Duane Parham – “Your Precious Love” & “I Need A Miracle”

The first thing to note about Detroit born and raised saxophonist, Duane Parham, is that he puts out the kind of music that does the most desired and necessary thing: it sounds good and delivers a vibe that feels even better. It’s the kind of music you never get tired of listening to. Sometimes it borders on innovation, other times it may be technically challenging, or simply jams in the groove, but it is always accessible to the ear and to the soul. Parham’s infectiously lyrical playing, layers some jazz lines here, a bit of soul there, some Gospel and R&B both here and there. It is this magnificent blending of styles that Parham showcases on his reworking of the Ashford & Simpson penned song, “Your Precious Love”, made famous by Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell.

Duane Parham’s cover of “Your Precious Love”, features vocalist Tammy (Trele) Davis, and will be on an upcoming album entitled “Sugar Melts”, featuring The Four Tops and The Contours. Parham has a successful record of accomplishment in putting together epic projects. Previously, producer Parham a assembled over 200 outstanding musicians, whose sole purpose was to record and proactively offer the song, “Detroit City is Coming Back”, as a musical way to lift the spirit of Detroit, promote citizen awareness, unity, and help the city move forward.

Prior to that, Duane Parham 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’s legacy is filled with five Mayoral Proclamations of Achievement – from Detroit to Highland Park – for accomplishments in the development of Music Arts and his outstanding contribution to the progress of both communities.

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. The Parham Academy of Performing Arts, which is part of the aforementioned organization, focuses on delivering free instruments and lessons to under-privileged children in Detroit and surrounding cities. Parham has also released a book, entitled “Can You Hear Me Now?” which debuted in prose and CD format. It can be found on Amazon and other platforms.

Now that we understand the measure of the man, Duane Parham, it’s easy to comprehend the integrity of his music. All of which he fuses and conveys on “Your Precious Love” ft. Tammy Trele Davis. To be honest, the musical landscape has changed considerably since this song was first released, but Parham brings it right into the here and now, without losing one single grain of its original smooth and soulful essence. Both Parham and Davis manage to capture the song’s overarching romantic resonance, and heartfelt joy.

“Your Precious Love” gives Duane Parham a chance to remind us how great he is at playing a gorgeous melody. The backing band set a warm and consistently interesting framework that inspire the singer and the saxophonist towards doing something more inventive than simply replicating the original lines. Parham’s sax, in fact, has a soul-searching quality, which flourishes with his tone that is reflective but intense. Parham’s mastery of his instrument is a true delight, and his ability to evoke pure emotion is on full display here.

Tammy Trele Davis, on the other hand, is just as masterful in her craft. She never over sings or overwhelms, but executes every single note to its finest expected prospective. This makes her interpretation not only a joy to listen to but also the perfect counterpart to Duane Parham’s saxophone, which holds it all together. Parham’s version of “Your Precious Love” may be a reworked cover, but it stands solidly and proudly on its own. A curios anecdote on closing: Duane Parham actually played the same celebrated saxophone that was delivered to President Bill Clinton. Enough said!