The godfather of funk horns has got a brand new bag

Many of us are unwittingly in the same boat as this unfortunate seafarer, who, according to the story, searched the globe for the maker of that fine, funky music. If you have ever partied to Prince, James Brown, Parliament, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc., then you have probably at least tapped your toe to a Maceo Parker (native of Kinston, North Carolina) saxophone line; odds are very good that you moved quite a bit more than that. Parker’s played on just about everything: Brown’s Sex Machine, most of Prince’s newest material, even on an album by Rev. Billy C. Wirtz. He’s no slouch as a solo artist either, boasting over a dozen solo albums. His latest, 2007’s Roots and Grooves, is a two-disc live document. While both discs feature a big band and Parker’s soulful vocals, the difference between the two is night and day. The first is a tribute to the late soul legend Ray Charles. The arrangements of classics like “Margie” and “Busted” are incredibly colorful, the huge, bright horn section giving the songs a new depth. The second disc is pure funk, featuring mostly original Parker material, as well as an incredible, mind-bending display of musicianship on James Brown’s “Pass the Peas.” Parker, somewhat of a funk legend himself, seems just as comfortable fronting a big band as being sideman to popular music icons. “Man, it’s really easy,” he says. “Not only easy, it’s enjoyable. It’s kind of like being in the studio, you know, because everybody has their own taste. In the studio I can be like, ‘Hey, let’s bring the guitar up just a little bit,’ or, ‘That’s a little too loud for my taste,’ you know, it might be fine for the guy next door, but not for me. That’s a bit what it’s like for me, leading my own band.”

Often musicians respond to the “so what’s next?” question with trepidation, uncertainty, or ennui. Not Parker, who seems in soaring spirits throughout the interview (and probably life in general). He’ll be on the road with his band, not the big band featured on Roots and Grooves, but his own personal band that features “top top top musicians,” according to him. His objective is clear: “We just want to bring peace and love, and harmony, that kind of thing to people everywhere through the music, through performance. That’s what we do.”

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