James Jamerson

[Mr.Phil]

If you had to pick, what's your all time favorite Jamerson bass line?

 

[Yoghurt]

I Was Made To Love Her

 

[20db pad]

According to my mother, I liked "Can't Hurry Love" before I was born, and I still do now.

These days, it's probably "Darling Dear", "For Once in my Life" or "How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone", which was a deeper cut in a Supremes album brought to attention by Anthony Jackson in the Alan Slutsky "SITSOM" book.

FWIW, I maintain that Jamerson DID play on all these tunes..........

 

[JimmyM]

My favorite line of his is "Reach Out (I'll Be There)." The way he doesn't always stick to the root note of the chord, the precision of the intro, and the general feeling of the song...all of these were pretty much original Jamerson concepts that have become standard issue for soul and funk bassists.

 

[Marcus Willett]

"How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone", which was a deeper cut in a Supremes album brought to attention by Anthony Jackson in the Alan Slutsky "SITSOM" book.

+1. AJ called it (IIRC) a "towering achievement", and he was 100% correct.

 

[ErikP.Bass]

Bernadette.

 

[The Golden Boy]

Marvin and Tami's Ain't No Mountain High Enough

 

[ryco]

"Reflections" - Supremes

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

"What's Going On" - Marvin Gaye

 

[ryco]

....then again there's "Keep Me Hangin' On" - Supremes. How can I pick a FAV JJ tune?? "Back In My Arms Again". O ...the indecision!....

 

[Jerry Ziarko]

I honestly can't do it. Favorite 10, maybe. I still am amazed by his note and phrasing choices. I know many say their favorite player is a "Jaco" or "Victor" type, but I still feel no one, has ever said more in a simple three minute pop tune than James Jamerson!

 

[JimmyM]

Yeah, and ask Vic who his favorites are and Jamerson is always mentioned.

 

[Mystic Michael]

You Keep Me Hangin' On. But Bernadette sure is a close second...

MM

 

[Mr.Phil]

My favorite Jamerson line is "My Guy" by Mary Wells. He plays it on upright and the line is very articulate.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

My favorite line of his is "Reach Out (I'll Be There)." The way he doesn't always stick to the root note of the chord, the precision of the intro, and the general feeling of the song...all of these were pretty much original Jamerson concepts that have become standard issue for soul and funk bassists.

+1. I love his lead-ins from the verses into the choruses on "Reach Out" too. It's one of the best recorded examples of his style.

"For Once In My Life" -Stevie Wonder. It's another of my favorite Jamerson bass lines.

 

[`ash]

I have a soft spot for the ones i can play. Bernadette and Reach Out...

But from the ones i cant play. I Was Made To Love Her, and Home Cookin

 

[XavierG]

Too many to mention. J.J. was a monster!

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I believe Jamerson did "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" and "I was Made to Love Her." I think both of those are great too. I also like his acoustic bass on Martha Reeves and the Vandellas "Heatwave."

 

[BassLand]

Hi Dr. Cheese,

SSD (Signed, Sealed, Delivered) is Bob Babbitt. The rest of the tunes mentioned are Jamerson. There are plenty of Jamerson lines I like most of which don't fall into the top20 category. One song in particular that I think has a great bass line is "Ain't No Justice" by Shorty Long. Another is "What's Happening Brother" from the Whats Going On CD

http://bassland.net/jamerson.html

BL

 

[Fuzzbass]

Too many to mention. J.J. was a monster!

+1. He's probably my favorite on electric.