Melvin Sparks (March 22, 1946 – March 15, 2011) 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.

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

As sideman

With Henry "Pucho" Brown / Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers With Rusty Bryant With Hank Crawford With Dennis Day With Joey DeFrancesco With Papa John DeFrancesco With Karl Denson With Lou Donaldson With Charles Earland With Ceasar Frazier With Red Holloway With Etta Jones With Charles Kynard With Ron Levy With Johnny Lytle With Jack McDuff With Jimmy McGriff With Idris Muhammad With John Patton With Houston Person With Sonny Phillips With Bernard Purdie With Alvin Queen With Rhoda Scott With Johnny "Hammond" Smith With Dr. Lonnie Smith With Leon Spencer With Dakota Staton With Tom "T Bone" Stinson With Sonny Stitt With Leon Thomas With Reuben Wilson With Jimmy Witherspoon