Music Notes: Maceo Parker: Funk Daddy

“Maceo! Blow Your Horn!”

These are the words that James Brown would so proudly shout as Maceo Parker took the stage during his illustrious career with the Godfather of Soul.

For those of you who have been in musical hibernation for the past thirty years, Maceo Parker was the famed side man that made songs like “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” and “Cold Sweat” popular with his trademark sound and solid horn breaks.

Now, the 56-year-old heads up his own concoction of funk in the form of his own band which blasts its way into Harlow’s in downtown Sacramento on Oct. 13.

As one of the pioneers of the funk groove, Parker has stood the test of time on the jazz scene. Raised in North Carolina, Parker’s musically inclined family became a natural setting for him to display his skills and to create his own sound.

That sound became recognized throughout the nation when he joined the JB Horns, the horn section that backed up the legendary James Brown.

It was upon suggestion of Brown’s drummer, Melvin, who coincidentally is Parker’s brother, that Parker jump aboard the flag ship for the funk and soul era.

Together with Parker and company, Brown transformed R&B music, creating a new brand of soul that combined R&B with elements of funk.

Through the years, Parker’s music matured and he went on to form his own group, “Maceo and All the King’s Men” which served as an outlet for Parker to continue in his musical ventures both as a leader and a composer.

The creative funk repertoire he developed with both Brown and his own ensemble came in handy when he boarded “the mother ship,” better known as Parliament, in the mid-‘70s.

Led by the Godfather of Funk, George Clinton, Parker and bassist Bootsy Collins (also a James Brown alum) helped to solidify Parliament’s electronica-based funk sound and infectious grooves.

While leading Parliament’s horn section, the Horny Horns, the result was a regime and partnership that reigned for nearly a decade and produced a string of hits and international acclaim in the ‘80s.

Parker’s international recognition brought notice from other musicians and later allowed him to collaborate with such diverse groups as Dee-Lite, De La Soul, the 10,000 Maniacs, Bryan Ferry, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and most recently with femme phenom Ani DiFranco. Playing with such an eclectic group is a signal of Parker’s ability as both performer and musician.

Recently, Parker has found himself touring extensively in Europe, Japan and the U.S. in support of his latest release, “Funk Overload.” The album continues where his previous albums “Roots Revisited” and “Mo’ Roots” left off, shedding new light on funk with searing horn melodies, punctuating drum beats, and rich bass rhythms that provide the backdrop for Parker’s raw soloing.

Parker’s album is continued evidence of how successful he has been in combining a hybrid of soul, funk, R&B, and jazz.

So Maceo, if you’re listening, “Keep blowing your horn!”

Maceo Parker plays at Harlow’s on Oct. 13 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call (916) 441-4693 for more info.