Raw and gritty. Those are the two words that Memphians of a certain age use to describe themselves, words which also perfectly exemplify the heavily textured music of Isaac Hayes. Still, with brother Isaac aka Black Moses aka Chocolate Chip, there was also a smooth side, a lover-man baritone side, a low rumbling voice that taught many young men coming of age back in the day a thing or two about talking to the ladies. Of course, if you only know Hayes’ work from “Theme from Shaft,” the voice of Chef on South Park or being the dude whose cover of “Walk on By” Beyoncé sampled on “6 Inch,” then the recently released The Spirit of Memphis (1962–1976), a four-disc collection spanning Isaac’s legacy at the legendary Stax Records, will serve as the perfect introduction to the man’s wondrous musical talents as songwriter and performer.

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