Three Funk Masters Share The Stage For Prince's 1999 New Year's Eve Bash

Funk Masters Prince, Larry Graham and Maceo Parker set the stage on fire in this awesome jam session from Prince's Rave Un2 the Year 2000 DVD. The energy on the stage is palpable. You really got to give it up for Prince; he really knows how to put together a massive funk party by bringing together super-talented people who love to get down. Maceo tears it up with some funky sax work, and Prince's band the New Power Generation keeps the groove smokin'. NPG vocalist Rosie Gaines brings the thunder with some serious scatting, and guitarist Mike Scott delivers a smooth, jazzy solo.

And Prince kills it with some dope dance moves that would even make James Brown take notice, including an incredible eight splits in a row. His Royal Badness also delivers a cool keytar solo and works it on percussion as well. Larry gets his moment to shine on his own jam "It's Alright." His vocals sound just as powerful and soulful as they did when he originally recorded the track back in 1975 with Graham Central Station.

Rave Un2 the Year 2000 is the video of a Prince concert taped sometime in December of 1999. The concert was originally broadcast through Pay-per-view on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1999. The concert was recorded at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Prince performed some of his biggest hits, including  "Let's Go Crazy," "Raspberry Beret" and of course "1999." And in addition to Maceo and Larry Graham, some of the other special guests included Lenny Kravitz and Morris Day & The Time. Kravitz performed his hit song "Fly Away" and his well-known cover of The Guess Who's classic "American Woman." The Time performed their monster hits "Jungle Love" and "The Bird."

Rave Un2 the Year 2000 was Prince's first full-length live concert video since Sign o' the Times back in 1987. And in addition to the concert footage, the DVD contains a short documentary featuring interviews with some of the concert's participants; a "Freedom Newz" statement by Prince about artistic freedom; and bonus songs featuring George Clinton, Larry Graham, Jimmy Russell, Kathy Jensen and NPG.

The segment with Maceo, Larry Graham, Rosie Gaines and Mike Scott begins at 34:03.
 

Purchase Rave Un2 The Year 2000 at Amazon