At
9:45pm, Maceo Parker and the funky band started with Chaka Khan & Rufus's
"Once You Get Started". After another funky instrumental, they
performed "Gimme Some More" (a JB's original) incorporated James Brown's
"Licking Stick--Licking Stick"
and featured some
super-funky horn riffs by the trio......Maceo (sax), Greg Boyer (trombone) and
Ron Tooley (trumpet)!!!! "Uptown Up" featured an intro where the
drummer Jamal Thomas was getting a little too funky in his drum riffs, Greg was
jamming on trombone, Corey Parker came out and threw down on some raps, and Mr.
Hayes (Morris Hayes, of the NPG) was sizzlin' on funky synthesizer!! "Baby
Knows" (the Prince original) featured sizzlin' lead g
uitarisms by Bruno Speight and nasty keyboardisms by Mr.
Hayes!! "There Was a Time" was followed by an slow instrumental
featuring Mr. Hayes on the keyboards. "Chicken" (a JB's original) was
great, sounding as funky as the original!!! "If Only For One Night"
(a Luther Vandross original) was good, and so was "Think (About It)",
featuring Martha High (the woman sounded wonderful). Rodney "Skeet"
Curtis's monster
bass riffs smoked the walls of TLA on "Shake Everything
You Got" ("Southwick" for the fans who know the original song)!!
Jamal Thomas threw down on a drum solo before the band took a small break.
"Those Girls" featured some more of Corey's rap. "Rabbits in a
Pea Patch" was followed a suite of P-Funk songs: "Atomic Dog",
"Mothership Connection (Starchild)", "Theme From the Black
Hole", and "Flashlight".....of course, these songs were
performed over one of Maceo's groove! "My Baby Loves You" featured
some good baritone saxophone by Maceo! "Pass the Peas" was the song
that got EVERYBODY in the TLA rocking.....it was FUNK HEAVEN!! JB's "Make
It Funky/Soul Power" was just too tight.....and Mr. Hayes was just too
damn funky on the organ (TALK ABOUT A FUNKGASM, BABA!)!!!! The Maceo show was
over at 1:10am.
Submit suggestions or comments to david.brooks@brookenstein.com