Pied Parker gets funky

The Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival was in full funk effect on Friday night as saxophonist Maceo Parker, the self-proclaimed "Pied Piper of Funky Music," spent two full hours dancing, blowing on his sax, and rhythmically entreating the frenzied crowd to shake everything they had.

The night's music began with a set from the Kenny Barron Trio. Barron, an accomplished jazz pianist who has toured with the likes of James Moody and Dizzy Gillespie, seduced the settling audience with suave, smooth piano runs, trading fours with drummer Glen Riley, before heading into Thelonious Monk's "Well, You Needn't." Upbeat and loose, the tune was one of the highlights of the entire evening, replete with unpredictable runs and a dramatic silence at the midpoint of an extended solo, much to the crowd's delight.

Delighted or not, however, the crowd was clearly on hand for Parker, and an eager buzz filled the theater during the set break. When Parker was conspicuously absent as his seven-member back-up band assumed the stage, a chant of "Come on, Maceo!" built up for several minutes. Finally, with the theatrical timing of a true James Brown protégé, Parker burst from stage left, his arms extended welcomingly, his sax hanging, blowing kisses and smiling, and the packed, exuberant audience gave him a protracted standing ovation.

The show, which was characterized by a crisp briskness throughout, began immediately. Parker got right to the point as he launched into a short, charging, funky jam, exchanging measures with the trumpeter and dancing with cool control. After a moment's interlude, Parker boomed, "Pass the Peas!" and his classic funk song began. Although never all-out rollicking, the version was energized, loose and happy, and inspired much reeling and hopping amongst the crowd.

Much of the show's appeal centered on Parker's charismatic stage presence and ability to imbue the hall with a party atmosphere. Following "Pass the Peas," he proclaimed, "Everything we do from now on shall be funky!" He then slowed it down with a short duet with the Hammond B-3 Organist, a whimsical instrumental number, before beginning another of his classic funk party tune's, "Shake Everything You Got!" Again, while the version never seemed to race at full-blast, break-neck speed, it was lively and animated, peaking when Parker broke the song down to just the drums and the sax before slowly rebuilding the tune and finishing it off with a fast and kicking solo.

The organ then introduced "House Party," a concise but effective piece that culminated in Parker's promise that, "We're gonna have a house party!" But Parker then broke his promise, slowing the beat with the romantic, luscious "Tennessee Waltz," at times moving about the stage with easy, lazy swing steps, and at others standing still as he played the softly melodious tune.

Parker later left the stage as the back-up singer Sweet Charles took center stage for a well-rehearsed and slick rendition of "Mustang Sally." After a few minutes he returned to the stage and led the band and audience as he segued into a funkified "Louie, Louie," urging the crowd to sing "We gotta go!" and then worked smoothly back into the final refrain of "Mustang Sally."

The night's comedic highlight came moments later during a cover of Ray Charles' melancholy "Georgia on My Mind," as Parker took a break from his flute, walked off stage, and reappeared wearing the sunglasses that are Charles' trademark, and finished off the song. Parker's son, Cory Parker, then began to rap against the backdrop of the band's funk, before being joined for the final words by his father.

The show wound down with a series of relatively short tunes, including the rap song "Uptown," by Cory Parker, and the James Brown cover, "Papa's got a Brand New Bag," sung by Sweet Charles. As the group finally left the stage, Parker shouted repeatedly to the crowd, "We love you!"

To general dismay, there was no encore due to time limitations, but the long, involved set certainly satisfied the audience, as the "Pied Piper of Funk" was followed by a sea of standing applause.

09-14-98