VOA标准英语2013--Maceo Parker's '98% Funky Stuff' Shares Life Stories

 

Maceo Parker's '98% Funky¹ Stuff' Shares Life Stories

Maceo Parker was the heart and soul of James Brown’s horn section, performing funky sax riffs on hits like “I Got You (I Feel Good).” While his illustrious career as a sideman and soloist³ is well-documented in “98% Funky Stuff,” he says the book is anything but confessional.

“You can’t tell everything. A lot of things are really, really, really private, which may not even concern me," he said. "But there are other people who I happen to be working with; you see things and hear things you just consider private. You just can’t share everything with the world. So, you go through and sort of sift⁴ out those things, and then you come up with something that’s almost like 98% funky stuff.”

Parker recounts his childhood in Kinston, North Carolina, where he inherited a love for music from his parents. His father played piano and drums, and both his mother and father sang in their church choir⁵. Parker’s uncle was also a musician, and sometimes invited him and his brothers Melvin and Kellis to perform during intermission at his band’s nightclub shows.

Parker says he will never forget meeting James Brown for the first time. Writing in his book, he recalls how Brown immediately hired him to play sax in his band, after offering to hire his brother Melvin to play drums. 

“At that time I was playing tenor⁶ saxophone, but the first thing he ever said to me was, ‘Do you play baritone sax?’ So I answered him like this: ‘Yes sir.’ Then he said, ‘Do you own a baritone sax?’ And I go, ‘Yes sir.” Then he said, ‘I’ll tell you what. If you can get a baritone sax I’ll give you two weeks, three weeks, whatever, then, you can have a job too.’ And he stuck his hand out to shake my hand the same as he did with Melvin. That was James’ little process of sealing the deal,” he said.

Parker also discusses working with George Clinton of the famed 1970s funk group Parliament, as well as his reaction to the death of his musical hero Ray Charles.

Parker’s latest solo² album, a live collection of R&B cover songs called “Soul Classics,” appeared in 2012. Now 70, he continues to perform throughout the world, bringing his brand of “feel good” music to fans of all ages.

“When I look out into the audience - and I may see a 10-year-old, or eight-year-old or nine-year-old there in the audience for my show - that makes me feel really, really good," he said. "People know that they can bring their kids to a Maceo Parker show and I don’t have to see a lot of stuff or hear a lot of stuff that they don’t need to hear or see. That makes me feel good too.”

1 funky   

adj.畏缩的，怯懦的，霉臭的；adj.新式的，时髦的

参考例句：

• The kitchen smelled really funky.这个厨房有一股霉味。
• It is a funky restaurant with very interesting art on the walls.那是一家墙上挂着很有意思的绘画的新潮餐馆。

2 solo   

n.独奏，独唱；adj.单独的；adv.单独地；v.放单飞，单独表演

参考例句：

• Tara is currently working on a solo album.塔拉眼下正忙着制作个人专辑。
• There's wonderfully lyrical flute solo in the middle of this symphony.在交响乐中间有一段奇妙的抒情长笛独奏。

3 soloist   

n.独奏者，独唱者

参考例句：

• The soloist brought the house down with encore for his impressive voice.这位独唱家以他那感人的歌声博得全场喝彩。
• The soloist had never performed in London before.那位独唱者过去从未在伦敦演出过。

4 sift   

v.筛撒，纷落，详察

参考例句：

• Sift out the wheat from the chaff.把小麦的壳筛出来。
• Sift sugar on top of the cake.在蛋糕上面撒上糖。

5 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

6 tenor   

n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意

参考例句：

• The tenor of his speech was that war would come.他讲话的大意是战争将要发生。
• The four parts in singing are soprano,alto,tenor and bass.唱歌的四个声部是女高音、女低音、男高音和男低音。