Funk luminary Maceo Parker [ tickets ], longtime veteran of James Brown's touring band and Parliament Funkadelic, will tour North America in support of "dial: MACEO" (W.A.R. Records), due April 18th. Parker is thankful after thirty-plus years for the ability to continue touring for a rabid funk fan base that stretches beyond the States into Europe and Japan.

''I've noticed in my career, a lot of the circumstances with audiences--you don't really have to do anything,'' he said. ''You just have to be there. A lot of them are just satisfied being there in the same structure or complex. For some people, we could just stand there and do nothing. We could do [singing] 'School days, school days, dear old golden rule days.' 'Happy birthday to you....''' he laughed, then continued.

''Half of it, in this business that we're in, where you get the support and the people hear you and like you ... they get the CDs and play them in the bedroom, or car, or the kitchen, when nobody else is around. So that's very intimate. It's just you and the music. But [on tour] you get a chance to share the room with that person. It's great.''

And what about the music? ''It's still Maceo. It doesn't matter too much what I'm playing, if I'm doing a funky thing or if I'm doing a jazz thing or I'm doing a spiritual thing, I'm still Maceo.''

The new album, which features Maceo's trademark tight, punchy saxophone, also includes The Artist Formerly Known as Prince, James Taylor and Parker's former tourmate Ani DiFranco [ tickets ].

''I think the first record of Maceo's that I heard was 'Life on Planet Groove,''' DiFranco recently gushed. ''Which I think is just one of the best live records ever made. From my experience as a performer, I know how much energy it takes to really give it up on stage, and to do that continually. It's not accidental. Maceo has said, you know, we could be doing easier things.''

DiFranco, who is featured on the album track ''Coin Toss,'' added, ''I think, honestly, a big part of what makes Maceo Parker legendary for me is not just his incredible musicality. That's just a given, you know? Maceo rocks. But to see somebody who has been performing on stage for that long and who has been giving it up and still infesting joy in what he does on stage--it's so rare.''

She is not alone with her praise. Working with Parker "is one of the highlights of my career,'' said the Artist. ''Not only is he the baddest sax player alive today, he is a true gentleman.'' Two of The Artist's songs are featured on ''dial: MACEO,'' including a sax-heavy mix of ''The Greatest Romance Ever Sold.''