Maceo
Parker
() (born February 14, 1943) is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, as well as Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown's hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones. He is by now probably as well known for his own shows, as he has toured continuously under his own name since the early 1990s and has built up a fan base on this touring alone.
Parker's unique rhythmic and rapid playing style is influenced by Cannonball Adderley, David "Fathead" Newman, and mixed with Brown's own innovations in funk music, although it would be fairer to say he is more influential than influenced.
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MACEO PARKER TICKETS
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Biography
Parker was born in
Kinston, North Carolina. His father played
piano and
drums; his mother and father both sang in church. His brother
Melvin played drums and his brother Kellis
trombone.
[1]
He and his brother, Melvin, joined
James Brown in 1964; in his book, Brown says that he originally wanted Melvin as his
drummer, but agreed to take Maceo under his wing as part of the deal
[2]Parker, his brother Melvin, and a few of Brown's band members left to found Maceo & All the King's Men which toured for two years. In 1973, Parker returned to James Brown's band
the J.B.'s. He also charted a single "Parrty - Part I" (#71 pop singles) with Maceo & the Macks that year. In 1975, Parker and some of Brown's band members, including
Fred Wesley, left to join
George Clinton's band
Parliament-Funkadelic.
Parker once again joined James Brown from 1984 to 1988. In the 1990s, Parker began his successful solo career which is ongoing to this day. He has released ten solo records and has been playing 100 to 150 tour dates per year. His average play time on stage is more than two and a half hours.
In 1993, Parker made guest appearances on hip hop group
De La Soul's album
Buhloone Mindstate
. In the late 1990s, Parker began contributing semi-regularly to recordings by
Prince and accompanying his band, the
New Power Generation, on tour. He also played on the
Jane's Addiction track "My Cat's Name Is Maceo", for their 1997 compilation album
Kettle Whistle
.
In 1998, Parker performed as a guest on "
What Would You Say" on a
Dave Matthews Band concert which also became one of their live albums,
Live in Chicago 12.19.98
.
In 2007, Parker supported Prince during his stint of 21 nights at
the O2 arena.
His current touring band includes bassist
Rodney Skeet Curtis formerly of Parliament-Funkadelic,
Bruno Speight (guitar) and Jamal Thomas (drums) formerly of SOS Band,
Ron Tooley (trumpet) whose illustrious bio includes James Brown, Maynard Ferguson, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra,
Dennis Rollins (trombone) one of the UK's finest jazz musicians,
Martha High (vocals) of the James Brown show. They have been billed as "The greatest little funk orchestra on earth" or the "Million dollar support band".
His latest album
Roots & Grooves
with the WDR Big Band is a tribute to Ray Charles whom Parker cites as one of his most important influences. The album has received huge critical acclaim, particularly in the US, and won a Jammie for best Jazz Album in 2009.
His gear consists of a
Selmer Mark VI (alto) saxophone together with a
Selmer Brilhart 'Ebolin' #5 mouthpiece.
Discography
Solo albums
Year
| Artist
| Album
| Label
|
1970
| Maceo & All the King's Men
| Doing Their Own Thing
| House of the Fox / Charly Records
|
1974
| Maceo
| Us
| People / P-Vine
|
1975
| Maceo & All the King's Men
| Funky Music Machine
| El Cello
|
1989
| Maceo Parker
| For All the King's Men
| 4th & Broadway
|
1990
| Maceo Parker
| Roots Revisited
| Verve / Minor Music
|
1991
| Maceo Parker
| Mo' Roots
| Verve / Minor Music
|
1992
| Maceo Parker
| Life on Planet Groove
| Verve / Minor Music
|
1993
| Maceo Parker
| Southern Exposure
| Jive / Novus / Minor Music
|
1994
| Maceo Parker
| Maceo
(Soundtrack)
| Minor Music
|
1998
| Maceo Parker
| Funk Overload
| What Are Records? / ESC
|
2000
| Maceo Parker
| Dial: M-A-C-E-O
| What Are Records? / ESC
|
2003
| Maceo Parker
| Made by Maceo
| What Are Records? / ESC
|
1994
| Maceo Parker
| My First Name Is Maceo
| Minor Music
|
2005
| Maceo Parker
| School's In!
