RSSJunior Parker [extended]
- The Dudes Doin' Business [Capitol, 1970] C+
- I Tell Stories Sad and True, I Sing the Blues and Play Harmonica Too, It Is Very Funky [United Artists, 1972] B
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Consumer Guide Reviews:
Jimmy McGriff and Junior Parker: The Dudes Doin' Business [Capitol, 1970]
A waste. Vocalist Parker, an underrated blues pro, and organist McGriff, who has a name as a soloist but is better off accompanying, should produce a more than passable record almost automatically. But not when they're burdened with strings, insipid soprano choruses, and hopelessly inappropriate material. Is a bluesman singing "The Inner Light" supposed to make contact--and money--in St. Albans? Sonny Lester--remember that name--produced. C+
I Tell Stories Sad and True, I Sing the Blues and Play Harmonica Too, It Is Very Funky [United Artists, 1972]
Once a big man on the blues circuit, Parker was turning into the forgotten Beale Streeter by the time he died last year, and this is a respectful farewell--Sonny Lester, who wrecked his recent collaboration with Jimmy McGriff, keeps things simple (well, fairly simple). Never as penetrating as B.B. or Bobby, Parker smooths his way over the arrangements with the calm of a man who was mellow before the concept existed, at least in its present deracinated form. Highlight: the sad, true story that goes with "Funny How Time Slips Away." B