February 9, 2007 16:30

The Roots man to produce new Al Green album

Ahmir '?uestlove' Thomson is working with the legend

The Roots’ Ahmir ‘?uestlove’ Thomson will produce Al Green’s follow up to 2005’s ‘Everything’s O.K.’, due to be completed in September.

The collaboration was organised by the Blue Note record label after Thompson expressed an interest in producing Green’s next album.

Speaking to Billboard, Thomson revealed he has been instrumental in avoiding the pairing of Green with younger, more current artists saying: “If you're going to compete with T.I., Chamillionaire and Jay-Z, then by all means, let's try and reach the kids of today. But if you put the dart in your hand and you're not going to hit a bullseye, you're better off just doing what you know best."

He says the sound he has in mind for the record is classic 1970s Al Green: "If it were up to me and it was absolutely totalitarianism, I would live all my derivative fantasies out on this record. It would be 1974 all over again, sonically. I think they're still getting used to that."

Green will soon hit the road for a string of performances, kicking off at the Tobago Jazz Fest on April 29.

--By our New York staff.
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