The book directly inspired the acclaimed documentary of the same name, directed by Paul Justman. The film was the culmination of a years-long effort to track down the surviving members of the Funk Brothers—the legendary house band that played on nearly every Motown hit from 1959 to 1972. For the first time in over thirty years, the band was reunited on screen to tell their story and perform their music, with contemporary artists like Joan Osborne, Ben Harper, and Chaka Khan lending their voices.
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The book features dozens of note-for-note transcriptions of Jamerson's most iconic tracks, including "What's Going On," "Bernadette," "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," and "For Once in My Life." Slutsky painstakingly decoded these tracks directly from the original Motown multi-track master tapes, isolating Jamerson’s bass from the rest of the mix. This ensures an unparalleled level of accuracy regarding ghost notes, slides, and subtle rhythmic shifts that are completely lost on standard ear-transcriptions. 2. The Legendary Companion Audio james jamerson standing in the shadows of motown pdf best
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Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The Life and Music of Legendary Bassist James Jamerson The book directly inspired the acclaimed documentary of
Jamerson famously favored utilizing the ringing sustain of open strings (like his famous use of the open E and A) to bridge phrases while his fretting hand danced across the upper neck.
The book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of Motown and the life and artistry of James Jamerson. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of the legendary label, as well as the creative process and technical innovations that helped to shape the sound of Motown. including "What's Going On
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