Maceo Parker (; born February 14, 1943) is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s and Prince in the 2000s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown's hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones. Since the early 1990s, he has toured under his own name.
Biography Parker was born in Kinston, North Carolina, United States. Parker's father played piano and drums in addition to singing in church with Parker's mother; his brother Melvin played drums and his brother Kellis played the trombone.Thompson, Dave (2001). Funk. Backbeat Books. pp. 176-179. . Parker and his brother Melvin joined James Brown in 1963; in his autobiography, Brown claims that he originally wanted Melvin as his drummer, but agreed to additionally take Maceo under his wing as part of the deal.Brown, James (1988). The Godfather of Soul (with Bruce Tucker), Fontana / Collins, p. 156. . In March 1970, Parker, his brother Melvin, and a few of Brown's band members left to establish the band Maceo & All the King's Men, which toured for two years.Brown (1988). The Godfather of Soul, pp. 217-18.
In January 1973, Parker rejoined James Brown's group. He also charted a single "Parrty – Part I" (No. 71 pop singles) with Maceo & the Macks that year. In 1975, Parker and some of Brown's band members, including Fred Wesley, left to join George Clinton's band Parliament-Funkadelic.Wesley, Fred Jr (2002), Hit Me, Fred. Duke University Press, p. 192. . Parker once again re-joined James Brown from 1984 to 1988.
In the 1990s, Parker began a solo career. His first album of this period Roots Revisited spent 10 weeks at the top of the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts. To date he has released 11 solo albums since 1990. Parker's 1992 live album, Life on Planet Groove, is considered to be his seminal live album, marking his first collaboration with Dutch saxophonist Candy Dulfer.
In 1993, Parker made guest appearances on hip hop group De La Soul's album Buhloone Mindstate. De La Sou Buhloone Mindstate Retrieved 6 May 2024 In the late 1990s, Parker began contributing semi-regularly to recordings by Prince and accompanying his band, The New Power Generation, on tour. He also played on the Jane's Addiction track "My Cat's Name Is Maceo" for their 1997 compilation album Kettle Whistle. In 1998, Parker performed as a guest on "What Would You Say" on a Dave Matthews Band concert, which also became one of their live albums, Live in Chicago 12.19.98.
In 2004, Parker toured as a part of Prince's band for the "Musicology Live 2004ever" tour and again in 2007 he performed as part of Prince's band for Prince's 21 nights at the O2 arena. Parker also played as part of Prince's band for his 21-night stay at LA's Forum in 2011.
In 2008, Maceo Parker closed the Edmonton International Jazz Festival at Urban Lounge.
Parker's album Roots & Grooves with the WDR Big Band is a tribute to Ray Charles, whom Parker cites as one of his most important influences. The album won a Jammie for best Jazz Album in 2009. Parker followed this up with another collaboration with WDR Big Band in 2012 with the album Soul Classics.
In October 2011, Parker was honored with induction into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.
In July 2012, Parker was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from Victoires Du Jazz in Paris. He continues touring, headlining many jazz festivals in Europe and doing as many as 290 concerts a year.
In May 2016, Parker received The North Carolina Heritage Award from his home state.
Parker toured with the Ray Charles Orchestra and the Raelettes performing a tribute to Ray Charles at major festivals worldwide, including Monterey Jazz Festival in 2016 and Playboy Jazz Festival in 2019.
Book and media In February 2013, Maceo Parker published his autobiography, 98% Funky Stuff: My Life in Music with the publisher Chicago Review Press.Maceo Parker Chicago Review Press. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
Parker was portrayed by Craig Robinson in the 2014 James Brown biopic Get on Up.
Equipment Maceo plays a gold-plated Selmer Mark VI alto saxophone and the mouthpiece he uses is a No. 3 Brilhart Ebolin. Maceo's reed of choice is the Vandoren Java, 3.5 gauge.
Tributes Maceo, the restaurant in the 1st arrondissement of Paris opened in 1997 by Mark Williamson, is named for Parker.
