I hope the death of Isaac Hayes will inspire those who know him only for his “Theme from Shaft,” amazing though it is, or his role as Chef on South Park, to track down his early records. Albums like Hot Buttered Soul, …To Be Continued, The Isaac Hayes Experience, and Black Moses anticipated much if [...]

In my far-too-long-ago last entry here (I apologize to those who may have been checking in), I ended by quoting from a book that rests very near the top of my short list of essential music criticism, A Change Is Gonna Come: Music, Race and the Soul of America by Craig Werner. “[R]eal dialogue,” Werner [...]