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Modern James Jamerson?
- Thread starter otownbassist
- Start date
Pino
Jamareo Artis
Meshelle Ndegeocello
Nate Watts
Michael League of Snarky Puppy
Bobby Watson ....his bass playing on Michael Jacksons Rock With You out Jamersoned Jamerson!!
Louis Johnson....most known for his slap style playing. But his melodic playing on hits such as Billie Jean and Michael McDonalds I Keep Forgetting are very Jamerson like.
Jamareo Artis
Meshelle Ndegeocello
Nate Watts
Michael League of Snarky Puppy
Bobby Watson ....his bass playing on Michael Jacksons Rock With You out Jamersoned Jamerson!!
Louis Johnson....most known for his slap style playing. But his melodic playing on hits such as Billie Jean and Michael McDonalds I Keep Forgetting are very Jamerson like.
Some terrific musicians in the above lists but Jamerson was more than just a good technical musician..his sense of musicality and supporting note placement for me anyway has never been surpassed by anyone.
Its almost impossible to define.....but I honestly cant think of a single note he played which wasn't in the right place at the right time and I include the crazy 'Darling Dear'....which appears busy but which is just so perfect
Its almost impossible to define.....but I honestly cant think of a single note he played which wasn't in the right place at the right time and I include the crazy 'Darling Dear'....which appears busy but which is just so perfect
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The thing about muicians like Jamerson is that they are unique. It's great that you appreciate his contribution but you have to realize that there was only one of him, and that's how it should be. If you want to make a similar contribution yourself then I'd suggest that you play a lot, listen to everything, every sound that reaches your ears, and try to play everything that sticks in your mind as musical on the bass.
What a great thread! (Zombie or Not)
I don't think anyone will ever approach James Jamerson, for he was unique - and a pioneer musician for the electric bass guitar. And that time has passed, like the big band era, never to be repeated. American music is now in a Revisionist, Revisting, Repeating, Review of the PAST... Jazz and Blues and Swing are now museum ART-FACTS... ??!! Bypass grey hair and go directly to white hair... The type of artists he accompanied no longer exist. Everyone's dead...
The closest bass player to him is Carol Kaye. Different in that she uses a plectrum while he played with his index finger, but they were both heavily influenced by the Latin boogaloo bass era, a forgotten time (interestingly enough, just as Dizzie Gillespie's bebop sounds were influenced by Latin jazz). I wish some producer would get Carol to cut a new album in the boogaloo style. Viva Boogaloo...!
Although there are many spectacular bass players today, I think we all know that era will never be repeated. It took a lifetime for James Jamerson to achieve his unique sound. The basses, amps and recording studios today no longer even produce that tone, unless you want to get expensive. That console board at Motown and the engineers also had a lot to do with that thundering juke box sound that James Jamerson loved so much.
Besides Carol Kaye, there was Donald Dunn. What bass player will ever forget their debt to him? And Willie Weeks? I can go on... But there was one more bass player of note, (who, like Jamerson, influenced a no one like me to pick up the fretless bass, for which I am eternally grateful, because it makes me feel like I'm flying when I play...), and that was Rod Hicks, from Detroit, with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band:
Love Disease
The Boxer
Number Nine
Born Under A Bad Sign
Everything's Gonna Be Alright
I'm sure that some of you may have known him personally...
I don't think anyone will ever approach James Jamerson, for he was unique - and a pioneer musician for the electric bass guitar. And that time has passed, like the big band era, never to be repeated. American music is now in a Revisionist, Revisting, Repeating, Review of the PAST... Jazz and Blues and Swing are now museum ART-FACTS... ??!! Bypass grey hair and go directly to white hair... The type of artists he accompanied no longer exist. Everyone's dead...
The closest bass player to him is Carol Kaye. Different in that she uses a plectrum while he played with his index finger, but they were both heavily influenced by the Latin boogaloo bass era, a forgotten time (interestingly enough, just as Dizzie Gillespie's bebop sounds were influenced by Latin jazz). I wish some producer would get Carol to cut a new album in the boogaloo style. Viva Boogaloo...!
Although there are many spectacular bass players today, I think we all know that era will never be repeated. It took a lifetime for James Jamerson to achieve his unique sound. The basses, amps and recording studios today no longer even produce that tone, unless you want to get expensive. That console board at Motown and the engineers also had a lot to do with that thundering juke box sound that James Jamerson loved so much.
Besides Carol Kaye, there was Donald Dunn. What bass player will ever forget their debt to him? And Willie Weeks? I can go on... But there was one more bass player of note, (who, like Jamerson, influenced a no one like me to pick up the fretless bass, for which I am eternally grateful, because it makes me feel like I'm flying when I play...), and that was Rod Hicks, from Detroit, with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band:
Love Disease
The Boxer
Number Nine
Born Under A Bad Sign
Everything's Gonna Be Alright
I'm sure that some of you may have known him personally...
