Melvin Sparks (March 22, 1946 – March 15, 2011) was an American

soul jazz Soul jazz or funky jazz is a subgenre of jazz that incorporates strong influences from hard bop, blues, soul, gospel and rhythm and blues. Soul jazz is often characterized by organ trios featuring the Hammond organ and small combos including ten ...

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

and

jazz blues The 12-bar blues (or blues changes) is one of the most prominent chord progressions in popular music. The blues progression has a distinctive form in lyrics, phrase, chord structure, and duration. In its basic form, it is predominantly based o ...

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselv ...

. He recorded a number of albums for

Prestige Records Prestige Records is a jazz record company and label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock in New York City which issued recordings in the mainstream, bop, and cool jazz idioms. The company recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz music ...

, later recording for

Savant Records HighNote Records is a jazz record company and label founded by Joe Fields with his son, Barney Fields, in 1997. Joe Fields worked for Prestige Records in the 1960s, and in the 1970s founded Muse Records. After he sold Muse, he started the Highn ...

. He appeared on several recordings with musicians including

Lou Donaldson Lou Donaldson (born November 1, 1926) is an American retired jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop ...

Sonny Stitt Edward Hammond Boatner Jr. (February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982), known professionally as Sonny Stitt, was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his ...

Leon Spencer Leon Spencer (November 1, 1945 – March 11, 2012) was an American jazz organist from Houston, Texas. He played piano with David Newman and organ with Melvin Sparks. Spencer recorded for Prestige in the early 1970s with Buddy Caldwell, Idris Muha ...

and Johnny Hammond Smith.

Career

Sparks was born in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, and raised in a musical family. He received his first guitar at age 11. Sparks began working in the

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

genre as a high school student, first with

Hank Ballard Hank Ballard (born John Henry Kendricks; November 18, 1927 – March 2, 2003) was an American singer and songwriter, the lead vocalist of The Midnighters and one of the first rock and roll artists to emerge in the early 1950s. He played an inte ...

and

the Midnighters The Midnighters were an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan. They were an influential group in the 1950s and early 1960s, with many Rhythm and blues, R&B hit records. They were also notable for launching the career of lead singer Hank B ...

, and then with

the Upsetters The Upsetters was the name given to the house band for Jamaican reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. The name of the band comes from Perry's nickname of Upsetter, after his song "I Am the Upsetter", a musical dismissal of his former boss Cox ...

, a touring band formed by

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

, which also backed

Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer of the 1950s and 60s. He was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a mas ...

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

and

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

. Sparks moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and worked as a

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

for

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical co ...

and Prestige Records. As part of the burgeoning

soul-jazz Soul jazz or funky jazz is a subgenre of jazz that incorporates strong influences from hard bop, blues, soul, gospel and rhythm and blues. Soul jazz is often characterized by organ trios featuring the Hammond organ and small combos including ten ...

scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Sparks often backed organists like

Jack McDuff Eugene McDuff (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001), known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era ...

Dr. Lonnie Smith Lonnie Smith (July 3, 1942 – September 28, 2021), styled Dr. Lonnie Smith, was an American jazz Hammond B3 organist who was a member of the George Benson quartet in the 1960s. He recorded albums with saxophonist Lou Donaldson for Blue Note be ...

Charles Earland Charles Earland (May 24, 1941 – December 11, 1999) was an American jazz organist. Biography Earland was born in Philadelphia and learned to play the saxophone in high school. He played tenor with Jimmy McGriff at the age of 17 and in 1960 form ...

and

. Sparks released his debut album, ''Sparks!'', for Prestige in 1970. He was seen on Northeastern television commercials as the voice of

Price Chopper Price Chopper may refer to: United States * Price Chopper (Northeastern United States), a supermarket chain based in Schenectady, New York, with stores in eastern United States ** Price Chopper Tour Championship, a golf tournament in the Albany, ...

's House of BBQ advertising campaign.House of BBQ
Sparks died on March 15, 2011, at age 64, at his home in

Mount Vernon, New York Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is an inner suburb of New York City, immediately to the north of the Borough (New York City), borough of the Bronx. As of t ...

