New York, NY. (Creativity in Music) - As a follow-up to his 2004 Independent
Music Award nominated debut CD, "Subliminal Souls", Corey Parker's new Maxi-Single/Live DVD (Feat.
Maceo Parker) - "BORN FUNKY" has been released to worldwide airplay and rave music reviews. Listeners can visit www.coreyparker.net for all Corey Parker CD ordering and tour information. Corey Parker and his band will be opening up for
Maceo Parker this fall. Upcoming concert dates include Saturday Sept. 17th at the Telluride Blues & Brews festival in Telluride, Colorado and Sunday Sept. 18th at the Fox Theatre in Boulder, Colorado.
As early as Corey can remember, funk pioneers (James Brown, Trombonist Fred Wesley, Corey's uncle & James Brown drummer, Melvin Parker, etc), would visit his father, legendary saxophonist, Maceo Parker, often leaving behind cassette tapes of shows & studio sessions, etc., funk tutorials that Corey and his siblings would repeatedly listen to. Childhood summer vacations were spent on tour with James Brown, Bootsy's Rubber Band or George Clinton. Since birth, Corey's life has been intertwined with soulful, funky music, and now into his 10th year as a vocalist in his father's band, Corey Parker is proving that he was indeed, "Born Funky.
"I haven't heard an album title more appropriate in a long time. Corey Parker must have entered this world via the womb of funk. He's performed with the likes of Prince & Ani DiFranco and had his debut nominated for an Independent Music Award...I should have rightly been prepared to funk it to the extreme. But hell all the accolades in the world wouldn't prepare you for the groovy bass, the slick production, and the dynamic soulful vocals that dominate the album. Wicked." [email protected]
Born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in his father's hometown of Kinston, NC, Corey was a member of the school chorus, marching, symphonic and/or jazz bands (as a trumpeter) from 5th grade throughout his years at NC State University, often reprimanded by his band directors for choosing to "funkify" some of the songs, as discussed in the title track, "Born Funky."
Corey's professional career started in 1995 - writing, singing, and rapping on Maceo's "Funkoverload" CD, also inspiring the name of the CD. Later that year, Corey's live career began at the Fox Theatre in Boulder, Colorado when Maceo unexpectedly came into the dressing room and asked Corey to perform. Corey has since been in his father's band, writing on every CD and performing at each of the 200 worldwide, marathon shows per year that Maceo became legendary for during that period.
In 1998, Maceo toured with Ani Difranco, giving Corey the opportunity to meet, perform and record with Difranco on her "To The Teeth" CD. So, in 2001, Corey self-produced and released his debut CD, "Subliminal Souls", which, in turn, featured his father & Difranco and was nominated for an Independent Music Award in 2004.
'On his debut, the New York-born, North Carolina-raised Corey Parker bares his soul...over production that runs the gamut from souled-out smoothness ("I Wanna Know") to A Tribe Called Quest-meets-Spearhead rock/funk work of the socially geared reflections like "Pump Ya Fist," which leans on an Ani Difranco guest spot for its temper and tenacity. Parker's as-of-now more famous father Maceo makes a guest appearance on this star-studded debut as well..." Kirk Ross, Independent Weekly
Since then, Corey has steadily grown as an artist, songwriter, front-man and in 2001, bandleader. He's shared the stage with many world-class artists (most notably, Prince) and now, his 7-piece, all live/all-original, multi-cultural Funk unit, (anchored by Corey's brother, drummer, Damon Parker) is poised to make some noise!
"Corey Parker's amazingly soulful - nearly to the point of being a religious experience - EP pulls off something comparable to James Brown, slightly more focused on the R&B. Even the Poets of Rhythm better watch out for this one, because Parker's Born Funky is prepared to ask that one question every party awaits the answer to - "Got Funk?"
Parker himself has no problem masterminding the lyrics, vocals, & some notable sequences on the keys. You'd better be ready for it all, as Parker isn't even afraid to moonlight as an MC and drop a few heavy lines denser than fudge but that go down just as easy. Indeed, his lyrics exude discontent and seem ready to promote change, yet have no trouble remaining positive.
Vocally, the EP runs an smooth operation, and additional harmonies with a pinch more soul as in Prince's true form, especially layered over the existing, only serve to save the funk. If you think you're prepared to "Move a Lil' Bit," check out the track by that title as it'll get you going; and, for the more politically interested, "Affirmative Action" comes with a gold leaf seal of approval. What has funk been waiting for? Apparently, it's Corey Parker's mocha-syrup leaden vocals and get down or get out attitude. Check out the next wave Funkadelic and tonight, make it funky." Genevieve Will, indie-music.com