Discography
As bandleader
+ Year Credited as Album Label 1970 Maceo & All the King's Men Doing Their Own Thing House of the Fox / Charly Records 1972 Maceo & All the King's Men Funky Music Machine Excello 1974 Maceo Us People / P-Vine 1989 Maceo Parker For All the King's Men 4th & Broadway 1990 Maceo Parker Roots Revisited Verve / Minor Music 1991 Maceo Parker Mo' Roots Verve / Minor Music 1992 Maceo Parker Life on Planet Groove Verve / Minor Music 1993 Maceo Parker Southern Exposure Jive / Novus / Minor Music 1994 Maceo Parker Maceo (Soundtrack) Minor Music 1998 Maceo Parker Funk Overload What Are Records? / ESC 2000 Maceo Parker Dial: M-A-C-E-O What Are Records? / ESC 2003 Maceo Parker Made by Maceo What Are Records? / ESC 2005 Maceo Parker School's In! BHM Productions 2007 Maceo Parker Roots & Grooves Intuition / Heads Up 2012 Maceo Parker Soul Classics Listen2 Entertainment / Razor & Tie 2018 Maceo Parker Life On Planet Groove - Revisited Verve / Minor Music 2018 Maceo Parker It's All About Love Leopard 2020 Maceo Parker Soul Food: Cooking With Maceo Mascot Label Group / The Funk Garage
As sideman
+ Year Artist Album Label 1964 James Brown Out of Sight PolyGram 1969 James Brown Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud Polydor / Umgd 1970 James Brown Sex Machine Polydor / Umgd 1972 James Brown Get on the Good Foot PolyGram 1972 Johnny Hammond The Prophet Kudu 1973 James Brown The Payback Polydor / Umgd 1974 James Brown Hell Polydor / Umgd 1975 James Brown Reality PolyGram 1976 Bootsy Collins Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band Warner Bros. 1976 Parliament The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein Island / Mercury 1975 Parliament Mothership Connection Island / Mercury 1977 Bootsy Collins Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! Warner Bros. 1977 Parliament Live: P-Funk Earth Tour Island / Mercury 1977 Parliament Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome Island / Mercury 1977 Fred Wesley A Blow for Me, A Toot for You Atlantic 1978 Parliament Motor Booty Affair Island / Mercury 1978 Bernie Worrell All the Woo in the World Arista 1979 Bootsy Collins This Boot Is Made for Fonk-N Warner Bros. 1979 Parliament Gloryhallastoopid MCA 1980 Bootsy Collins Ultra Wave Warner Bros. 1980 Parliament Trombipulation PolyGram 1983 P-Funk All Stars Urban Dancefloor Guerillas Sony 1983 George Clinton You Shouldn't-Nuf Bit Fish Capitol 1985 George Clinton Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends Capitol 1985 Red Hot Chili Peppers Freaky Styley EMI 1986 James Brown Gravity Volcano 1986 James Brown James In the Jungle Groove Polydor / Umgd 1986 Ryuichi Sakamoto Futurista 1987 Mico Wave Cookin' from the Inside Out!!! Columbia 1987 Yvonne Jackson I'm Trouble Ichiban 1988 James Brown James Brown's Funky People, Pt. 2 Polydor / Umgd 1988 Bootsy Collins What's Bootsy Doin'? Sony 1988 Keith Richards Talk Is Cheap EMI 1989 Criminal Element Orchestra Locked Up Atlantic 1990 Various Artists Gramavision 10th Anniversary Sampler Gramavision 1990 Deee-Lite World Clique Elektra / Wea 1990 Living Colour Time's Up Sony 1990 P-Funk All Stars Live at the Beverly Theatre in Hollywood Westbound 1990 Fred Wesley New Friends PolyGram 1990 Rev. Billy C. Wirtz Backslider's Tractor Pull HighTone 1991 James Brown Messing with the Blues PolyGram 1991 Material The Third Power Axiom 1991 Bernie Worrell Funk of Ages Rhino 1991 Kenny Neal Walking on Fire Alligator 1991 Various Artists House Party 2 MCA 1992 Bachir Attar The Next Dream CMP 1992 10,000 Maniacs Our Time in Eden Elektra / Wea 1992 Deee-Lite Infinity Within Elektra / Wea 1993 Various Artists The Best Jazz Is Played with Verve PolyGram 1993 George Clinton "P" Is the Funk AEM 1993 Candy Dulfer Sax-A-Go-Go Sony 1993 Color Me Badd Time and Chance Warner Bros. 1993 Bernie Worrell Blacktronic Science Gramavision 1993 Bryan Ferry Taxi Warner Bros. 1993 Various Artists Manifestation: Axiom Collection II PolyGram 1993 James Brown Soul Pride: The Instrumentals (1960–1969) PolyGram 1993 De La Soul Buhloone Mindstate Rhino 1993 Hans Theessink Call Me Deluge 1993 Dave Koz Lucky Man Capitol 1993 George Clinton Plush Funk Aem 1993 Bernie Worrell Blacktronic Science Gramavision 1994 Bootsy Collins Blasters of the Universe Rykodisc 1994 Pedro Abrunhosa Viagens PolyGram 1994 Bryan Ferry Mamouna Virgin 1994 Nils Landgren Funk Unit Live in Stockholm Red Horn 1992 The JB Horns I Like It Like That Soulciety 1995 Parliament The Best of Parliament: Give Up the Funk PolyGram 1995 Fred Wesley Say Blow by Blow Backwards Aem 1995 Larry Goldings Whatever It Takes Warner Bros. 1995 Brooklyn Funk Essentials Cool And Steady And Easy Groovetown Records 1995 Various Artists Back to Basics, Vol. 2 Instinct 1996 James Brown Foundations Of Funk: A Brand New Bag Polydor / Umgd 1996 Various Artists Little Magic in a Noisy World Act 1996 Various Artists A Celebration of Blues: The New Breed Celeb. of Blues 1997 Various Artists Booming on Pluto: Electro for Droids Ambient 1997 Kenny Neal Deluxe Edition Alligator 1997 Phil Upchurch Whatever Happened to the Blues Go Jazz 1999 Ani DiFranco To The Teeth Righteous Babe Records 1999 Prince Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic NPG 2001 Dave Matthews Band Live in Chicago 12.19.98 RCA 2001 Ani DiFranco Revelling/Reckoning Righteous Babe Records 2002 Prince and The New Power Generation One Nite Alone... Live! NPG 2002 Prince and The New Power Generation One Nite Alone... the aftershow: it ain't over! NPG 2003 Prince and The New Power Generation C-Note NPG 2004 Prince Musicology NPG / Columbia 2006 Prince 3121 NPG / Universal 2007 Prince Planet Earth NPG / Columbia 2007 Various Artists Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino Vanguard 2008 Prince Indigo Nights NPG 2009 Prince Lotusflower NPG
Filmography
+ Year Artist Album Label 2000 Prince Rave Un2 the Year 2000 NPG Music Club 2002 Maceo Parker Roots Revisited Arthaus Musik 2003 Prince Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas NPG Music Club 2004 Maceo Parker My First Name Is Maceo Minor Music
References
External links