Soul legend Cropper back with a vengeance

Southern soul legend Steve Cropper has been living off his reputation for more than 40 years since Stax Records petered out and Memphis lost its mojo.

But Cropper is back from nowhere with a surprising tribute to a band called The 5 Royales. "Dedicated: A Salute to The 5 Royales" is a star-studded album, featuring performances  from B.B. King, Lucinda Williams and Betty LaVette.

But it's Cropper who is on fire, reaching deep in salute to the little-known R&B/gospel group he says inspired him to jump into  a career that led him to become one of the 20th century's most successful songwriters (stuff like "In The Midnight Hour" and "Sittin' On The Dock of The Bay" to name just two).

NPR affiliate WBUR has a nice interview with Cropper that offers a glimpse at an understated musician who, thankfully, is sharing some of his inspiration all these many decades later.