Respect for the great Ernie Isley (and Charles Pitts)

I have several reasons to thank you for the coverage of Ernie Isley in the November 2021 Tonal Recall column. I wasn’t playing then, but 3+3 was a big part of why I started. Some people point to Jimi Hendrix, but this music was what I wanted to hear. I never intended to copy anyone, but I stole every lick I could figure out from their records. I also want to thank you for the revelation of the name of the man who did the wah scratch work in the iconic “Theme from Shaft.” Charles Pitts was a name I didn’t know until I read that column. Both these players are criminally underrated, so it’s great to see them getting a small portion of their due respect!

— Ed Stovall