James Brown’s saxophonist Maceo Parker is the current artist to get star treatment by today’s best big band, WDR. Just as in previous releases with Joe Zawinul and the Brecker Brothers, the band works with an arranger to rework the artist’s material to fit the ensemble.
The two discs are split between tunes associated with Ray Charles and Parker’s own funk material. Charles’ disc is the stronger; the material is more compelling and the arrangements are fuller and tighter. Parker’s playing throughout both discs is full of his usual heavily soul-inflected seminal bravura, but he digs deeper on the Charles material, imbuing the songs with a depth of caress beyond what is usually associated with the saxophonist. Not insignificantly, Parker’s rarely heard singing voice is scarily similar to Charles’.
The funk disc is full of solid in-the-pocket grooves, danceable rhythms and smart hooks, which Parker rips up. The band’s members get significant solo time with this material which takes space away from Parker, but proves the music is aimed to feature the band.
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