Maceo Parker at Mahaiwe Theatre (Aug. 17)
(GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass., Aug. 18, 2000) - For those who were paying very
close attention on Thursday night at the Mahaiwe Theatre, funk music will
never be the same, as bandleader Maceo Parker let them in on a little secret
of funk.
With the help of his bandmates, Parker occasionally set up a riff by
chanting a rural Black American folk rhyme, like “Rabbits in the pea patch,
catch him, catch him,” and then the 10-piece band would launch into a
full-throttle funk groove based on the rhythms of the simple child’s rhyme.
It was just one of the many pleasures offered by Parker and crowd,
as big-name live music returned to the Mahaiwe for the first time in several
years. And judging by the response of the enthusiastic, lively crowd, it has
been a long time coming, as the scene played out in the seats and aisles was
nearly as interesting as that playing out on stage.
From the get-go, in a show that started on time and ran like
clockwork, the vast majority of the crowd was on its feet and dancing to
Parker’s relentless funk grooves. Playing alto saxophone, Parker littered
jazzy riffs and solos atop the highly syncopated beat provided by the rhythm
section of bass, drums and guitar. Aided by a two-piece, r&b-style horn
section of trumpet and trombone, plus a keyboardist playing Hammond B-3, and
three back-up singers, Parker, who also sang, had a colorful palette from
which to paint his portraits in funk.
His band was impeccably, impossibly tight. Parker would play a riff
or a figure or a phrase a few times, and then be joined in unison by the
horn players, in classic r&b style. Or he would play a solo, and then the
trombonist would replay it inverted, the same scale but the notes all on
different beats. In other words, jazz.
The horn players were inventive, too, throwing in famous quotes and passages
from a wide array of show tunes, classical numbers and spirituals such as
“Down By the Riverside,” giving the music an added depth and emotional
quality while never overriding the fundamental duty to lay down the groove.
Parker played some particularly stunning solos, full of syncopation,
off-beats and repeated half-tones that milked their potential of tension and
release for all they were worth. He was also a playful frontman, bringing
fans onstage to dance with him, shaking hands with fans in the front aisle,
and generally mugging and egging on the crowd in what was as much a party as
a concert.
The functionality of the music requires a general sameness, which
was only occasionally relieved by a ballad, such as the band’s version of
Prince’s “The Greatest Romance Ever Sold,” which recycled the main motif
from the classic soul hit, “Brother Louie.”
If the repetition induced a sense of tedium to those who came merely to
observe, such as myself (and after one hour of non-stop groove I left), as
opposed to the vast majority who came to dance and become one with the
unified groove, Parker can hardly be faulted.
As for the overall scene, it was a refreshing reminder of what a
great venue the Mahaiwe is, a relatively intimate theater with a cavernous
feel, or a cavernous theater with an intimate feel.
In either case, the music sounded great, and judging from the crowd there is
a vibrant local audience ready and ripe for this kind of entertainment. The
Mahaiwe has an esteemed history of presenting live popular music - not so
long ago it played host to the likes of Bonnie Raitt, the Roches, David
Bromberg and Beausoleil. It seems to be on the verge of making a comeback,
and that, as much as anything else, is a reason to celebrate.
[This review originally appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on Aug. 20, 2000.
Copyright Seth Rogovoy 2000. All rights reserved.]
Seth Rogovoy rogovoy@berkshire.net music news, interviews, reviews, et al.
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