Maceo Parker

JUNE 21ST AT THE COMMODORE BALLROOM 

Rhythmically charged, funky horn bursts and soulful, gospel-tinged blues inflections are the hallmarks of Maceo Parker's sound. As a longtime sideman for James Brown, Parker, along with cohorts Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley, made up R&B's most memorable brass section: the JB Horns.

Throughout his rich 20-year collaboration with Brown, which ended in 1984, Parker continuously experimented with hybrid forms of funk. He joined forces with George Clinton and the P-Funk movement in the '70s. Later he backed the retro-'70s disco darlings Dee-Lite, which inevitably led to collaborations with bohemian rappers De La Soul. He went on to work with the likes of Prince, Ray Charles, Ani DiFranco, James Taylor, Dave Matthews Band, and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Whatever the context, one thing is certain: Maceo Parker is the living, breathing pulse that connects the history of funk in one golden thread. His latest album is a two-disc set called Roots & Grooves, recorded with the Grammy Award-winning WDR Big Band. Don't miss Maceo's own die-hard dance band as they prove once again that you can't stop the funk.