Bass Player Presents The Funky Bass Book

by Bill Leigh (Editor)

Overview

This is the ultimate collection of funked-up wisdom and inspiration, from the grooving pioneers of R & B, soul, and funk to the flame-tending funkateers of hip-hop, neo-soul, and gospel. With interviews and analyses from both groundbreaking old-school innovators and ongoing revolutionaries – players like Larry Graham, Anthony Jackson, Chuck Rainey, Bootsy Collins, Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Andrew Gouche – here are the secrets of how the masters take a groove and make it funky. From the early days of James Brown and Motown through the session players of Stax, Muscle Shoals, and Philly soul, The Funky Bass Book digs deep into the grooves that have moved generations, illuminating what lies at the heart of funk.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780879309947
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	10/01/2010
Series:	Bass Player Presents
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Bill Leigh joined the staff of Bass Player magazine in 1995 and served as editor in chief from 2001 to 2009. He studied music theory at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, and music and recording at San Francisco State University. An active musician in the San Francisco area, he currently leads the rock band Love on Mars.

Table of Contents

Foreword Bootsy Collins ix

Introduction xi

Part I The Funky Founders

1 James Jamerson and Motown 2

2 The Bassists of James Brown 10

3 George Porter and the Meters 20

4 Memphis and Muscle Shoals: Southern Studio Soul 28

5 Chuck Rainey: Studio Groove Master 48

6 Bob Babbitt: Motown and Beyond 58

7 Larry Graham and the Invention of Slap Bass 68

Part II Funk Bass Flourishes

8 Rocco Prestia with Tower of Power 76

9 Verdine White with Earth, Wind & Fire 84

10 Funky Fusion 92

11 The Bassists of Philly Soul 106

12 The Bassists of P-Funk 118

13 Professional Funk: The Session Players and Sidemen of the '70s and '80s 134

14 Funky Bands 160

15 Prince 176

Part III Modern Funk Bass

16 Anthony Jackson: The Reinventor 184

17 Marcus Miller: The New Standard 192

18 Funk Meets Rock 198

19 Victor Wooten: The New Pioneer 204

20 Funky Gospel 208

21 Hip-Hop and Neo-Soul 220

Contributors 233

Acknowledgments 235