Don Albert
South African jazz, soul and funk enthusiasts will be thrilled to know that the artist who recorded such albums as Roots Revisited, Mo’ Roots and Life on Planet Groove, alto saxman Maceo Parker, will be playing one concert in Pretoria and one in Joburg next month.
Parker honed his funky style when he was an integral part of the James Brown band in the 1960s and then formed his own group in 1970.
Roots Revisited topped the Billboard Jazz Charts in 1990 and Life on Planet Groove opened the door to the college audiences which established him as a contemporary artist. The albums Funk Overload, Dial M-A-C-E-O and Made by Maceo gave birth to Parker’s catch phrase, “2% jazz 98% funky stuff”.
He has collaborated with Ray Charles, James Taylor, Prince, Dave Matthews Band and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. In 2012, he was awarded the Les Victoires du Jazz in Paris, and an Icon Award at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam.
His band comprises the leader (saxophone, flute and vocals), Greg Boyer (trombone), Will Boulware (keyboards), Bruno Speight (guitar), Rodney “Skeet” Curtis (bass), Tony Mason (drums), Martha High (vocals) and Darlene Parker (vocals).
The Nu-Notes, a youth band led by trombonist Dan Selsick, will open the concerts. Selsick said all their arrangements were by Kevin Davidson. “I was inspired by Davidson’s CD, Our Land Our Music, which is filled with South African tunes, for example Meadowlands, Pata Pata, Skokiaan, Ntyilo Ntylo, Yakhal Inkomo and Mannenberg to name but a few.”
Pretoria concert (Brooklyn Theatre), May 8; Joburg concert (Wits Theatre), May 9. Concerts start at 8pm and tickets cost R180. Book at www.webtickets. co.za. For info, call 011 788 7632.