Maceo Parker turned 74 this month. He’s still actively out there advancing the gospel of funk and soul.
Parker was born in North Carolina, and played in some bands there before getting recruited by James Brown to play saxophone in what was probably the funkiest band of all time. Parker has led a remarkable life in music, having played on probably more than 100 records as a sideman or a band leader. In addition to his work with the Godfather of Soul and Parliament-Funkadelic, Parker also recorded with Prince, the Dave Matthews Band, Ani DiFranco, De La Soul, Keith Richards and all kinds of others.
This is a man who understands some core truths about making dance music, entertaining a crowd and getting people to submit to the joyous communal feeling of music that moves bodies and brings large groups together. Funk’s secret energy comes from the trick of turning every instrument into a kind of percussion, transforming a band into a huge drum kit, with syncopations playing off steady pulses and bold accents setting everything off.
Maceo Parker will put this soul science to work when he plays Infinity Hall, 2 Front St., Hartford, Saturday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $49 to $74. 866-666-6306 and infinityhall.com.