. He had diabetes and high blood pressure.

Discography

As leader

*''

Sparks! ''Sparks!'' is the debut album by soul jazz guitarist Melvin Sparks recorded for the Prestige label in 1970.Prestige Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...

, 1970; reissued on BGP/

Ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...

in 1993) -with

*''

Spark Plug A spark plug (sometimes, in British English, a sparking plug, and, colloquially, a plug) is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air ...

'' (Prestige, 1971) -with

Grover Washington Jr. Grover Washington Jr. (December 12, 1943 – December 17, 1999) was an American jazz-funk and soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with Wes Montgomery and George Benson, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre. He wr ...

*''

Akilah! ''Akilah!'' is the third album by soul jazz guitarist Melvin Sparks recorded for the Prestige Records, Prestige label in 1972.Westbound/20th Century, 1975; reissued on BGP/Ace in 1995) *''I'm Funky Now'' (Westbound/20th Century, 1976; previously unreleased material finally issued by Ace in 2017) *''Sparkling'' (

Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

, 1981) *''I'm A 'Gittar' Player'' (Cannonball, 1997) *''What You Hear Is What You Get'' (Nectar, 2001;

Savant Savant syndrome () is a rare condition in which someone with significant mental disabilities demonstrates certain abilities far in excess of average. The skills that savants excel at are generally related to memory. This may include rapid calcu ...

, 2003) *''It Is What It Is'' (Savant, 2004) *''This Is It!'' (Savant, 2005) *''Groove On Up'' (Savant, 2006) *''Live at Nectar's'' (One Note, 2010 el. 2017

As sideman

With Henry "Pucho" Brown / Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers *''Jungle Strut'' (Lexington/West 47th, 1993) *''Rip A Dip'' (

Milestone A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway line, canal or boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks; or they can give their position on the route relative to so ...

, 1995) With

Rusty Bryant Royal Gordon "Rusty" Bryant (November 25, 1929 – March 25, 1991) was an American jazz tenor and alto saxophonist. Biography Bryant was born in Huntington, West Virginia, and grew up in Columbus, Ohio, becoming a fixture of the local jazz scene ...

*'' Soul Liberation'' (Prestige, 1970) -with Charles Earland With

Hank Crawford Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009) was an American Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist, arranger and songwriter whose genres ranged from Rhythm and blues, R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, and soul jazz. Crawford was ...

*''Indigo Blue'' (Milestone, 1983) *''Down on the Deuce'' (Milestone, 1984) *''Roadside Symphony'' (Milestone, 1985) *'' Night Beat'' (Milestone, 1989) *''

Groove Master ''Groove Master'' is an album by saxophonist Hank Crawford recorded in 1990 and released on the Milestone label.

'' (Milestone, 1990) *''South Central'' (Milestone, 1992) *''

Tight Tight may refer to: Clothing * Skin-tight garment, a garment that is held to the skin by elastic tension * Tights, a type of leg coverings fabric extending from the waist to feet * Tightlacing, the practice of wearing a tightly-laced corset * ...

'' (Milestone, 1996) *'' After Dark'' (Milestone, 1998) *'' Crunch Time'' (Milestone, 1998) -with Jimmy McGriff *'' The World of Hank Crawford'' (Milestone, 2002) With Dennis Day *''All Things in Time'' (D-Day Media, 2008) With

Joey DeFrancesco Joey DeFrancesco (April 10, 1971August 25, 2022) was an American jazz organist, trumpeter, saxophonist, and occasional singer. He released more than 30 albums under his own name, and recorded extensively as a sideman with such leading jazz perfo ...

*''All In The Family'' (

HighNote HighNote Records is a jazz record company and label founded by Joe Fields with his son, Barney Fields, in 1997. Joe Fields worked for Prestige Records in the 1960s, and in the 1970s founded Muse Records. After he sold Muse, he started the Highn ...

, 1998) *''Plays Sinatra His Way'' (HighNote, 2004) With Papa

John DeFrancesco "Papa" John DeFrancesco (born September 12, 1940) is an American jazz organist and vocalist, and father of Joey DeFrancesco and Johnny DeFrancesco. Discography * 1993: ''Doodlin' '' (Muse) * 1995: ''Comin' Home'' (Muse) * 1998: ''All In The F ...

