Legendary American saxophonist Maceo Parker is set to play SUNY Buffalo State’s Rockwell Hall this Friday as part of its Great Performers concert series.  Parker is most famous for having partnered with high-profile funk and soul acts such as James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic, and Prince.

Parker originally hails from North Carolina and was born into a musical family.  He first partnered with James Brown in 1964 after Brown accepted him as part of a deal for allowing Maceo’s brother, Melvin, to play drums for him.  He played alongside Brown as well as other high-profile acts throughout the 1960s all the way through the 1980s.  He didn’t begin a solo career until the 1990s.

Since going solo, Parker has released 11 albums on his own.  His latest album is a re-release of one of his first solo concerts, Roots Revisited- The Bremen Concert.

In 2012, Parker received A Lifetime Achievement Award from Les Victoires du Jazz in Paris, celebrating his achievement in and contributions to music.  He received another award the same weekend, the Icon Award at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, also recognizing his lifetime achievements in music.

Parker’s concert at Buffalo State will take place this Friday, Feb. 24 at 8:00 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center in Rockwell Hall.  Ticket prices are $15 for student rush and $32 for Buffalo State’s faculty and staff.  For the general public, ticket prices are $40 for lower tier seats, $35 for upper tier seats, and $32 for senior citizens.

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