Tony Hall Grooves On New Maceo Parker Album, “Soul Food”

Maceo Parker: Soul Food - Cooking With MaceoFunk and soul legend Maceo Parker has just released Soul Food – Cooking With Maceo, which marks his first studio album in eight years. He recorded the effort in New Orleans and used a blend of southern music to create the perfect recipe. That includes songs like Dr. John’s “Right Place, Wrong Time”, The Meters classic “Just Kissed My Baby,” and Allen Toussaint’s “Yes, We Can Can.” He also mixed his own songs in with more classic material.

“One of the things that I have enjoyed about being an artist is that sooner or later it’s time to record new material,” Parker states. “Somehow, this time around, we decided to cover some tunes. So, that’s what this album is all about. In the studio, you have the luxury of recording songs by groups that you have enjoyed throughout the years. Once you become a recording artist, there’s a satisfaction that you are now part of the collective group of artists that you admire. Maceo & All the King’s Men was the first band I formed after leaving James Brown’s group. There is a sense of pride when, as a musician, you reach a level where your own material is in stores and being played on the air. It’s almost like graduating from local musician to world-renown artist. So it was fun to revisit two songs from that period. I’ve always been inspired by everyone, simply everyone who has worked with Ray Charles, including the Raelettes and Hank Crawford, so it’s especially nice to have included a David “Fathead” Newman tune on the album. I’ve worked with the Meters, with Dr. John and Aretha Franklin over the course my rather long career, so it’s a pleasure to include some of their songs. More than anything I miss Prince. He was a genius, so it was special to re-record a song he and I had once toyed with the idea of releasing and give it that special New Orleans feel while also referencing the person I most admired growing up, the Genius Mr. Ray Charles.”

As he was in New Orleans, Parker tapped a handful of local musicians to make the album, including bassist Tony Hall of Dumpstaphunk. Hear Hall’s perfect syncopated groove for “M A C E O”:

Soul Food – Cooking With Maceo is available now on CD, vinyl and as a digital download (iTunes and Amazon MP3).

Soul Food – Cooking With Maceo Track List:

  1. Cross The Track
  2. Just Kissed My Baby
  3. Yes We Can Can
  4. M A C E O
  5. Hard Times
  6. Rock Steady
  7. Compared to What
  8. Right Place Wrong Time
  9. Other Side of the Pillow
  10. Grazing In The Grass

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