Maceo! I Want You To Blow!
Mr Maceo Parker (above) and his book and music (below)
Listen/Download Maceo and All the King’s Men – Got To Getcha
Listen/Download Maceo and the Macks – Parrty Pt1
Listen/Download Maceo and the Macks – Parrty Pt2
Greetings all
I hope the day finds you all well.
In the universe of funk, especially the swirling nebulae of James Brown and Parliament Funkadelic, there exists a supernova of the saxomophone known by a single name, one that represents cool, funk, swagger and the cutting sound of brass.
That name is Maceo.
Known more fully to his mother and the folks at the motor vehicle bureau as the mighty Maceo Parker, he was one of the brightest lights of the James Brown Band, the JBs, Maceo and the Macks, Maceo and All the King’s Men, Parliament Funkadelic and various and sundry permutations therein.
Devotees of funk probably wake up in the night with the sound of James Brown calling his name, requesting a saxophone solo or directions to the bridge.
Mr Parker is a master musician, and icon of the classic era of funk, and now (happily) the author of an autobiography covering all of the above called ‘98% Funky Stuff: My Life In Music’.
Truth be told, I was a lot more excited to see this fall through the mail slot than I was when RJ Smith’s (excellent and thorough) biography of the Godfather came out last year.
While there is probably very little about James Brown that has not at some time been driven deep into my brain, there hasn’t been nearly enough out there that explores the lives of the men that helped to make his amazing music a reality.
’98% Funky Stuff’ is a brisk read, with time spent on Maceo’s early years, his first connection with the James Brown band and its (temporary) interruption by the draft.
What I found most interesting about the book – other than getting to know Parker himself – were his contrasting impressions of working as part of the James Brown organization through the 60s and early 70s, and his transition into the world of George Clinton and P-Funk.
The feeling I get is that Brown didn’t value his sidemen nearly as much as they deserved, and as straight and disciplined a player as Parker was, he found the chaotic world of Parliament Funkadelic a refreshing environment in which to express himself.
The book doesn’t contain the kind of trainspotter’s detail that I might have liked (though I don’t know what book would, outside of an encyclopedia), but if you’re eager for a look at the life of one of the really important funk and soul musicians of the last 50 years, ‘98% Funky Stuff’ is a treat indeed.
I took this review of the book as an opportunity to dip into my crates and pull out some prime Maceo vinyl.
The first track hails from one of the periodic acrimonious episodes when Maceo (and pretty much the rest of the Godfather’s band) took off and did their own thing.
‘Got To Getcha’ (R&B Top 40 in 1970)is a dynamite piece of funk, with vocals by Maceo, a heavy groove (that manages to step outside of the JB feel) a groovy sax solo and some crazy lyrics (also courtesy of Mr Parker). It was recorded in 1970 for Lelan Rogers’ House of the Fox label. It also appears on the excellent ‘Doing Their Own Thing’ LP.
The second track is one of the finest examples of Maceo working within the JB-context, that being the 1973 R&B Top 40 hit ‘Parrty Pts 1&2’. Built on a classic JBs groove, with a churning riff, band (and James Brown) chants and Maceo himself soloing over the whole thing, ‘Parrty’ is a killer..
If you want to dig deeper into the soundof Maceo Parker, you can pick up any of the many James Brown, JBs, Maceo and the Macks (or any of the other variations) 45s easily located, or if digital is your thing, iTunes has most of that, as well as his many solo albums available.
I hope you dig the tunes (and grab the book) and I’ll see you soon.
Keep the faith
Larry
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Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived!
The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock.
They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US).
Click here to go to the ordering page.
Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).
Themocracy
Hi Larry,
Thanks for this review. It makes me want to read more, though… If you were ever to list or otherwise mention some of your favourite books on music, that would be really great.