I purposefully did not post a clip of the movie “Shaft,” (I thought it sorta stunk), because I would prefer that you to focus on the music without the distraction of a movie trailer.

Listen closely to the beginning, because it amounts to a Master Class on the use of a wah-wah pedal (they have various names these days) by a guitar player. Young guitar peeps staring at an array of fancy pedals would be well advised to pay attention to this song, because that’s how you work a pedal. Next, listen closely to the drummer who uses only hi-hat cymbals (i.e. the ones you play with your foot) to work with the guitar player, proving that sometimes less is more. Pure magic.

Then, pay attention to everything else that is going on instrumentally in the song. It is a farookin’ work of art. The song earned Isaac Hayes an Oscar for Best Original Song. Well deserved, I’d say. I just wish the guitar player and the drummer could have gotten their very own awards.