03/09/2024
James Jameson❤
Legendary Motown bassist James Jamerson single-handedly revolutionized bass playing. Throughout the entire classic Motown catalog (and some non-Motown sides), Jamerson shaped a new inventive style of bass playing and brought what had been regarded by some as a "minor" instrument to the f through the use of the electric Fender bass, powered by his musical genius and amazing dexterity. Jamerson wasn't Motown's first bassist, but he was certainly the first to incorporate a fresh perspective and intuitiveness along with his own jazz/blues-oriented background to Motown founder Berry Gordy's R&B/pop leanings. The innovative bassist moved R&B/pop bass playing from the standard # two-beat root fifth (dum-de de de-dum dum) to an approach that was more : using zipping passing tones, Ray Brown-like walking bass lines, double stops, and syncopation. Jamerson's playing was nothing short of revolutionary.
than the loving tribute Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The Life and Music of Legendary Bassist James Jamerson, a classic book/CD by Allan "Dr. Licks" Slutsky (publisher Hal Leonard), not much has been written about the bass-playing wonder.
Lee Jamerson, Jr. was born on January 29, 1936, in Charleston, NC, to the union of James Lee Jamerson, Sr. and his wife Elisabeth. His father worked in shipyards and his mother was a domestic . When his parents divorced, Jamerson divided his time between his grandmother who played piano, an aunt who sang in the church choir, and practicing piano at his cousin's . He began developing his innate musical talents while incessantly listening to gospel, jazz, and blues stations.
After a bicycle accident, he spent a year in a wheelchair. Forced to wear high-topped shoes in order to walk, the incident left Jamerson with a slight limp and a gnawing self-consciousness that would haunt him for his entire life. In 1953, Jamerson's mother moved to to find work. A year later, she sent for her son. At Northwestern High, Jamerson picked up an upright bass that was lying on the floor in the music room and "found" his instrument. Never a solitary play-the-scales-millions-of-times type of musician, the budding young bassist honed his skills at jam sessions, in the high school jazz band, and by playing with some of Detroit's top jazz musicians like Kenny Burrell, Yusef Lateef, and Hank Jones. As his reputation grew, Jamerson began playing at dances, weddings, and frat parties with schoolmates Richard 'Popcorn' Wylie (piano) and Clifford Mack (drums). Years later, Jamerson played on a hit record of a song written by Wylie, "With This Ring" by the Platters (Musicor, number 12 R&B, spring 1967)..........................
