Maceo Parker, a pioneer of funk, and saxophonist for the legendary James Brown, will perform Feb. 11 at Arcada Theatre

Pioneer of Funk Will Perform

Maceo Parker, a pioneer of funk, and saxophonist for the legendary James Brown, will perform Feb. 11 at Arcada Theatre. ST. CHARLES, IL The name Maceo Parker is synonymous with funky music, and to many, his band is the tightest little funk orchestra in the world. On Friday, February 11, Parker - who has performed and/or recorded with Ray Charles, James Taylor, the Dave Matthews Band and the Red Hot Chili Peppers - will bring his rhythm and blues, hip-hop, and jazz resonations to the Arcada Theatre in downtown St. Charles. The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets start at $29. Ron Onesti, owner of the Arcada Theatre, said the saxophonist is iconic in R&B circles. "This will definitely be one of those shows we have at the Arcada that people won't believe came to St. Charles. It's almost impossible to separate which came first, Maceo or the funk," Onesti said. "His signature style as a tenor saxophonist grew to define James Brown's brand of funk for almost two decades. It's easy to see - and hear - why Maceo Parker is recognized as one of the early pioneers of modern funk and hop-hop." A North Carolina native, Parker grew up admiring saxophonists such as David "Fathead" Newman, Hank Crawford, Cannonball Adderley and King Curtis. "I was crazy about Ray Charles and all his band, and of course particularly the horn players," he said. Parker was discovered by the legendary James Brown in the 1960s. For the past sixteen years, he has focused on building a new funk empire, fresh and stylistically diverse, which he describes as a navigation between James Brown's 1960's soul and George Clinton's 1970's freaky funk, with an exploration of mellower jazz and the grooves of hip-hop. Since 1999, Parker has participated in some of Prince's groundbreaking tours. In 2003, after several years as band leader for the Rhythm and Blues Foundation Awards, Parker received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation for his contribution as a sideman to the genre of R & B. Parker's albums Funk Overload , Dial M-A-C-E-O andMade by Maceo entered the top 40 in the European charts upon release. Tickets start at only $29 for the February 11 show at Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main Street, St. Charles are available online atwww.oshows.com, or via telephone, at (630) 962-7000. Group discounts are available.