Review Summary: A funk legend returns to his roots, we get to enjoy the ride.
Maceo Parker is a funk monster. He started his career playing saxophone for James Brown. He left the Godfather of Soul to join none other than George Clinton and the legendary Parliament, before going back with James Brown and later on Bootsy Collin’s own band. His own website pretty clearly states that there would be no funk music without Maceo Parker-that might be a little much, but he did help out a lot. Yet in 1990, Maceo Parker decided to put aside his funky nature (well on some tracks) in exchange for some old fashioned jazz and soul music. The mixture of all three is very entertaining.
With each track, Maceo adds a strong dose of life and vigor, making for eight interesting and fun songs. His energy is very noticeable on the faster paced funk songs, as he tears through a cover of Ray Charles’ “Them That Got” with a smile on his face. But I particularly appreciate his touch on the ballad, “Children’s World,” which is much more of a departure from Parker’s normal style.
When I listen to a record with one of the band mate’s names on the cover, I pay attention to how much that name takes over. I expect that band mate to take quite a bit of the burden. In Maceo Parker’s case, he rises to the occasion, but his band does a superb job supporting him. Bootsy Collins helps his old band mate on bass for the CD, and he too holds back his funk to hold down the rhythm section with classic walking bass lines. The organ, Don Pullen, sets a very moody scene in my favorite song “Children’s World” with two simple, melancholy chords, along with two guitar chords from Rodney Jones. From there Maceo catapults and puts out an amazing bluesy ballad. Parker doesn’t overplay at all during the song, feeling out his supporting band. He shuts up at just the right moments before awing the audience again with his playing.
Maceo Parker does most of the soloing, with some nice solos from Fred Wesley on trombone, and in “Up and Down East St.” all the wind instruments play off of each other after a refreshing organ solo from Don Pullen. The song is very entertaining, especially as Pullen does some involved comping in the back. Maceo keeps things varied and as mentioned before the band behind him is not just going through the motions. The saxophone goes up an octave, the band is right behind him. The band slows down, Maceo gets the memo. All the while he is pulling some imaginative, expressive stuff on his saxophone.
“Over the Rainbow” is an interplay between Maceo and Pullen. The song is the second actual ballad, but the soul and expression seems very much forced. When Maceo does the verse, he cuts each part off so fast I find it annoying. It’s my least favorite song on the CD.
For the final song, the band puts out a cover of Sly and the Family Stone’s “In Time.” The band returns to its old funk habits, possibly to remind us all of who they are. As the title of the album suggests, Maceo Parker is returning to funk’s roots. He does a good job of mixing the new and the old. I feel “Children’s World,” the song most different from any of the others is the masterpiece of the album. I had hoped he would have more songs that took a more soulful approach. I rarely ask for that, but the band pulls it off so well in “Children’s World,” I would have liked to see more. Regardless, Roots Revisited is a fine album that provides a nice fusion of jazz, soul, and funk.
Recommended Tracks: Them That Got, Children’s World, Up and Down East St.
