Bryant and longtime Stomp participant Scott Bomar of the Bo-Keys, who co-wrote material with Bryant and co-produced the album.

Bryant was Willie Mitchell’s right-hand man, the vocalist in his band before Hi and a key member of the studio team as a writer, producer and performer. Ann Peebles was his project and became his wife. He wrote “Part Time Love” and “99 Lbs” for her and they co-wrote her 1973 classic “I Can’t Stand the Rain.”

Bryant started out singing gospel at age five and eventually stopped making secular music and returned to the world of gospel.