(#365AOTD celebrates a week of the letter M)
“We like to do 2% jazz, 98% funky stuff. Good God. Hep. This is known as happy music. Happy. (grunt) Good God. Happy music is when you hear it you start moving and shaking something automatically, that’s what it is. And you smile a lot, too…”
When I saw Maceo Parker perform at a local music festival about 13 or 14 years ago, he brought down the house. He reminded me of a preacher giving an enthralling sermon to his congregation. The same can be said for Parker’s “Life on Planet Groove,” a live recording from a concert in Cologne, Germany. Maceo leads his band of merry musicians through a set of feel good, funky soul food. Yes, I would like another plate. The opening 16 plus minute, Shake Everything You Got gets the party started with a bang. If you are unaware, Parker is a sax man. And boy can Maceo blow. He takes the first solo, scorches it and then is joined by his other horn players. He also handles all of the vocal duties. Next up, Maceo asks you to Pass the Peas. Continuing to keep his foot on the gas, another James Brown tune, I Got You (I Feel Good) and the Maceo original Got to Get U showcases Kym Mazelle on the mic. Bringing the room down to a chilled sway, Parker and company chooses a Winans number, Addictive to Love and dedicates it’s playing to them. The American standard Georgia on my Mind garners excited applause from the crowd as the album closer Soul Power ’92 gets everybody dancing again. “Everybody say Soul Power!”
Anytime I need to funk out, I reach for some Maceo Parker. For 52 years he has been bringing the message through the beat, the good word and his saxophone. Can I get a Amen?
“Life on Planet Groove” personnel:
Maceo Parker – alto saxophone, vocals
Candy Dulfer – alto saxophone
Larry Goldings – Hammond organ
Vincent Henry – bass, alto saxophone
Rodney Jones – guitar
Pee Wee Ellis – flute, tenor saxophone, vocals
Kym Mazelle – vocals
Kenwood Dennard – drums
Fred Wesley – trombone, vocals
365, Album of the Day 2014 