Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The James Jamerson Bass Method – Classic Motown Bass Lines and Biographical Tribute with Online Audio

This book and CD combination examines the music of James Jamerson, the studio bassist on most of the early Motown hits. Until rather recently, Jamerson was unknown to the general public and not widely known to musicians. Nonetheless, his playing was very influential and many bassists today consider his playing the gold standard of bass guitar in popular music.This book is valuable as a reference for the history of Motown, but it is primarily a teaching tool. It is organized into three parts. The first 78 pages give a biography of Jamerson and put his work into historical context. Part two (17 pages) is a compilation of data: descriptions of bass equipment, recording facilities, accompanists, and discography. Also included in this section is a four page "Appreciation of Style" by Anthony Jackson that attempts to analyze the musical elements that made Jamerson unique. Part three contains 90 pages of transcriptions of Jamerson bass lines and accompanying text. The transcriptions go with the CDs described below.The CDs and transcriptions are the heart of the set. The CDs feature Motown tunes with the bass lines played by over two dozen "all-star" bassists (e.g Marcus Miller, Jack Bruce, John Entwistle). Bass is on the left channel with instrumental accompaniment on the right. The bass lines are transcribed by the author and the transcriptions are accompanied by short bios of the artists who play the lines. The tracks on the CDs are interspersed with short interviews of people who knew Jamerson. The artists reportedly donated their services as a tribute to Jamerson and the bass lines and accompaniment were recorded in a variety of circumstances. Many tracks are recorded in home studios. The quality varies, but all tracks are well played and all are useful teaching tools. I thought the variation of sounds would be a drawback, but it is a very interesting part of the project. The best Precision Bass tones are not necessarily from the artists you would expect. (Not everyone tries to duplicate Jamerson's tone. Geddy Lee was approached backstage at a concert and contributed "Get Ready" on either a Steinberger or a Rickenbacker. Lots of fun.)The level of the transcriptions is somewhat advanced. Transcriptions are given in traditional bass staff (no tab) and the rhythms will give your reading skills a workout. There are very few specific comments about fingering, right-hand technique, or damping. Yet the range of difficulty is from dead simple (beautifully rendered) line to lines that will challenge the most advanced player. (The challenge is rhythm and feel not lots of note or big stretches.) Beginning to intermediate players can use this book, but will benefit greatly by using it with the help of a good teacher.One can quibble with the historical overview. It is quite readable, but doesn't dig deeply into any of the tough issues it raises (e.g. Jamerson's drinking and emotional stability, Berry Gordy's business practices). Since the focus is on the music, some of this reticence is laudable. However, one important musical controversy that the author fails to pursue is the question of the true credit for recorded bass lines in the era when Motown was moving from Detroit to LA. (Many tracks were demoed by LA studio bassists and then cut by Jamerson as well. There is still debate as to which track made it to the final recording. The question is acknowledged, but no new information is brought forth.) Another musical deficit is that there is very little about the interplay between Jamerson and other members of the rhythm section. (This is in contrast to the author's better-written (if slightly less important) book on the James Brown rhythm sections.)Even with those minor issues considers, this is an extremely valuable book. It is clearly a labor of love and will be an extremely valuable learning tool for any bassist with the fundamental skills (or support) necessary to ap

Almost any student of electric bass will want to peruse this book. Motown, soul, funk, R&B, rock & roll, pop-- James Jamerson's influence on so much music is pervasive, and Dr. Licks and the all-star list of contributors show you how by sharing Jamerson's story and getting into the nitty gritty of his music and instrumentation.The first section of the book tells the intertwined story of early Motown and Jamerson and is loaded with fascinating tidbits and micro-stories, many told in the words of folks who were there in Hitsville, USA. You can flip to any page and gain a unique insight that conveys just how special Motown was in the sixties and early seventies-- even Motown could not re-create the Motown sound made immortal during those years.A later section features dozens of transcriptions put together by Dr. Licks and played by famous bass players on the included audio CD's. They do a more accurate job of showing how Jamerson created some of his most famous bass lines than any free bass tab you can find on the internet. However, you'll realize that he probably would have laughed at the idea of people playing his music note-for-note. This is because he and the rest of the rhythm section of Motown's Funk Brothers were given an incredible amount of freedom in the way they performed during recording sessions, especially Jamerson, whose playing style relied heavily on feeling and groove. Bass players could certainly borrow and be inspired by certain elements of his style, but for most people, the transcriptions simply offer a raw glimpse into his off-the-walls musical mind (spoiler alert: it involves lots of syncopation).

