To Make the Moment Last

About the Book

The sixties gave rise to a whole new generation of music. Led by Barry Gordy’s Motown Records and Al Bell’s Stax Records, soul music was taking the nation by storm. Any rhythm and blues band worth its salt was playing their sounds.

When the Incredible Jades formed in Arkansas in 1967, this music was the fuel for their inspiration. A group of talented and energetic young black men full of dreams, the Jades played their hearts out to every local and regional venue within their reach, gradually making their mark among night clubs and social groups. What followed was a year of amazing and memorable moments for the members of the band as they made a name for themselves playing soul music in the heart of Arkansas. Now, author William Thrasher Jr., the Jades’ saxophonist, writes of the band’s time together in 1967–68.

In this memoir, a member of the Incredible Jades recalls the rise and experiences of the band over the course of one year in the late sixties—the group’s amazing moment in the sun.

About the Author

William E. Thrasher Jr. is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas. He graduated from Horace Mann Sr. High and the University of Arkansas–Little Rock. In the late sixties, he played tenor sax with the Incredible Jades. The proud father of four daughters, he currently lives in Slidell, Louisiana.