*''Hip Cake Walk'' (HighNote, 2001) With

Karl Denson Karl Denson (born December 27, 1956) is an American funk and jazz saxophonist, flutist and vocalist from Santa Ana, California. He was a member of Lenny Kravitz's band and has co-founded and led The Greyboy Allstars. Denson has recorded with ...

*''Dance Lesson #2'' (

, 2001) With

*''

Hot Dog A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced Hot dog bun, bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener (Vienna sausag ...

'' (Blue Note, 1969) -with Charles Earland *''

Everything I Play Is Funky ''Everything I Play is Funky'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson recorded for the Blue Note label featuring Donaldson with Blue Mitchell, Lonnie Smith, Melvin Sparks, Jimmy Lewis and Idris Muhammad and two tracks with Eddie William ...

'' (Blue Note, 1969) *'' The Scorpion'' (Blue Note, 1970) *''

Cosmos The cosmos (, ) is another name for the Universe. Using the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos, and understandings of the reasons for its existence and significance, are studied in ...

'' (Blue Note, 1971) With

*''

Black Talk! ''Black Talk!'' is an album by organist Charles Earland which was recorded in 1969 and released on the Prestige label.Infant Eyes'' (Muse, 1979) *'' Pleasant Afternoon'' (Muse, 1981) *''Slammin' & Jammin (Savant, 1998) *''Cookin' with the Mighty Burner'' (HighNote, 1999) With Ceasar Frazier *''Hail Ceasar!'' (Eastbound, 1972) With

Red Holloway James Wesley "Red" Holloway (May 31, 1927 – February 25, 2012) was an American jazz saxophonist. Biography Born in Helena, Arkansas,Daniel E. Slotnik"Red Holloway, Swinger of the Sax, Dies at 84" ''The New York Times'', February 28, 2012 ...

*'' Keep That Groove Going!'' (Milestone, 2001) -with

Plas Johnson Plas John Johnson Jr. (born July 21, 1931) is an American soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist, probably most widely known as the tenor saxophone soloist on Henry Mancini’s "The Pink Panther Theme". He also performs on alto and baritone sax ...

*''Coast to Coast'' (Milestone, 2003) With

Etta Jones Etta Jones (November 25, 1928 – October 16, 2001) was an American jazz singer. Her best-known recordings are "Don't Go to Strangers" and "Save Your Love for Me". She worked with Buddy Johnson, Oliver Nelson, Earl Hines, Barney Bigard, Gene A ...

*'' If You Could See Me Now'' (Muse, 1978) With

Charles Kynard Charles Kynard (20 February 1933 – 8 July 1979) was an American soul jazz/ acid jazz organist born in St. Louis, Missouri. Kynard first played piano then switched to organ and led a trio in Kansas City including Tex Johnson (flute, sax) ...

*''

Wa-Tu-Wa-Zui (Beautiful People) ''Wa-Tu-Wa-Zui (Beautiful People)'' is an album by organist Charles Kynard which was recorded in 1970 and released on the Prestige label.

'' (Prestige, 1970) With Ron Levy *''Zim Zam Zoom: Acid Blues on B-3'' (Bullseye Blues, 1996) *''Voodoo Boogaloo'' (Levtron, 2005) With

Johnny Lytle Johnny Dillard Lytle (October 13, 1932 in Springfield, Ohio – December 15, 1995 in Springfield) was a jazz drummer and vibraphonist. Life and career Lytle grew up in Springfield, Ohio in a family of musicians, the son of a trumpeter father ...

*'' Good Vibes'' (Muse, 1982) *''

Happy Ground ''Happy Ground'' is the second album by American jazz vibraphonist Johnny Lytle which was recorded in 1961 for the Jazzland label. The album was later reissued on the Riverside label in 1963.Jack McDuff Eugene McDuff (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001), known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era ...

*''

Do It Now! Do, DO or D.O. may refer to: Languages * The English verb, ''do'', which may serve as an auxiliary verb; see do-support * Do (kana), ''Do'' (kana), a mora symbol in Japanese writing * Ditto mark People * Đỗ, a Vietnamese surname * Do (surname) ...

