Rating: 
Summary: James Jamerson, Stone Alone
Review: In contrast to the bass players warning you away from not reading this book, those who have seen the movie of the same name may not be surprised enough by how different this book (dedicated to James Jamerson alone) is. This is because the movie is frankly a celebration of a Motown sound which is no longer a live cultural influence, and many may not properly understand the equivocality of this statement on account of Norman Whitfield's other omisssions -- Jamerson was very much a figure of Detroit Motown, but like the "psychedelic soul" which immediately preceded the *auteur* LA era he was *meant* to be felt and not heard. Due to his increasing cultural stature, very little attention is paid here and elsewhere to the fact that the famous AM-friendly Motown mastering was intended almost explicitly to reduce Jamerson's presence in the mix, to the point that I suspect the first revelation for quite a few concerning the downside of the Sixties was the discovery that some people *really* knew how to play. The praise for "Igor" is not "subaltern" hype: Jamerson's arpeggios meet the formal standards for virtuosity set by classical musicians, and the further standard of not interfering with Motown's positioning in the "social field" as the "Sound of Young America" in no ambiguous sense. Here we can see how Jamerson's stature was reduced during his lifetime *even* as the cultural influence of his midsixties highpoints increased. Such that we might do well to wonder not only "whither Berry Gordy?" but also whether Jamerson's descent into madness and death reflected the de-privileging of a certain standard of craftsmanship in American culture (one might also consider Rick James' sobriquet for the late Marvin Gaye, "Uncle Marvin"). On this score, the sociologist Niklas Luhmann once said that his position on long-term societal changes was that he was not asked: and although there is a refreshing amount of realism in such positions, that is rather explicitly and interestingly not the stance of this book -- those curious about "cultural memory in the present" would also do well to consider it.
Rating: 
Summary: Essential for musicians of all genres
Review: James Jamerson put the rhythm in rhythm and blues! This book is not only the biography of a musician that had a great influence on pop music of the 60's and 70's, but is an instructional text and audio CD. Since the bass line is so important in all genres of music, I feel this work should be included in any music library, and especially in the library of musicians of all ages.
Rating:
Summary: Bassists need this!
Review: James Jamerson was the greatest bassist ever, and every bassist of note acknowledges his influence. Some of the world's greatest bassists play his tracks on the 2 CDs, which you can listen to as just bass, just the other instruments or both. Your bass playing will improve, and so will your groove. Don't buy any other bass books until you've learned everything in this one. If you play bass, get this book now, and if you don't play, get the book anyway and start funking!
Rating:
Summary: Great workout...
Review: These transcriptions will definately expand your bass vocabulary. Particularly you're rhythms. This isnt for beginning players, most of these parts require some good reading skills and thankfully no annoying tabulature is included. Studying these parts is a good way to get some of Jamersons soul into your soul. The bio section of the book is an interesting read as well.
Rating:
Summary: A good book about a great bassist
Review: 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
Rating:
Summary: A good book about a great bassist
Review: 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
Rating:
Summary: This book is a must for any musician!
Review: This book is a must for any musician who has an appreciation for melody, r&b, or Motown. Many people have heard Mr. Jamerson's work, but don't know who he is. This book not only introduces you to the man, his method and influences, but also includes instructional material to help a bassist, guitarist, or keyboardist develop the ability to play a melody within a melody without interfering with other instruments or vocals. I like this book not only for what was previously mentioned but also for the Motown historical pictures and content. One will have no regrets getting their hands on this masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Some of the Best Bass Work I've Heard
Review: This is a great book for any bass player wanting to funk and groove. To make this clear, there is no tab in this book, it is all sheet music. This shouldn't discourage anyone. If you can't read music learn how to because it's a very useful technique. This is a great book to practice your reading skills to also. James' bass lines offer much in several different ways. If you want to do funk improv without having to resort to slap and just popping fifths and octaves, James' grooves give great rhytmic and melodic ideas for creating and improvising bass lines. This is not particularly for beginners but it couldn't hurt to try it. And the biography on James is also very great. All in all, this book is a wonderful insight into the best studio bass player of all time.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic book, a definite for anyon who plays bass!!!!!
Review: This is a must have if you play upright or electric bass, even if you just love motown music. I use the book and its CDs for teaching myself and others the incredible styling and technique of James Jamerson, the "Funk Machine". Dig it.
Rating:
Summary: Superb resource for new Bass players
Review: This is a must-have for new Bass players who want to be serious about the craft.
One possible draw-back is that there is no TAB, but serious students will value the extra push towards better standard notation reading skills.
Much of Jamerson's music is now 40+ years old. So, in some ways the book now also serves as an important Historical perspective on the roots of the modern Bass sound.
If you're serious about BASS, get the book.
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