http://soundcloud.com/grantham/sorry-is-a-sorry-word
Here's a "What could JJ have done"-thing I did. I'm nowhere a talented enough bassplayer to study his lines note-per-note, so I stole some licks from him, and tried to follow his line.
It's a '62 P-bass with the LaBella strings, straight in the DI. Played with just the index-finger, like it should've been...
Here's a quick take on a JJ line on a relatively unknown Temptations song. That's the stuff you can discover when you avoid "Best Of" albums... I'd rather decide myself what I find the best of some group, no need that someone else makes a compilation for me .
I was browsing in my collection, and picked up a single by Jimmy Ruffin (brother of), which hooked me in terms of chord sequences, so I wanted to play along, but "for reference" I slowed down the song, and enhanced the bass, so I knew what JJ was up to. My surprise was immense
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I was browsing in my collection, and picked up a single by Jimmy Ruffin (brother of), which hooked me in terms of chord sequences, so I wanted to play along, but "for reference" I slowed down the song, and enhanced the bass, so I knew what JJ was up to. My surprise was immense
Just trying to play Jamerson's part on Stevie Wonder's "I'm Wondering" from the SITSOM book tonight and its killing my left hand! 16ths, full stretch at the low end and its only 106bpm :-/ Im building up from 80% speed. Hats off to whoever can play this perfectly without pain!
Classy bassline too. The man is legendary and a musical genius as Anthony Jackson says.
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I play for fun...Lakland Skyline JO5 & Fender Precision '73
I don't come here to troll, but I really don't see why everyone's all excited about Jamerson's playing.... What's the deal? What makes him so good/better than other bassists and what proof?
I don't come here to troll, but I really don't see why everyone's all excited about Jamerson's playing.... What's the deal? What makes him so good/better than other bassists and what proof?
i think SamJ said it best on the first page of this thread.
"I hear you mate, the sad thing is if you actually have to explain Jamerson to someone, by definition you're already lost the argument. Sometimes I just thank the good Lord that he gave me the understanding for certain things."
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I don't come here to troll, but I really don't see why everyone's all excited about Jamerson's playing.... What's the deal? What makes him so good/better than other bassists and what proof?
Put it in context -- listen to the other bass parts being played when Jamerson was doing the Motown sessions. So much of it in popular music was Root-V. Jamerson introduced melody, syncopation and unusual patterns. Don't try comparing him to what's happening now, , because almost everyone has been influenced by JJ, whether they know it or not. In that era, I'd say only Carol Kaye and Joe Osborn were close to JJ. It's not about how many notes you play -- it's about what fits the song, even if the line is groundbreaking.
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Put it in context -- listen to the other bass parts being played when Jamerson was doing the Motown sessions. So much of it in popular music was Root-V. Jamerson introduced melody, syncopation and unusual patterns. Don't try comparing him to what's happening now, , because almost everyone has been influenced by JJ, whether they know it or not. In that era, I'd say only Carol Kaye and Joe Osborn were close to JJ. It's not about how many notes you play -- it's about what fits the song, even if the line is groundbreaking.
Boy I don't know I think I'd have to add Jerry Jemmott, Chuck Rainey and Duck Dunn.
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