I actually wrote this two years ago. But it just triggered a powerful memory… WOW…..just WOW. Music has such power. I was just sitting at the computer doing a “deep dive” into the music of Isaac Hayes. It’s his birthday today. And when I got to this “funk opus””Hyperbolicsyllablecsesquedalymistic”…it took me right back to the winter of ’69-70” …I was a college student but already a member of the Black Panther Party working with a group called “The Georgia Black Liberation Front” setting up a “free breakfast program” the very first day we were setting up for the kids who were already on the way. this song was playing on the 8 track tape player and in walked this glorious group of “Fine—FINE” young Black women who were from Morris Brown college and Spelman college…both just blocks away…..stunning ……all 5 of them. And they got right to work taking over from me cooking the grits and told me to get something to write down the names of all the kids we served and try to get addresses. It was difficult at that age to not be distracted by the women themselves …but being young and trying to impress we all complied. I think we got about 16-17 kids that first morning. …As time went on some of these women became members..and some just continued to volunteer ….but such a strong memory all triggered by hearing this song this morning….Oh yeah the song itself is a classic example of “hard funk” …spare…minimal instrumentation ..and lot’s of space between the notes. Both Isaac Hayes and that other “master of funk” keyboardist Art Neville of the Meters on different occasions told me..”It ain’t really “funk” if there ain’t space in there” I always remember that. But HAPPY BIRTHDAY Isaac Hayes…and were ever you are..go to the YOUTUBE link….Thanks for the Funk…..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziKbBLUvv9Y
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