you\'ll be missed! watching tim sit in with melvin\'s band at the jewish mother in va beach, with hardly anyone in the crowd, but them still just jamming away and having a blast, was a true pleasure....

Blue Note and Prestige jazz guitarist Melvin Sparks dies aged 64
Influential soul-jazz session man passes away

March 21, 2011 | 0 Comments
Soul-jazz session guitarist Melvin Sparks has died aged 64.

Sparks passed away at his home in Mount Veron, New York on March 13. The New York Times reports that his wife Judy Hassan confirmed his death and said that he had diabetes and high blood pressure.

As a session guitarist for legendary jazz labels Blue Note and Prestige he recorded with organists Jack McDuff, Dr Lonnie Smith and Charles Earland.

He kicked off his solo recording career in 1970 with \'Sparks!\' and went on to release a total of 10 albums.

In the 1990s he had something of a career revival on the acid-jazz circuit, kicked off with his stint as an opener on the Greyboy Allstars first tour in 1994. He would go onto play with Galactic and Soulive

I had the pleasure to see Melvin perform a couple of times. I think the last time was at the Ohm Lounge in Syracuse and he ripped, as usual! Too bad 90% of the people there couldn\'t care less who or what was playing. They had no idea what an iconic figure, so unassuming on stage, was playing before them. The "Sparkplug"

You will be missed brother.

Everyone should definitely check out some Melvin shows over at the LMA.

Quote from: frolfer;267104

Everyone should definitely check out some Melvin shows over at the LMA.

I wonder if any of the shows Oestreicher played with him are available.

I found one for sure. Some of the other shows around this time don\'t give band credits, and Melvin seemed to change his bandmates often. I think Bill Carbone(drums) is the same guy who played with Miracle Orchestra, fwiw.