The Deal: Timeless funk from a master hornman.
The Good: Although he was listed as a sideman for much of his career, saxophonist Maceo Parker’s sound always put him out in front of whatever group he was with. That’s his tenor horn on James Brown’s ’60s classics “I Feel Good,” “Out Of Sight” and “Papa’s Got Brand New Bag.” In the mid-’70s, he came back on “Cold Sweat” and “Lickin’ Stick” and was a big presence beside trombonist Fred Wesley in the JB’S. He also played with Parliament-Funkadelic and Bootsy’s Rubber Band before going solo. Now considered a jazzman, his funky roots still show. Here, he pays tribute to Ray Charles on the first disc of this two CD set, with a vocal on “Busted” that’s dead-on, vintage Charles. He’s backed here by German big band WDR, but don’t let the big band label throw you – these guys can funk it up. On the second disc, Maceo gets back to his JB’s roots with a 17-and-a-half minute version of “Pass The Peas,” throwin’ down hard for a groove you can stomp holes in the floor with.
The Bad: That’d be an appropriate nickname. He’s still one of the baddest hornmen in the bizness.
The Verdict: You can dress it up a bit, but you can’t shake the funk off Maceo. Thank God.
This article appears in Feb 20-26, 2008.
