Photos by Bill Brownlee / Special to The Star
James Brown's "The Payback" rang through the VooDoo Lounge Friday night minutes before Isaac Hayes took the stage.
Many of the approximately 600 soul music fans inside the VooDoo were painfully aware that Brown died just three months after his 2006 appearance in the same room. They weren't about to squander a rare opportunity to bask in Hayes' orchestral funk.
Hayes treated them to a bittersweet 80-minute performance. While he made a valiant effort and provided many wonderful moments, the 65-year-old soul legend seemed distressingly frail.
Although Hayes was nowhere near full strength, the same can't be said of his guitarist. Charles "Skip" Pitts, the original guitarist on "Theme From Shaft," salvaged more than one song Friday night with his expert use of the wah-wah pedal. He ran wild during a wonderfully frantic version of "Walk On By."
Hayes sounded best during the old-school testifying of "I Stand Accused." Supported by sweeping background vocals, his emotional delivery was reminiscent of his former Stax Records label mate Otis Redding. Hayes also demonstrated rightful pride as he delivered "Soul Man," just one of dozens of hits he wrote or co-wrote for other
artists.
True to his reputation as a brilliant sonic innovator, Hayes treated the stage as a studio, fiddling with effects on his keyboard and conducting the group with relish. The band made few concessions to today's sounds as they hewed closely to a mid-'70s disco-laden groove. It was just what the audience wanted.
Hayes' distinctive bass voice was sometimes overwhelmed by his 10-piece band. He did, however, reserve much of his strength for one moment. During the spine-tinglingly epic drama of "Theme From Shaft" he delivered an emphatic declaration that serves as a summation of his music and career.
"Damn right."
| Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star
Setlist: Don't Let Go; Joy; Walk On By; By the Time I Get To Phoenix/I Say a Little Prayer; Do Your Thing; Ooh Poo Pah Doo; Soul Man; I Stand Accused; Theme From Shaft; The Blues Is Alright.
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