'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

, 1966) *''

Double Barrelled Soul ''Double Barrelled Soul'' is a 1967 album by organist Brother Jack McDuff and saxophonist David Newman which was released on the Atlantic label.David "Fathead" Newman David "Fathead" Newman (February 24, 1933 – January 20, 2009) was an American jazz and rhythm-and-blues saxophonist, who made numerous recordings as a session musician and leader, but is best known for his work as a sideman on seminal 1950s and ...

With

Jimmy McGriff James Harrell McGriff (April 3, 1936 – May 24, 2008) was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. Biography Early years and influences Born in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Germantown, Pennsylvania, Uni ...

*''

Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...

'' (Milestone, 1983) *''

State of the Art The state of the art (sometimes cutting edge or leading edge) refers to the highest level of general development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field achieved at a particular time. However, in some contexts it can also refer to a level ...

'' (Milestone, 1985) *'' Blue to the 'Bone'' (Milestone, 1988) *'' Feelin' It'' (Milestone, 2001) *''

McGriff Avenue ''McGriff Avenue'' is an album by organist Jimmy McGriff recorded in 2001 and released on the Milestone Records, Milestone label the following year.

'' (Milestone, 2001) With

Idris Muhammad Idris Muhammad ( ar, إدريس محمد; born Leo Morris; November 13, 1939 – July 29, 2014) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He had an extensive career performing jazz, funk, R&B, and soul music and recorded with musicians such a ...

*'' Black Rhythm Revolution!'' (Prestige, 1970) *'' Peace and Rhythm'' (Prestige, 1971) With John Patton *''

Soul Connection ''Soul Connection'' is an album by American organist John Patton recorded in 1983 and released on the Nilva label. Reception The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 3½ stars and stated "It is the lost gem in his catalog and showca ...

'' (Nilva, 1983) With

Houston Person Houston Person (born November 10, 1934) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. He received the ...

*''

The Nearness of You "The Nearness of You" is a popular song written in 1938 by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics by Ned Washington. The song debuted in the 1938 movie Romance in the Dark. It is also heard in the 1940 recording In the Mood by Glenn Miller and His Orche ...

'' (Muse, 1977) *'' Suspicions'' (Muse, 1980) *'' Heavy Juice'' (Muse, 1982) *''We Owe It All To Love'' (Baseline K 1989) *''

Christmas with Houston Person and Friends ''Christmas with Houston Person and Friends'' (also released as ''Santa Baby'') is an album of Christmas music by saxophonist Houston Person that was released by Muse in 1994. Reception In his review on AllMusic, Scott Yanow stated "Tenor-sa ...

'' (Muse, 1994) With

Sonny Phillips Sonny Phillips (born December 7, 1936) is an American jazz keyboardist. His primary instrument is electronic organ but he often plays piano. Biography Phillips began playing jazz organ after hearing Jimmy Smith in his twenties. He studied under ...

*''

Black Magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...

'' (Prestige, 1970) *''

Black on Black! ''Black on Black!'' is the third album by jazz organist Sonny Phillips, which was recorded in 1970 and released on the Prestige label.

'' (Prestige, 1970) With

Bernard Purdie Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie (born June 11, 1939) is an American drummer, and an influential R&B, soul and funk musician. He is known for his precise musical time keeping and his signature use of triplets against a half-time backbeat: the "Purdie ...

*''Bernard Purdie's Jazz Groove Sessions In Tokyo'' (Lexington/West 47th, 1993) With Alvin Queen *''Lenox and Seventh'' ( Black & Blue, 1985) -with Dr. Lonnie Smith With

Rhoda Scott Rhoda Scott (born July 3, 1938) is an American soul jazz organist. Scott was first attracted to the organ in her father’s church at age seven. "It's really the most beautiful instrument in the world", she stated in a 2002 interview. "The firs ...

*''Very Saxy: Live Au Meridien'' (Ahead, 2005) -with

Ricky Ford Ricky Ford (born March 4, 1954) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Ford was born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States,) and studied at the New England Conservatory.Ricky Ford AllMusic In 1974, he recorded with Gunther Schuller ...

