Today's Black History Month illustration is of James Jamerson, one of the most influential bass players in music history.
He was a core member of The Funk Brothers, a small group of studio musicians who performed on most Motown recordings during the 60s. He played more #1 hits than The Beatles (30 to be exact). He played on “You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes, “My Girl” by The Temptations, “Dancing in the Street” by Martha and the Vandellas, and “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye.
Jamerson used only his right index finger ("The Hook") to pick lines, an approach from his stand-up bass days. Overall, his complex melodic style brought the bass guitar from the background to the forefront and forever changed the face of bass playing.
I love the simplicity of the portrait I did. If I had to do it over again, I’d add some texture and lighting, but I’m happy with what I did back in 2017.
Side note: Here’s a rare clip of Jameson playing What’s Going On live with Marvin Gaye. Legend says he was too intoxicated to play upright, so he played/recorded the What’s Going On baseline while laying on his back.
Side, side note: my fave Jamerson basslines are "For Once In My Life" by Stevie Wonder and "It's a Shame" by The Spinners. 😌
I’ll be back tomorrow with another portrait and story!
Happy Black History Month! I’m reposting my illustration and brief history thread of James Jamerson, one of the most influential bass players in music history.
Here’s the link to the complete blog post, with links and sources: https://blog.alleannaharris.com/black-history-month-james-jamerson/
(In the post there’s a link to a master James Jamerson playlist that I found!)
