Sparks!
{{About|the debut album by guitarist Melvin Sparks|other uses|Sparks (disambiguation){{!}}Sparks}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Sparks!
| type = Album
| artist = Melvin Sparks
| cover = Sparks!.jpg
| alt =
| released = 1970
| recorded = September 14, 1970
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Jazz
| length =
| label = Prestige
PR 10001
| producer = Bob Porter
| chronology = Melvin Sparks
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = Spark Plug
| next_year = 1971
}}
Sparks! is the debut album by soul jazz guitarist Melvin Sparks recorded for the Prestige label in 1970.[http://www.jazzdisco.org/prestige-records/catalog-10000-series/#pr-10001 Prestige Records discography] accessed May 22, 2013
Reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = Allmusic
}}
The Allmusic site awarded the album 3 stars calling it "A solid soul-jazz outing that looks to commercial material for the bulk of the set, but doesn't unduly compromise itself in a pop direction... commercial choices, to be sure, but executed with relaxed grit".Unterberger, R. [http://www.allmusic.com/album/sparks%21-mw0000935740 Allmusic listing] accessed May 22, 2013.
Track listing
- "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" (Sly Stone) - 8:08
- "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) - 6:35
- "Charlie Brown" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 5:55
- "The Stinker" (Leon Spencer) - 7:00
- "Spill the Wine" (Papa Dee Allen, Harold Ray Brown, B.B. Dickerson, Lonnie Jordan, Charles Miller, Lee Oskar, Howard Scott) - 11:10
Personnel
- Melvin Sparks - guitar
- Virgil Jones - trumpet
- John Manning, Houston Person (tracks 3 & 4) - tenor saxophone
- Leon Spencer - organ
- Idris Muhammad - drums