The king of “hot buttered soul” is back in a big way.
For more than four decades, Isaac Hayes has told tales of love, desire and passion as no one else has. Now the man who was the sound of the famous “Shaft” soundtrack is back with a soon-to-be-released two-CD set ? “Ultimate Isaac Hayes ? Can You Dig It?” The CD has many of Hayes? recordings from the sweet spot of his career, 1969-1975, when he recorded on Stax Records.
“On this tour, they should expect a little bit of all the tunes,” Hayes said just before kicking off his tour. “I usually have a sense of what songs I should do, and I go from there.”
At a recent concert in Northern Virginia, Hayes reportedly had the audience hanging on his every word, whether sung or spoken. When he asked the crowd his trademark question ? “Can you dig it?” ? the audience clearly could, as evidenced by the shouts and rapt attention, according to concert reviews.
Hayes? shows draw a mix of ages, from his contemporaries to the younger fans that found him by way of other avenues including his role as Chef in “South Park” or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now many bet Hayes? recent signing with the reactivated Stax Records will bring him even more exposure.
“Stax Records definitely pushes it up a notch. I just hope [the music] does what it did before,” said Hayes, who has won many top awards, including Grammys. “But it’s all good; all of it.”
With the re-emergence of Stax and its recommitment to a classic soul sound, Hayes opined that some of the more contemporary hip-hop music may ebb a bit.
Vocalist Angie Stone, another Stax artist, agrees.
“I simply can?t believe that I will be a Stax artist ? and I?ll be label mates with Isaac Hayes,” she said. “The staff at Stax shares my belief that soul has to stay in touch with its origins.”
In September, Hayes will step back into the studio to record some new sound. In answer to who else he?s recording with, Hayes said that there will likely be “some other people on there, too.” Jay-Z? Usher? Michael Jackson? Chris Brown? Hayes isn?t talking specifics.
“I just can?t tell you,” he said, laughing. “But I can say it will be interesting. We are weighing a lot of stuff.”
IF YOU GO
Isaac Hayes with Russell Taylor
» Venue: Rams Head, Baltimore
» Time: 7 p.m. doors, 8:30 p.m. show today
» Tickets: $39.50 advance, $44.50 day of the show
» More info: ramsheadlive.com; 410-244-1131