I know there's a sticky and 100's of pages discussing Jamerson here on TB but,
This thread also begs the question,
If Jamerson had not been recruited by Motown and another bassist chosen, would the record label have been as successful with hit after hit?
Sure Motown had some great writers and singers but, IMHO Jamerson gave Motown it's distinctive funk on every tune.
The electric bass has come a long way since the early 1960's.
Today we're discussing tone, string type, amp choice, type of wood and on and on.
Jamerson played a Precision with a slightly bowed neck on the same flats for years and directly into the board.
Listening to his isolated tracks, his sound was pretty flat with no frills at all.
Yet, that's the last thing you notice while marveling at his note choice and melodic lines.
...And he did it all with one finger!
Whenever I'm woodshedding a Motown song and find myself struggling to find the groove, I'll stop and start again using just my pointer finger and it immediately starts to fall into place
This thread also begs the question,
If Jamerson had not been recruited by Motown and another bassist chosen, would the record label have been as successful with hit after hit?
Sure Motown had some great writers and singers but, IMHO Jamerson gave Motown it's distinctive funk on every tune.
The electric bass has come a long way since the early 1960's.
Today we're discussing tone, string type, amp choice, type of wood and on and on.
Jamerson played a Precision with a slightly bowed neck on the same flats for years and directly into the board.
Listening to his isolated tracks, his sound was pretty flat with no frills at all.
Yet, that's the last thing you notice while marveling at his note choice and melodic lines.
...And he did it all with one finger!
Whenever I'm woodshedding a Motown song and find myself struggling to find the groove, I'll stop and start again using just my pointer finger and it immediately starts to fall into place
Go and buy "Standing In The Shadows of MOTOWN" You will get to hear 28 bass players playing Jameson's lines plus all the bass parts. Bob Babbit was the closest as he replaced James in the Funk brothers. You can see Bob in the Movie of the same title. Most bass players were influenced by James,some don't even know it.
Modern players like John Patitucci, Gerald Veasely Jimmy Hayslip Stevie Wonders MD and bass player Nathan Watts.Many more are featured in the book. Go and buy the book and see the movie.The book is a must for every bass player interested in Jamerson. My personal belief is that James was influenced by Paul Chambers in his harmonic approach. That would be a very good study as well. That way you get to learn how to play your own "Jameson styled bass lines" Still you have to listen to James to hear how he uses his approach notes and non chord tones.
He mentioned chops, but all pros have chops, compared to me anyway. I took it as a studio guy looked to to add a distinctive style to pop music as Jamerson and the Funk Brothers added to Motown or the MGs added to Stax in the mid 60s to mid 70s era.
After re-reading his question I have more clarification. There are a lot of 1st call session guys. Jamerson basically worked for Motown for most of his career. As good as he was, he defined the Motown sound but didn't do much else (yes, he did do some stuff) after Motown. He was also known as a drinker. He was not a 1st call session guy outside of Motown. I wouldn't put him in the same class as a Nathan East who has played on over 1000+ records and has played a lot of different styles of music. Chops? Jamerson was good at what he did......with 1 finger! IMHO, there were cats who could play circles around Jamerson. He was a great fit for the Motown sound.
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If asked to create a James Jamerson type bassline, I would go with Anthony Jackson, Pino Palladino or Jamareo Artis.
If asked to duplicate his tone, I would go with Sharay Reed.
Ex. Sharay Reed with Jamerson tone.
Ex. Jamerson type bassline created by the great Anthony Jackson.
If asked to duplicate his tone, I would go with Sharay Reed.
Ex. Sharay Reed with Jamerson tone.
Ex. Jamerson type bassline created by the great Anthony Jackson.
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I'll second Jamareo Artis,Raphaël Saadiq, Pino Palladino and Micheal League. A bit older, but incredibly close to Jamerson is Willie Weeks. Check him out playing on Donny Hathaway's Little Ghetto Boy, it will blow your mind 
I haven't been playing long, but fortunately I was introduced to jamerson very quickly! And frankly I love the guy! Here's a song I recorded for a band and you might can here my jamerson influence! Feedback welcomed
For me or has to be Sharay Reed who has Jamerson as one of his strongest influences. You can hear it. Superb technique, feel, groove and phenomenal experience with many bands. Like Jamerson started out on upright - but even earlier at 10 years old! - on classical and jazz. Sight reading bass clef at 10, then within a couple of years also treble and tenor. Was selected America's top youth jazz bass player at 17. He also uploaded playalong vids on some classic, very hard to play, Jamerson tunes like How Long Has The Evening Train Been Gone (I was turned onto this tune by Dr Slutsky's Motown bass book)
And he is #1 with the Cory Henry's Funk Apostles, the closest I know to the Funk Brothers. This is the kind of music they'd be doing now. Funky mix of R&B, Gospel, Jazz & Rock.
And he is #1 with the Cory Henry's Funk Apostles, the closest I know to the Funk Brothers. This is the kind of music they'd be doing now. Funky mix of R&B, Gospel, Jazz & Rock.
