Maceo Parker will be carrying a heavy load of history on his shoulders when he visits Japan for a string of gigs this month, but you wouldn't know it from his carefree attitude.
The 71-year-old musician is best known for his seminal sax work with James Brown's legendary funk lineups of the 1960s, and George Clinton's Parliament and Funkadelic outfits in the '70s.
"I smile when I reminisce about the early years, and feel lucky that I came up with James Brown, and that I can quote names like Brown and George Clinton, which sort of led to me being where I am today," he tells The Japan Times. "So in the words of James Brown, 'I feel good!' "