For any Motown fan this is essential to understand the pivotal role of James Jamerson'sBass playing had to that great music.Excellent accurate transcriptions in "notation" of all the great Motown hits, that he played on.plus the cd to "play along' as well. .Much information also about the life of this legendary Bass player.M

I've always been a fan of Motown but of the singers, now I'm starting to realize I shouldn't give the singers all the credit, it was the producers, songwriters, and musicians who made the artists become hits. If it wasn't for the unique, special Funk Brothers who knows if the Motown artists would have become as successful as they did. It doesn't matter how good of a singer a singer is, if the music ain't right, the singer ain't gonna sound good. Its that something special about the Motown Sound that sparks something in our minds, hearts, and souls, the music complimented the singers excellently. James Jamerson was just a handsome, wonderful, real, interesting, talented person. Its sad he had to get recognition after he passed on. It seems the only way to become a legend is to die first then people appreciate you more, well this book taught me to love and praise people while their alive that's what keeps them going. All James wanted in his last days was recognition and to know he did make a difference in the world of music. This book taught me to appreciate the musicians, songwriters, and producers, the people behind the scenes, who made it possible for the music to become timeless, sometimes we give the singers too much credit.It was interesting for me to read most of the Funk Brothers didn't even like Rock N Roll or Soul music, they were really jazz fans and wanted to play jazz, so it shows how gifted they were to still play soul music effectively even though it wasn't their cup of tea. Another reason why Motown sound is so appealing and fresh is because the Funk Brothers laced different genres of music into the soul music and tried new things with the music creating the Motown Sound, a sound in its own class.

However, it does NOT include the PLAYBACK+ utility. For something that cost $35, the least you all could do is include everything you list on the product page. It gives one the feeling you are trying to rip them off.

Nice looking booked packed with interesting facks about James and affirmations about his genius from famous bass players. However there are no cds with the book just a code fof access to the songs. Not good if you haven't got a device. Also the music in there is in score format not bass tabs... I have to get my wofe to translate to tab for me which is a hassle.... Would have been good if the included both.

Great book for learning basslines and the story of James Jamerson , basslines in standard notation no tab in the edition I have .

James Jamerson was arguably the first electric bassist who really explored the potential of the Fender bass. As a member of the Funk Brothers he played on just about every Motown track up until the early 1970's. At some point during late 1966 better recording technology (a sixteen track desk!) pushed his lines further forward in the mix and seemed to coax him into creating syncopated 16th note flurries that few other players could match. Although well paid he did not receive a single credit until Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On'. Motown's move to L.A. and a well documented alcohol problem hampered his later career and after his death in 1983 another well respected bassist, Carol Kaye made spurious claims that she was the originator of much of Jamerson's work. This book contains a biography as well as transcriptions and recordings of Jamerson's best lines and should be essential reading for anyone who loves Motown or bass guitar. Be aware there are no tabs; you'll need to be able to read from the bass clef.

Bought this booklet because i love Motown music and as a bass player myself i so admire James Jamerson and his greatness as one of the worlds great bass guitar player and to some he is the worlds one and only!. This booklet is a must for bass guitar enthusiasts

Wonderful book for those players who are big fans of James Jamerson. I was put onto this by a fellow player, and he's dead right, it's a hugely useful book for sight-reading practice as well as studying the great man.