Pop Quiz: Maceo Parker

Pop Quiz: Maceo Parker

Aidin Vaziri | Maceo Parker has spent five decades blasting his alto saxophone at funk masters James Brown, George Clinton and Prince. Not content with his role as one of music's most famous sidemen, the 65-year-old North Carolina native has also been turning out his own fresh and funky work since 1970. Parker's latest is "Roots and Grooves," a live concert tribute to Ray Charles recorded with the WDR Big Band of Cologne, Germany. It comes with a second disc looking back at his years with Brown.


Maceo Parker
Q: What was it like standing next to James Brown while he was doing his thing?
A: James Brown, who I really learned a lot from, he just worked hard. He really exerted energy. He'd sweat. He always said that if people see you working hard, then they feel OK about the fact that they spent their money and came to see your show. Also, he was able to dance real fast, with all the splits and the turns and all that he did. It was just spectacular. And the music was good.
Q: Do you believe that in 1970, when you quit his band and formed Maceo and All the King's Men, he actually paid DJs not to play your records on the radio?
A: Yes. He told us that. He said he was going to do everything he could to make sure we couldn't make it. We didn't mind. That was just how he felt at the time. He went along with it, and we did, too. We was just having fun anyway.
Q: After playing with Brown, you went to work with George Clinton and Parliament. Was he a slightly different kind of boss?
A: Most definitely. It threw me for a minute. George Clinton had his own concept. He always said it ain't nothing but a party. He came from the street way. You just come as is, play music wherever you are. That's the way the world is - not necessarily uniform, just throw-down right now. It was almost like when you see those musicals where people are playing on garbage cans and the tops of cars. He thought you should just go for it.
Q: What was the Parliament tour bus like?
A: We laughed all the time. It was great. Those years were fun years. We made everything a comedy.
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