SAXOPHONIST DUANE PARHAM, RECIPIENT OF THE 2022 DETROIT BLACK MUSIC LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RELEASES "YOUR PRECIOUS LOVE"
Saxophonist Duane Parham is one of Detroit’s most beloved jazz artists. He is recognized as an innovator, visionary, and top performer in Smooth Jazz, R&B and Gospel Music.
Born and raised in Detroit, MI, Duane’s latest project includes releasing a CD of the Marvin Gaye/Tammy Terrell song “Your Precious Love,” featuring Vocalist Tammy (Trele) Davis. That song will be on an upcoming album entitled “Sugar Melts” featuring The Four Tops and The Contours.
Most of us remember Detroit City is Coming Back, a song that reaches across racial, ethnic, and political lines, and promotes the Motor City nationally and internationally. To accomplish this goal, Producer Parham assembled over 200 outstanding musicians, whose sole purpose was to record and proactively offer the song as a musical way to lift the spirit of Detroit, promote citizen awareness, unity, and help the city move forward.
Prior to that, Duane delivered a Mo-Jazz tribute to Motown Records with a CD entitled Motor City Sax Appeal: My Tribute to the Motown Legends, with guest appearances by The Four Tops, The Miracles, The Contours, The Original Vandellas, Pat Lewis, Carolyn Crawford and five-time Grammy award winner Michael J. Powell. Producers of the CD were Carl “Butch” Small and Maurice Whitsett.
Parham, teacher and minister of music, is the recipient of five Mayoral Proclamations of Achievement from Mayors Coleman A. Young, Dennis W. Archer and Dave Bing of Detroit along with Mayor Martha G. Scott of Highland Park, for accomplishments in the development of Music Arts and his outstanding contribution to the progress of both communities. He also received the Spirit of Detroit Award from the Honorable Mayor Dave Bing for producing and arranging Dream Detroit and the documentary, The Unsung of the Motown Empire.
Presently, Walter Duane Parham is Founder and CEO of Educational Arts Society, a 501 c 3 nonprofit, that assists young artists in developing a professional music skill-set, coupled with a core value skill-set. The Parham Academy of Performing Arts, one of the “legs” of the organization, focuses on delivering FREE instruments and lessons to under-privileged children in Detroit and surrounding cities.
True to his gospel roots, currently, Duane serves as a saxophonist at Greater New Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist.
“Your Precious Love” reveals immense emotional depth and lyrical mastery. Conveying an exciting, understandable, and relatable story through a mix of Soul and R&B music, it entices the listener into a magnetizing trance. It both liberates and captivates simultaneously, regaling listeners with its uniqueness. The rising start induces listeners to feel freedom through the rhythms- escape from the stress of life and from complications in relationships.
It is through the new track that Duane Parham wishes to deliver a deeps sense of love and joy for the world. The artist believes that his music is unique because it breathes “soul” into music enthusiasts and thus displays its true innovation.
SONG LYRICS "Your Precious Love"
Oh, oh, oh, Baby.
Oh, oh, oh, Heaven must have sent you from above, Oh, oh, oh, Heaven must have sent your precious love, Oh, oh, oh.
And I, I’ve got a song, Telling the world about the joy you bring, Oh, oh oh, And you gave me a reason for living.
Oh, oh, oh. Heaven must have sent your precious love Oh, oh, oh, Heaven must have sent you from above. Oh, oh, oh.
I look in the mirror, and I’m glad to see Laughter in the eyes where tears used to be. Oh, oh, oh, Baby. Oh, oh, oh, Honey.
And I wanna’ show my appreciation, Oh, oh, oh, Cause when I found you, I found my inspiration.
Oh, oh, oh, Heaven must have sent you from above. Oh, oh, oh, Heaven must have sent you from above.
The concept behind recording “Your Precious Love” leans heavily on the original artists (Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell) having roots in Motown. Not only was Motown their town, it’s also Duane Parham’s town. So doing a cover with the song was both motivational and inspirational.
Parham’s horn plays the lyrics sung by Marvin Gaye in the original song. He believes the alto sax is “Queen” because it is the closet instrument resembling the human voice. However, because Marvin Gaye had a tenor voice, in the cover song, the tenor sax “belts” out the melodies and to Parham. . . is “King.”
Finally, Duane says, “I chose “Your Precious Love” for my video because its theme is mainstream. Many videos “peddle sex,” I wanted a theme that appealed to most audiences…as diverse as the musicians making the music. The lyrics highlight true love as a wonderful thing. Those who have found it, reach a mental sense of heaven on earth.” Keep looking…it’s out there somewhere! less
