If you are into Jazz, funk and soul music you might know Melvin Sparks. He was an American guitarist who played anything from Jazz to hard bop to Blues.

He worked as a session musician for Blue Note and Prestige Records, two incredible Jazz record labels. Sparks often backed organists like Jack McDuff, Dr. Lonnie Smith and Charles Earland. He released his debut album, Sparks!, for Prestige in 1970.

He released only 10 more albums after his debut in 1970. But he has a huge discography as a sideman which includes recordings with Henry “Pucho” Brown; Saxophonist Hank Crawford and Lou Donaldson; Etta Jones; drummer Idris Muhammad; Keyboardist Sonny Phillips and many other excellent musicians.

Check out this track from his debut album Sparks!, track is called “The Stinker”:

And please watch this performance from 2011, a month before he passed away, he is simply brilliant!

Learn more about Luis Tovar on his Google profile.