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Sixteenth note fingerstyle funk

dlloyd

dlloyd

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Apr 21, 2004
3,638
13
Scotland
#1
I'm looking to expand my knowledge of this style of music. I haven't exactly listened to too much of it in the past, but the way my band is going, I ought to start studying it.

I'd quite like to have a list of, say, ten players and one or more pieces that typifies their style.

Copy, paste and amend this list...

1. Jaco Pastorius: Come On, Come Over; ?
2. Rocco Prestia: What is Hip?
3. ?
4. ?
5. ?
6. ?
7. ?
8. ?
9. ?
10. ?
 
#2
1. Jaco Pastorius: Come On, Come Over; ?
2. Rocco Prestia: What is Hip?
3. James Jamerson: Signed, Sealed, Delivered
4. Chuck Rainey: Kid Charlemagne
5. Paul Jackson: Palm Grease
6. Bootsy Collins: Sex Machine
7. Wilton Felder: I Want You Back
8. Jerry Jemmot: Memphis Soul Stew
9. Flea: If You Have to Ask
10. Jerry Scheff (Hyper-Boogaloo type funk): Polk Salad Annie (one of the Live Elvis versions)


..
 
#3
Thanks, I'm not familiar with too much of that, but the tracks I do know aren't really what I'm after.

I'm specifically after music similar to the tunes I mentioned, with fast, sixteenth note basslines, rather than the eighth note funk of Jamerson. Style-wise, more along the lines of soul/jazz/funk style than RHCP.

This might be easier if we limit it to one addition per poster.
 
#4
I don't think there are many who play constant streams of 16th notes - might be boring? But rather this usually refers to lines which use the occasional 16th notes (and or rests) , to spice up the line and make it funkier!!

Having said that... Gary Willis might be a candidate - although I'm not sure what would be a typical track - JimK could tell you....;)
 
#5
KuMBye YamALaWd said:
3. James Jamerson: Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Click to expand...

not Jamerson, and aside from a few fills, not 16th notes either


here's one that hasn't been mentioned yet:

Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick by Ian Dury & The Blockheads... bass player was Norman Watt-Roy
 
#6
KuMBye YamALaWd said:
3. James Jamerson: Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Click to expand...

Which version? The Stevie version is (supposedly) Bob Babbitt & doesn't really qualify as 1/16th finger funk.
Something like "Darling Dear" on the J5's Third Album or the bulk of Stevie's "IWMTLH" may qualify.

"Kid Charlemagne" is a great example of Rainey's finger funk...check out "Green Rearrings". Same album as "KC".

The Bootsy stuff like "Sex Machine" is also good.

dlloyd-
I know you said "...fast, 1/16th note basslines"-
Sometimes, it's all about the feel & the subdivsions...in other words, it may not be a steady stream of 1/16th notes as "What Is Hip"?; it's possible to have many rests/ghosted notes, too (e.g. "Sex Machine", "Palm Grease").
If you want the steady stream-
Rocco is your man...TOP has probably dozens of tunes that should sate your appetite.
;)

BTW, another Jaco classic is "Barbary Coast" from WR's Black Market.

Other guys that play in this style that lean towards the Jazz/Fusion side-
Stanley Clarke
Alphonso Johnson
Jeff Berlin
Randy Tico
Will Lee
Neil Jason
Jeff Andrews
Marcus Miller
Gary Willis
Anthony Jackson
Tom Kennedy
Fima Ephron
Matt Garrison
 
#8
As much as Jamerson is my personal BASS GOD I dont think he was the bassist on "signed, sealed delivered"..it was either Babbit or Nathan Watts I think.

Also I cant believe no-ones mentioned Randy Hope Taylor ...especially on Incognitos "always there"
 
#9
Bruce Lindfield said:
As to actual albums...I was thinking maybe Rocket Science by Tribal Tech - unless there are better examples...?
Click to expand...
Any & all of TT's albums. "Face First" sounded like a Jaco thing...later read that Willis said it was a Paul Jackson thing.

Bruce said:
I was also thinking about some of those early Brecker Brothers albums - but not sure which one?
Click to expand...
...the albums with Will Lee or Neil Jason.
 
#13
Rocco Prestia

He has a quote on the biography section of his website that just urkes me. Here it is.

"The Living Legend…the King…the Ultimate….all quite lofty accolades, but nonetheless deserving.

Francis Rocco Prestia came to initial prominence during the mid to late sixties as the sonic knockout punch behind the 10 piece soul funk horn band TOWER OF POWER.

Up until Rocco kicked the door down, the role of the bass as an instrument and, more personally, the role of the bassist as a musician, was to musically do little more than to unobtrusively hold down the root of the composition. To the listener, bass was the blump, blump sound that was occasionally heard in the background of cool records. Jerry Scheff, bassist for Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney of The Beatles, Donald "Duck" Dunn and James Jamerson were hailed as "the cats of the day" – all very traditional players repetitiously setting the pace for the pack."


Geez what a cocky statement. He needs to get over himself. I know he can play. Trust me. I know he needed a new liver. I know that he couldn't then and cant now out groove jamerson nor were any of those mentioned just repetitiously setting the pace for the pack. He goes on in his bio page to say this:

"Great players will come and go. However few will ever possess the creative genius required to actually reposition the target.

Francis Rocco Prestia is indeed an icon…..the Father of Modern Bass, an American treasure, and there isn’t much more to say about him as a musician. It’s pretty much all been said in cover stories, feature articles and headline interviews printed in countless major music magazines around the world."

As a person, the man is as humble and unassuming as any human being could be. He presently resides in L.A., a devoted father.


I just lost a huge amount of respect for him as this bio makes him look like a huge ego maniac. Father of modern bass, give me a break. He can play but the true great players are humble and very quick to point out that they are still learning and growing.
I wouldn't pick him as my bass idol if I were you. He is a great player but his ego is through the sky
 
#16
PastorofMuppets said:
I just lost a huge amount of respect for him as this bio makes him look like a huge ego maniac. Father of modern bass, give me a break. He can play but the true great players are humble and very quick to point out that they are still learning and growing.
I wouldn't pick him as my bass idol if I were you. He is a great player but his ego is through the sky
Click to expand...



I highly doubt he speaks in the third person... I highly doubt he wrote that. In fact, with inteviews I've seen with him and so forth, he seems rather humble. Musicians rarely write their own bios.
 

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