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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 2024).

The Things They Say!

This is a good opportunity to say thanks to BSH for their support of the jazz scene in the North East (and beyond) - it's no exaggeration to say that if it wasn't for them many, many fine musicians, bands and projects across a huge cross section of jazz wouldn't be getting reviewed at all, because we're in the "desolate"(!) North. (M & SSBB on F/book 23/12/24)

Postage

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 29: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 29: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Saturday, July 04, 2020

Album Review: Maceo Parker - Soul Food: Cooking with Maceo

I generally like to hear an album a minimum of twice before I review it, but tech issues - will I ever conquer streaming? - saw the days pass and, once played, I realised it was like an old pair of shoes; comfortable, and not just the songs I already knew.

Maceo was scheduled to headline the Malta Jazz Festival this year and, while I was sceptical how it would have gone, with this material I've no doubt it would have gone down a storm.

Maceo has been a giant of funk since its inception in James Brown's bands of the late sixties, the Godfather often hollering for his premier saxophonist to solo on studio cuts through to the mid-seventies, by which time he'd become a leading light - alongside Fred Wesley - in the JBs.

He and Fred then jumped aboard George Clinton's Mothership Funk Extravaganza, contributing to albums by Parliament, the Brides of Funkenstein and the Horny Horns.

He spent ten years with Prince who, like James and George, was surrounding himself with established players like Maceo and Larry Graham of Sly and the Family Stone and Graham Central Station. A version of Prince's Other Side of the Pillow is featured here, with added Hammond organ a nice touch and a rare guitar solo. 

There's a deliberate New Orleans feel to this, with contributions from stalwarts of the city and covers of tracks by New Orleans acts Dr John, The Meters and Allen Toussaint, Maceo having previously played with the latter two. He also takes on Aretha Franklin's Rocksteady, another artist he's played with in the past.    

The set opens with a remake of his big Rare Groove hit Cross the Tracks and doesn't particularly add or subtract from the original. While Maceo takes the lion's share of solos throughout the album, often with a large horn section behind him, the track MACEO features a brief trombone solo. Both these tracks are more jams, with chants rather than complete songs.   

One of the songs is Compared to What? which I know from my northern soul days, but can't find out for certain who recorded it first.

He's a big Ray Charles fan and sang an impression of him at the Gateshead International Jazz Festival a couple of years back, but mercifully his Hard Times, penned by David Fathead Newman, is taken instrumentally here, the only other instrumental, album closer and highlight, Grazing in the Grass, originally by Hugh Masekela.  

While it's more part of my past than my present, the album is funky, as you'd expect, his sax playing is as good as ever and, while hardly essential, it's mighty fine none the less.
Steve T

3 comments :

Harry said...

Hi Lance,

I remember hearing 'Compared to what' played by Les McCann and Eddie Harris in the late sixties and also sung by Roberta Flack.

Best regards

Harry

Steve T said...

My brother has my northern soul top 500 book so, with my failing memory, I don't even know which version I know.

Gerry Richardson said...

The original is on European Swiss Movement by McCann and Harris. Live at Montreux I think. Also featuring Cold Duck Time and Freedom Jazz Dance - all tunes written by Harris. Great album!

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