Last updated on August 29, 2023

“2% Jazz, 98% funky stuff” –  Maceo Parker – Mother Popcorn

Maceo Parker, Mother Popcorn, the transcription of Maceo tenor saxophone solo on Mother Popcorn, James Brown live from ABC’s 1969 show “The Music Scene“, hosted by David Steinberg.

Mother Popcorn (You Got to Have a Mother for Me) is a song recorded by James Brown and released as a two-part single in 1969. A #1 R&B and #11 Pop hit, it was the highest charting of a series of recordings inspired by the popular dance the Popcorn which Brown made that year, including The Popcorn, Lowdown Popcorn, and Let a Man Come In and Do the Popcorn.

Mother Popcorn has a beat and structure similar to Brown’s 1967 hit Cold Sweat, but a faster tempo and a greater amount of rhythmic activity (including much agitated 16th note movement from the horn section) give it a more frenetic quality than the earlier song.

There are bflat, eflat and concert versions of this Maceo solo transcription on Mother Popcorn, available at transcriptions page.
I also made a YouTube video for this transcription, so check it out below.

Keep practicing and have fun!