| BHM Productions
|
2007
| Maceo Parker
| Roots & Grooves
| Intuition/ Heads Up
|
Select albums appeared on
Year
| Artist
| Album
| Label
|
1964
| James Brown
| Out of Sight
| PolyGram
|
1969
| James Brown
| Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud
| Polydor / Umgd
|
1970
| James Brown
| Sex Machine
| Polydor / Umgd
|
1972
| James Brown
| Get on the Good Foot
| PolyGram
|
1974
| James Brown
| The Payback
| Polydor / Umgd
|
1974
| James Brown
| Hell
| Polydor / Umgd
|
1975
| James Brown
| Reality
| PolyGram
|
1976
| Bootsy Collins
| Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band
| Warner Bros.
|
1976
| Parliament
| The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein
| Island / Mercury
|
1976
| Parliament
| Mothership Connection
| Island / Mercury
|
1977
| Bootsy Collins
| Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!
| Warner Bros.
|
1977
| Parliament
| Live: P-Funk Earth Tour
| Island / Mercury
|
1977
| Parliament
| Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome
| Island / Mercury
|
1977
| Fred Wesley
| A Blow for Me, A Toot for You
| Atlantic
|
1978
| Parliament
| Motor Booty Affair
| Island / Mercury
|
1978
| Bernie Worrell
| All the Woo in the World
| Arista
|
1979
| Bootsy Collins
| This Boot Is Made for Fonk-N
| Warner Bros.
|
1979
| Parliament
| Gloryhallastoopid
| MCA
|
1980
| Bootsy Collins
| Ultra Wave
| Warner Bros.
|
1980
| Parliament
| Trombipulation
| PolyGram
|
1983
| P-Funk All Stars
| Urban Dancefloor Guerillas
| Sony
|
1983
| George Clinton
| You Shouldn't-Nuf Bit Fish
| Capitol
|
1985
| George Clinton
| Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends
| Capitol
|
1985
| Red Hot Chili Peppers
| Freaky Styley
| Capitol
|
1986
| James Brown
| Gravity
| Volcano
|
1986
| James Brown
| James In the Jungle Groove
| Polydor / Umgd
|
1986
| Ryuichi Sakamoto
| Futurista
|
|
1987
| Micro Wave
| ''Cookin' from the Inside Out
| !''
| Columbia
|
1987
| Yvonne Jackson
| I'm Trouble
| Ichiban
|
1988
| James Brown
| James Brown's Funky People, Pt. 2
| Polydor / Umgd
|
1988
| Bootsy Collins
| What's Bootsy Doin'?
| Sony
|
1988
| Keith Richards
| Talk Is Cheap
| EMI
|
1989
| Criminal Element Orchestra
| Locked Up
| Atlantic
|
1990
| Various Artists
| Gramavision 10th Anniversary Sampler
| Gramavision
|
1990
| Deee-Lite
| World Clique
| Elektra / Wea
|
1990
| Living Colour
| Time's Up
| Sony
|
1990
| P-Funk All Stars
| Live at the Beverly Theatre in Hollywood
| Westbound
|
1990
| Fred Wesley
| New Friends
| PolyGram
|
1990
| Rev. Billy C. Wirtz
| Backslider's Tractor Pull
| HighTone
|
1991
| James Brown
| Messing with the Blues
| PolyGram
|
1991
| Material
| The Third Power
| Axiom
|
1991
| Bernie Worrell
| Funk of Ages
| Rhino
|
1991
| Kenny Neal
| Walking on Fire
| Alligator
|
1991
| Various Artists
| House Party 2
| MCA
|
1992
| Bachir Attar
| The Next Dream
| CMP
|
1992
| 10,000 Maniacs
| Our Time in Eden
| Elektra / Wea
|
1992
| Deee-Lite
| Infinity Within
| Elektra / Wea
|
1993
| Various Artists
| The Best Jazz Is Played with Verve
| PolyGram
|
1993
| George Clinton
| "P" Is the Funk
| AEM
|
1993
| Candy Dulfer
| Sax-A-Go-Go
| Sony
|
1993
| Color Me Badd
| Time and Chance
| Warner Bros.
