Memphis has been synonymous with music excellence and idiomatic diversity since the days when W.C. Handy roamed Beale Street documenting early versions of the blues. From gospel to soul, rockabilly to country, and R&B to rock-n-roll, pop and Southern boogie, Memphis has often been a major source of innovation and inspiration.

But the city's prolific track record began slowing during the 1970s, with the demise of Stax Records and American studios, plus the steady ascension of Nashville as a music business center. While the local industry never stopped recording and performing great songs, even the city's most optimistic defender acknowledges that things were never quite like the 50s and 60s--a time when Sun, Stax, Goldwax and American kept the hits coming and maintained the Bluff City's music scene on a par with New York, Los Angeles and even Nashville.

It appears, however, that times are changing. Though this decade hasn't witnessed the emergence of a new Elvis Presley or Sam & Dave, there are signs that a resurgence in Memphis music is underway.

An impressive recent spurt of recording activity includes the release of new albums (such as those by Angie Stone, Teena Marie and Eddie Floyd) to reissues (including Isaac Hayes' Hot Buttered Soul and Black Moses) by the reborn and reactivated Stax label (now part of the Concord family). And from a business perspective, perhaps the biggest news is the recruitment of two high-powered veterans (with big reputations) to prominent city leadership positions. Each remembers the heyday of the city's music dominance and is anxious to recapture that era's mood and consistent pace.

The first of the two, Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission executive director Johnnie Walker, certainly knows popular music. After working as on-air DJ and later program director at then KRNB Magic 101.1, Walker was personally selected by the legendary Russell Simmons to join Def Jam. There, she spent 14 years, climbing the ranks from regional promotions manager in Memphis to senior vice president of R&B promotion. But it was during her stint as head of urban promotion for DreamWorks Records that former Mayor Willie Herenton appointed Walker to her current position after a seven-month long search. In this role, she's expected to define prime objectives and provide the Commission with leadership that's been lacking for almost a year.

The second big name who's back in the daily music business game is Al Bell, once the chairman and owner of Stax Records. Bell was elected chairman of the board of the Memphis Music Foundation in July. As the organizer of a historic concert (Wattstax) and the person once in charge of the greatest music company in the latter part of the 20th century (Stax), Bell seems well suited to head an organization whose prime mission involves helping Memphis musicians succeed on the business end.

Howard Stovall, co-founder of Memphis-based Resource Entertainment Group (and chairman of the International Association of Corporate Entertainment Producers), says Walker and Bell represent "doers," not "talkers," in positions of power within Memphis' music scene. And, according to Stovall, himself a former executive director of The Blues Foundation, both Walker and Bell will have the full support of local corporate decision-makers. "There is a growing realization in the Memphis business community of the scope to which a thriving music industry can support local industry in general," Stovall says.

It's a new day, and Memphis seems poised to once again be a major player in the nation's music universe.