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James Jamerson Archives

Marvin Gaye Reissue Features Previously Unreleased Jamerson and Felder Bass Lines
New Albums

Marvin Gaye Reissue Features Previously Unreleased Jamerson and Felder Bass Lines

Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” turns 50 this year. Now, a new deluxe edition of the album has been packaged with an additional 33 bonus tracks, including 18 previously unreleased.

James Jamerson’s Hometown to Rename Street for the Iconic Bassist
News

James Jamerson’s Hometown to Rename Street for the Iconic Bassist

Edisto Island, South Carolina residents will be “Dancing in the Streets” after they rename a road for hometown hero James Jamerson.

James Jamerson: The Untold Story of Motown’s Bass Hero
Bass Videos

James Jamerson: The Untold Story of Motown’s Bass Hero

Jaz Moss sent us his latest video, which is an incredibly well-done, detailed look at the work of James Jamerson. Jaz said it took three months of research to produce this retrospective on the Motown legend.

Marvin Gaye: Abraham, Martin and John
Bass Videos

Marvin Gaye: Abraham, Martin and John

Today, we celebrate the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. For today’s video, I chose Marvin Gaye’s version of “Abraham, Martin and John.” Gaye was backed by the Funk Brothers, including the always excellent work of James Jamerson.

Paul Thompson: Climbing “Ain’t No Mountain” with James Jamerson
Bass Videos

Paul Thompson: Climbing “Ain’t No Mountain” with James Jamerson

I could watch videos by Paul Thompson (aka pdbass) all day. The way he breaks down music is remarkable. In this clip, Thompson breaks down versions of “Ain't No Mountain High Enough,” and the incredible work of James Jamerson.

Nate Marsh: The Influence of Jazz on R&B Electric Bassists of the 1960s and 1970s
News

Nate Marsh: The Influence of Jazz on R&B Electric Bassists of the 1960s and 1970s

Nate Marsh graduated from Berklee in 2012 and just finished his Masters of Music at the University of Colorado. He’s published his thesis, “The Influence of Jazz on R&B Electric Bassists of the 1960s and 1970s”, which is publicly available.

Darling Dear: James Jamerson’s Bass Line Visualized
Bass Videos

Darling Dear: James Jamerson’s Bass Line Visualized

Leonardo van der Laat was inspired by Jack Stratton’s “visualization” videos of James Jamerson’s bass lines, so he set out to make his own. Check out Mr. Jamerson’s greatness on the Jackson 5’s “Darling Dear”.

Keep It Groovy: Learn To Play The Bass Line To “Ball Of Confusion” By The Temptations
Keep It Groovy

Keep It Groovy: Learn To Play The Bass Line To “Ball Of Confusion” By The Temptations

If there’s one thing we know about Motown, it’s that the grooves are deep and bass legends like James Jamerson and Bob Babbitt have given us some incredible lines to learn from. Ryan Madora runs through “Ball Of Confusion” by The Temptations in this new “Keep It Groovy” bass lesson.

Paul Wolfe Publishes “Learning From James Jamerson” Instructional Book
Sheet Music & Instruction

Paul Wolfe Publishes “Learning From James Jamerson” Instructional Book

Paul Wolfe of How-To-Play-Bass.com recently released an instructional book on how to play blues rock bass. Now he’s giving you tips to play like one of the greatest with “How To Play Bass – Learning From James Jamerson Vol. 1”.

James Jamerson’s Family Sets New Headstone Unveiling Ceremony
News

James Jamerson’s Family Sets New Headstone Unveiling Ceremony

James Jamerson’s bass lines helped shape the sound of Motown and, in turn, the sound of R&B. The bassist, who passed away in 1983, will now have a proper headstone to match his legacy.

Keep It Groovy: How To Play The Bass Line To “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”
Keep It Groovy

Keep It Groovy: How To Play The Bass Line To “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”

Ryan Madora has a new bass lesson series on No Treble. “Keep It Groovy” kicks off with a lesson on how to play James Jamerson’s bass line on The Temptations “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”.

Michael Henderson Shines on Unearthed Marvin Gaye Instrumental Album
New Albums

Michael Henderson Shines on Unearthed Marvin Gaye Instrumental Album

Marvin Gaye’s iconic album “What’s Going On” turned 50 this year, and Motown/UMe celebrated with a deluxe digital edition. However, fans will be interested to hear an accompanying album called “Funky Nation: The Detroit Instrumentals” - with Michael Henderson on bass.