Description

Us press 1971

Of the many wonderful blaxpoitation soundtracks to emerge during the early 70s, Shaft certainly deserves mention as not only one of the most lasting but also one of the most successful. Isaac Hayes was undoubtedly one of the era’s most accomplished soul artists, having helped elevate Stax to its esteemed status; therefore, his being chosen to score such a high-profile major-studio film shouldn’t seem like a surprise. And with “Theme from Shaft,” he delivered an anthem just as ambitious and revered as the film itself, a song that has only grown more treasured over the years, after having been an enormously popular hit at the time of its release. On this album Soul Mann And The Brothers performs 10 tracks from that movie. Instrumental cinematic moments — some downtempo, others quite jazzy, nothing too funky, though. Even if it’s not quite as enjoyable as Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly due to its emphasis on instrumentals, Shaft still remains a powerful record; one of Hayes’ pinnacle moments for sure.

Track list:
1. Theme From Shaft
2. Cafe Regios
3. Early Sunday Morning
4. Be Yourself
5. A Friends Place
6. Shafts Cab Ride
7. Bumpys Lament
8. Walk From Regios
9. Ellies Love Theme
10. Bumpys Blues