Roots & Grooves

Paired with the WDR Big Band Cologne and captured live on tour in Europe in the winter of 2007, Maceo Parker spotlights the burning, soul-drenched saxophone that has made him a legend in R&B circles for more than 40 years. Though the repertoire here is quite comfortable — the first album is a tribute to Ray Charles, the second revisits staples from his funk career — Parker seems energized by the 14-horn-strong orchestra behind him. Though the Charles project stays close to the jazz format, more than a hint of funk creeps into the opening “Hallelujah I Love Her So.” There are swinging, high-stepping arrangements of “Them That’s Got,” with Parker on sax, and “Hit the Road Jack,” boasting Parker’s sly vocals, and he adds surprisingly effective (and curiously Charles-like) vocal readings of country classics “Busted” and “You Don’t Know Me,” which features a fervent alto turn by the leader. A sizzling version of “What’d I Say” caps the eight-song homage to his first musical idol. Bringing in a crack rhythm team of electric bassist Rodney “Skeet” Curtis and drummer Dennis Chambers for the funk collection, Parker shines on longtime favorites like “Uptown Up,” “Shake Everything You Got,” and the 17-minute “Pass the Peas.”