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Duke University Press
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Hit Me, Fred
Recollections of a Sideman
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With contributions by:
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2005
About this book
The famous trombonist and arranger from the James Brown band and Parliament-Funkadelic tells his own story.
Author / Editor information
Fred Wesley Jr. is an accomplished trombonist renowned for his contributions to funk and jazz music over the past several decades. Working for James Brown from 1968–75, he was instrumental in the production of such milestone recordings as The Payback; Doing It to Death; Get on the Good Foot; and Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud, as well as the scoring of the soundtracks to Black Caesar and Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off. In the 1990s Wesley toured extensively with Pee Wee Ellis and Maceo Parker, before forming his own band. Wesley continues to tour and play music. He also writes, lectures, and conducts workshops on jazz and funk music. Wesley lives in South Carolina.
Reviews
“As passionately crafted as one of his solos, Hit Me, Fred becomes a shout-out to all sidemen who play their hearts out--just outside the spotlight. As a musician, Wesley could always capture the feverish moment. Now, as a storyteller, he has revealed yet another way to take us higher.”
-- Boston Globe
“A remarkable autobiography. . . . This candid and hilarious account of working alongside James Brown, Parliament/Funkadelic, and on his own, should solidify [Wesley’s] reputation as much as the music he created.”
-- DownBeat
"In his autobiography Hit Me, Fred, Mr. Wesley talks about dancing around the continent-size ego of James Brown. He juxtaposes the courtliness of the South against the hardscrabble desperation of poverty, mentioning the hideous conditions that created Brown though understanding that nothing could explain his boss’s monstrous behavior."
-- Elvis Mitchell New York Times
"[Fred Wesley is] one of the most influential instrumentalist/composer/arrangers in the annals of R&B, soul-jazz, and hip-hop . . . [and] one of the most sampled musicians in the world today."
-- Timothy White Billboard
"[T]he book reads easily—it sounds like Fred's telling you all this over a plate of rice 'n' ribs. . . . When James [Brown] and George [Clinton] are long gone, the music they brought to life between 1967 and 1977 will still be tearing the roof off the sucker—and Fred Wesley was an indispensable part of that revolution."
-- Dan Warburton Signal to Noise
Topics
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Frontmatter
i -
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Contents
vii -
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List of Illustrations
ix -
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Foreword
xi -
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1. A Musical Upbringing
1 -
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2. Higher Education
31 -
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3. Uncle Sam’s Army
55 -
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4. James Brown
84 -
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5. California
115 -
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6. James Brown Again
132 -
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7. Bootsy’s Rubber Band and Parliament/Funkadelic
190 -
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8. Count Basie
211 -
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9. Hollywood, Hollywood
228 -
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10. Mile High in Denver
263 -
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11. JB Horns
285 -
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12. Star Time
301 -
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Selected Discography
313 -
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Index
317
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
September 25, 2002
eBook ISBN:
9780822386957
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Main content:
344
Other:
57 b&w photos
