Maceo Parker „Roots Revisited“ live in Bremen 1990

Maceo Parker, Alto Saxophone
Pee Wee Ellis, Tenor Saxophone
Fred Wesley, Trombone
Larry Goldings, Hammond B3
Rodney Jones, Guitar
Bill Stewart, Drums

recorded live at Modernes, Bremen, November 7, 1990

1. McGriff’s Blues (Rodney Jones)
2. For The Elders    (Fred Wesley)
3. Up And Down East Street (Maceo Parker)
4. Let’s Go Funky (a.k.a. Southwick) (Maceo Parker)

5. Peace Fuge (Fred Wesley)

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 for his now legendary album "Roots Revisited". The mixture of all three is very entertaining.
This CD gave him a chance to stretch out as a leader, and his soulful horn immediately brings to mind Hank Crawford and (to a lesser extent) Lou Donaldson. With a strong backup group that includes Pee Wee Ellis on tenor, trombonist Fred Wesley, and Don Pullen on organ, Parker enthusiastically plays over infectious grooves with just one funky departure ("In Time"). Roots Revisited is a throwback to the 1960s soul-jazz style and Maceo Parker gives one the impression that, if called upon, he could hold his own on a bebop date.

The second Roots installment, "Mo' Roots" was cut minus Pullen and Collins, leaning a little more toward the instrumental soul side. Three fine originals in conjunction with covers of Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Horace Silver, and Lionel Hampton.

Dizzy Gillespie Quartet live at Onkel Pö´s Carnegie Hall, Hamburg1978

Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet
Rodney Jones, guitar
Benjamin Brow, bass
Mickey Roker, drums

recorded live at Onkel Pö's Carnegie Hall, March 23, 1978

1. The Sunshine (Michael Joseph Longo)
2. The land of milk and honey
3. Brother K. (Dizzy Gillepsie)

"A fairly standard date from Dizzy Gillespie's mid-'70s tenure at Pablo Records, Dizzy's Party is primarily a straightforward bop session, with the trumpeter backed by a simple sax/guitar/bass/drums quartet, plus Brazilian percussionist Paulinho Da Costa on the rattling "Harlem Samba," a breathless showcase for Gillespie's hyper-speedy blowing. On the Middle Eastern-influenced "Land of Milk and Honey" -- which would remain a staple of Gillespie's set list until his death nearly 20 years later -- the trumpet has the wailing tone of a muezzin; unfortunately, this 1976 recording has an inappropriately porn-sounding wah-wah guitar plus bongos backing track that detracts from Gillespie's marvelous performance. The two tracks on side one, "Dizzy's Party" and the wild "Shim Sham Shimmy on the St. Louis Blues," fall between those two extremes in terms of performances, but both are a bit overlong; the title track in particular features a tenor solo by Ray Pizzi that goes on far too long with not much melodic inspiration. Dizzy's Party is fine stuff that occasionally approaches excellence." -Stewart Mason about the 1976 album Dizzy´s Party.