With

Johnny "Hammond" Smith John Robert "Johnny Hammond" Smith (December 16, 1933 – June 4, 1997) was an American soul jazz and hard bop organist. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he was a renowned player of the Hammond B-3 organ so earning "Hammond" as a nickname, wh ...

*''

Wild Horses Rock Steady ''Wild Horses Rock Steady'' is an album by jazz organist Johnny "Hammond" Smith, Johnny Hammond recorded for the Kudu label (a subsidiary of CTI Records) in 1971.

'' (Kudu/CTI, 1971) With

*'' Think!'' (Blue Note, 1968) *''

Turning Point A turning point, or climax, is the point of highest tension in a narrative work. Turning Point or Turning Points may refer to: Film * ''The Turning Point'', a 1914 silent film starring Caroline Cooke * ''The Turning Point'' (1920 film), an Ame ...

'' (Blue Note, 1969) With

*'' Sneak Preview!'' (Prestige, 1970) *'' Louisiana Slim'' (Prestige, 1971) *'' Bad Walking Woman'' (Prestige, 1972) *''

Where I'm Coming From ''Where I'm Coming From'' is the 13th album by Stevie Wonder. The album was released by Motown Records on April 9, 1971 and peaked on the Billboard Pop Albums at #62, and on the '' Billboard'' R&B Albums Chart at #7. All nine songs were writ ...

'' (Prestige, 1973) With

Dakota Staton Dakota Staton (June 3, 1930 – April 10, 2007) was an American jazz vocalist who found international acclaim with the 1957 No. 4 hit "The Late, Late Show". She was also known by the Muslim name Aliyah Rabia for a period due to her conversion to ...

*''A Packet of Love Letters'' (HighNote, 1996) With Tom "T Bone" Stinson *''On Fire'' (Golden Zebra, 2004) With

*''

Turn It On! ''Turn It On!'' is an album by saxophonist Sonny Stitt recorded in 1971 and released on the Prestige label. The album features Stitt using the varitone, an electronic amplification device which altered the saxophone's sound.Myers, MSonny Stitt: Va ...

'' (Prestige, 1971) *''

Black Vibrations ''Black Vibrations'' is an album by saxophonist Sonny Stitt recorded in 1971 and released on the Prestige label.Leon Thomas Amos Leon Thomas Jr. (October 4, 1937 – May 8, 1999), known professionally as Leon Thomas, was an American jazz and blues vocalist, born in East St. Louis, Illinois, and known for his bellowing glottal-stop style of free jazz singing in the l ...

*''Leon Thomas Blues Band'' (Portrait/Epic), 1988 With

Reuben Wilson Reuben Wilson (born April 9, 1935) is a jazz organist. He performs soul jazz and acid jazz, and is best known for his title track "Got to Get Your Own". He was born in Mounds, Oklahoma and his family moved to Pasadena when he was 5. He played in ...

*'' Blue Mode'' (Blue Note, 1969) *''

The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in '' Everybody's Magaz ...

'' (Groove Merchant, 1973) *''Down with It'' (Cannonball, 1998) *''

Fun House A funhouse or fun house is an amusement facility found on amusement park and funfair midways and is where patrons encounter and interact with various devices designed to surprise, challenge, and amuse them. Unlike thrill rides or dark rides, fu ...

'' (Savant, 2005) With

Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, and his mot ...

*''

The Blues Is Now ''The Blues Is Now'' is a 1967 studio album by the American singer Jimmy Witherspoon, accompanied by organist Jack McDuff. Reception Thomas Ward reviewed the album for Allmusic and described ''The Blues Is Now'' as "arguably the finest" of With ...

'' (

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...

, 1967) -with Jack McDuff

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sparks, Melvin 1946 births 2011 deaths American jazz guitarists American session musicians Hard bop guitarists Jazz-blues guitarists Muse Records artists Musicians from Houston Prestige Records artists Soul-jazz guitarists Guitarists from Texas Guitarists from New York City 20th-century American guitarists Jazz musicians from New York (state) Jazz musicians from Texas

Career

Discography

As leader

As sideman

See also

References