Melvin Sparks
| Melvin Sparks | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 22, 1946 Houston, Texas, United States. |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Mount Vernon, New York, United States |
| Genres | Soul jazz, hard bop, jazz blues |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1960s–2011 |
| Labels | Prestige, Savant |
Melvin Sparks (March 22, 1946 – March 15, 2011)[1] was an American soul jazz, hard bop and jazz blues guitarist. He recorded a number of albums for Prestige Records, later recording for Savant Records. He appeared on several recordings with musicians including Lou Donaldson, Sonny Stitt, Leon Spencer and Johnny Hammond Smith.[1]
Sparks was born in Houston, Texas, United States, and raised in a musical family. He received his first guitar at age 11. Sparks began working in the rhythm and blues genre as a high school student, first with Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, and then with the Upsetters, a touring band formed by Little Richard, which also backed Jackie Wilson, Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye.[2]
Sparks moved to New York City and worked as a session musician for Blue Note and Prestige Records. As part of the burgeoning soul-jazz scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Sparks often backed organists like Jack McDuff, Dr. Lonnie Smith and Charles Earland. Sparks released his debut album, Sparks!, for Prestige in 1970.[2]
He was seen on Northeastern television commercials as the voice of Price Chopper's House of BBQ advertising campaign.[3]
Sparks died on March 15, 2011, at age 64, at his home in Mount Vernon, New York. He had diabetes and high blood pressure.[2]
Partial Discography
As leader
- Sparks! (Prestige, 1970)
- Spark Plug (Prestige, 1971)
- Akilah! (Prestige, 1972)
- Texas Twister (Eastbound), 1973
- '75 (Westbound), 1975
- Sparkling (Muse), 1981
- I'm a Gittar Player (Cannonball), 1997
- What You Hear Is What You Get (Nectar), 2001
- It Is What It Is (Savant), 2004
- This Is It! (Savant), 2005
- Groove on Up (Savant), 2005
As sideman
With Henry "Pucho" Brown
- Jungle Strut (Lexington), 1993
- Rip a Dip (Milestone), 1995
With Rusty Bryant
- Soul Liberation (Prestige, 1970)
With Hank Crawford
- Indigo Blue (Milestone), 1983
- Down on the Deuce (Milestone), 1984
- Roadside Symphony (Milestone), 1985
- Night Beat (Milestone), 1988
- South Central (Milestone), 1992
- Tight (Milestone), 1996
- After Dark (Milestone), 1998
- Crunch Time (Milestone), 1998
- The World of H.C. (Milestone), 2000
With Dennis Day
- All Things in Time (D-Day Media), 2008
With Joey DeFrancesco
- All in the Family (Highnote), 1998
- Plays Sinatra His Way (Highnote), 1998
- Hip Cake Walk (Highnote), 2000
With Karl Denson
- Dance Lesson No. 2 (Blue Note), 2001
With Lou Donaldson
- Hot Dog (Blue Note), 1969
- Everything I Play Is Funky (Blue Note), 1969
- The Scorpion (Cadet, 1970)
- Cosmos (Blue Note, 1971)
With Charles Earland
- Black Talk! (Prestige, 1969)
- Slammin' and Jammin' (Savant), 1997
- Cookin' with the Mighty Burner (Highnote), 1997
With Ceasar Frazier
- Hail Ceasar! (Eastbound), 1972
With Red Holloway
- Coast to Coast (Milestone), 2003
With Plas Johnson
- Keep That Groove Going! (Milestone), 2000
With Etta Jones
- If You Could See Me Now (Muse), 1978
With Charles Kynard
- Wa-Tu-Wa-Zui (Beautiful People) (Prestige, 1970)
With Ron Levy
- Zim Zam Zoom: Acid Blues on B-3 (Bullseye Blues), 1996
- Voodoo Boogaloo (Levtronic), 2005
With Johnny Lytle
- Good Vibes (Muse, 1982)
- Happy Ground (Muse, 1989)
With Jack McDuff
- Do It Now! (Atlantic, 1966)
- Double Barrelled Soul (Atlantic, 1967) - with David Newman
With Jimmy McGriff
- Countdown (Milestone), 1983
- State of the Art (Milestone), 1985
- Blue to the Bone (Milestone), 1988
- McGriff Avenue (Milestone), 2001
With Idris Muhammad
- Black Rhythm Revolution! (Prestige, 1970)
- Peace and Rhythm (Prestige, 1971)
With John Patton
- Soul Connection (Nilva), 1983
With Houston Person
- The Nearness of You (Muse, 1977)
- Suspicions (Muse, 1980)
- Heavy Juice (Muse, 1982)
- We Owe It All for Love (Baseline), 1988
With Sonny Phillips
- Black Magic (Prestige, 1970)
- Black on Black! (Prestige, 1970)
With Bernard Purdie
- In Tokyo (Lexington), 1993
With Alvin Queen
- Lenox and Seventh (Black and Blue), 1985
With Rhoda Scott
- Very Saxy (Night and Day), 2004
With Johnny Hammond
- Wild Horses Rock Steady (Kudu, 1971)
With Lonnie Smith
- Think! (Blue Note, 1968)
- Turning Point (Blue Note, 1969)
With Leon Spencer
- Sneak Preview! (Prestige, 1970)
- Louisiana Slim (Prestige, 1971)
- Bad Walking Woman (Prestige, 1972)
With Dakota Staton
- A Packet of Love Letters (Highnote), 1996
With Tom "T Bone" Stinson
- On Fire (Golden Zebra), 2004
With Sonny Stitt
- Turn It On! (Prestige, 1971)
- Black Vibrations (Prestige, 1971)
With Leon Thomas
- Bluesband (Portrait), 1988
With Reuben Wilson
- Blue Mode (Blue Note), 1969
- The Cisco Kid (Groove Merchant), 1974
- Down with It (Cannonball), 1998
- Fun House (Savant), 2004
With Jimmy Witherspoon
- The Blues Is Now (Verve), 1967