|
1993
| Bernie Worrell
| Blacktronic Science
| Gramavision
|
1993
| Bryan Ferry
| Taxi
| Warner Bros.
|
1993
| Various Artists
| Manifestation: Axiom Collection II
| PolyGram
|
1993
| James Brown
| Soul Pride: The Instrumentals (1960-1969)
| PolyGram
|
1993
| De La Soul
| Buhloone Mindstate
| Rhino
|
1993
| Hans Theessink
| Call Me
| Deluge
|
1993
| Dave Koz
| Lucky Man
| Capitol
|
1993
| George Clinton
| Plush Funk
| Aem
|
1993
| Bernie Worrell
| Blacktronic Science
| Gramavision
|
1994
| Bootsy Collins
| Blasters of the Universe
| Rykodisc
|
1994
| Pedro Abrunhosa
| Viagens
| PolyGram
|
1994
| Bryan Ferry
| Mamouna
| Virgin
|
1992
| The JB Horns
| I Like It Like That
| Soulciety
|
1995
| Parliament
| The Best of Parliament: Give Up the Funk
| PolyGram
|
1995
| Fred Wesley
| Say Blow by Blow Backwards
| Aem
|
1995
| Larry Goldings
| Whatever It Takes
| Warner Bros.
|
1995
| Brooklyn Funk Essentials
| Cool And Steady And Easy
| Groovetown Records
|
1995
| Various Artists
| Back to Basics, Vol. 2
| Instinct
|
1996
| James Brown
| Foundations Of Funk: A Brand New Bag
| Polydor / Umgd
|
1996
| Various Artists
| Little Magic in a Noisy World
| Act
|
1996
| Various Artists
| A Celebration of Blues: The New Breed
| Celeb. of Blues
|
1997
| Various Artists
| Booming on Pluto: Electro for Droids
| Ambient
|
1997
| Kenny Neal
| Deluxe Edition
| Alligator
|
1997
| Phil Upchurch
| Whatever Happened to the Blues
| Go Jazz
|
1999
| Ani DiFranco
| To The Teeth
| Righteous Babe Records
|
1999
| Prince
| Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic
| NPG
|
2001
| Dave Matthews Band
| Live in Chicago 12.19.98
| RCA
|
2001
| Prince
| Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic
| NPG
|
2002
| Prince
| One Nite Alone... Live!
| NPG
|
2003
| Prince & the NPG
| C-Note
| NPG
|
2004
| Prince
| Musicology
| NPG / Columbia
|
2006
| Prince
| 3121
| NPG / Universal
|
2007
| Prince
| Planet Earth
| NPG / Columbia
|
2008
| Prince
| Indigo Nights
| NPG
|
2009
| Prince
| Lotus Flow3r
| NPG
|
Videos
Year
| Artist
| Album
| Label
|
2000
| Prince
| Rave Un2 the Year 2000
| NPG Music Club
|
2002
| Maceo Parker
| Roots Revisited
| Arthaus Musik
|
2003
| Prince
| Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas
| NPG Music Club
|
2004
| Maceo Parker
| My First Name Is Maceo
| Minor Music
|
References
- Thompson, Dave (2001). ''Funk''. Backbeat Books. pp. 176-179. ISBN 0-87930-629-7.
- www.maco.com