Melvin Sparks


Melvin Sparks 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.
WWW melvinsparks.com

Career

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.
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, Charles Earland and Leon Spencer. Sparks released his debut album, Sparks!, for Prestige in 1970.
He was seen on Northeastern television commercials as the voice of Price Chopper's House of BBQ advertising campaign.
Sparks died on March 15, 2011, at age 64, at his home in Mount Vernon, New York. He had diabetes and high blood pressure.

Discography

As leader

Sparks! Spark Plug Akilah! Texas Twister Melvin Sparks '75 I'm Funky Now Sparkling I'm a 'Gittar' Player What You Hear Is What You Get It Is What It Is This Is It! Groove On Up
  • ''Live at Nectar's''

As sideman

With Henry "Pucho" Brown / Pucho & The Latin Soul BrothersJungle Strut Rip A Dip
With Hank CrawfordIndigo Blue Down on the Deuce Roadside Symphony Night Beat Groove Master South Central Tight After Dark Crunch Time The World of Hank Crawford
With Joey DeFrancescoAll In The Family Plays Sinatra His Way
With Lou DonaldsonHot Dog Everything I Play Is Funky Cosmos The Scorpion
With Charles EarlandBlack Talk! Infant Eyes Pleasant Afternoon Slammin' & Jammin Cookin' with the Mighty Burner
With Red HollowayKeep That Groove Going! Coast to Coast
With Ron LevyZim Zam Zoom: Acid Blues on B-3 Voodoo Boogaloo
With Johnny LytleGood Vibes Happy Ground
With Jack McDuffDo It Now! Double Barrelled Soul
With Jimmy McGriffCountdown State of the Art Blue to the 'Bone Feelin' It McGriff Avenue
With Idris Muhammad
With Houston PersonThe Nearness of You Suspicions Heavy Juice We Owe It All To Love Christmas with Houston Person and Friends
With Sonny Phillips Black Magic Black on Black!
With Dr. Lonnie SmithThink! Turning Point
With Leon SpencerSneak Preview! Louisiana Slim Bad Walking Woman Where I'm Coming From
With Sonny Stitt Turn It On! Black Vibrations
With Reuben WilsonBlue Mode The Cisco Kid Down with It Fun House
With others'