a "TipWorld" review of the new maceo parker release...



By Mark Richardson



MACEO PARKER: DIAL: M-A-C-E-O

(What Are Records)



No one would ever question Maceo Parker's consummate skill with the saxophone, so an album bearing his name inevitably lives or dies on the strength of its material. Dial: M-A-C-E-O is quite the haphazard affair in this respect, with searing funk numbers that nearly scale the heights of Parker's work with James Brown standing next to predictable ballads that are quickly forgotten. The power of Parker is exhibited on tracks like "Rabbits in the Pea Patch," which combines his blistering lines with funky organ, driving beat, and infectious vocal chants. The weakness shows on some of the mid-tempo pieces, like the dull Prince composition "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold" and the uninspired "Black Widow." Dial: M-A-C-E-O doesn't attempt to be the party disc of earlier Parker work, opting instead to feature a handful of guest stars and a wide range of moods that Parker can't quite sustain.