"Doin' It To Death": R.I.P. James Brown (1933-2006)

James Brown was unquestionably a huge personal influence on me when it comes to both listening to and performing pop music (as opposed to jazz, classical and film/TV stuff).

James was a high-energy, iconic performer. But I believe his real musical genuis was the musicians with whom he surrounded himself for nearly fifty years. James told them what he wanted, but it was his sidemen who brought life to "the groove".

This is not to denigrate the man, but to suggest what a brilliant performer and bandleader he was

While James strutted, sweated and gyrated, it was his bands who "played the one". James Jamerson. St. Clair Pinckney. Fred Wesley. Maceo Parker. Peewee Ellis. Bootsy and Phelps Collins. Clyde Stubblefield. John "Jabo" Stark. And many more whose names escape me right now.

They created a musical vocabulary that is still a vital force. James Brown is probably the most "sampled" performer in hip-hop and will remain so for a very long time. Even David Bowie's "Fame" (co-written by John Lennon and Carlos Alomar) has a rhythm track that is virtually a note-by-note copy of a tune by James called "Hot (I Need Your Love Love Love Love Love)" which was released the preceding year.

And "The Payback" has the single funkiest, nastiest, rawest groove ever. It is unquestionably a proto-rap recording. (Although to my knowledge, it's never been used in a hip-hop hit. Not that I listen to much of it; just sayin'.)

It also has one of my favorite unintentionally-silly J.B. lyrics:

"Don't do me no darn favor
I don't know karate, but I know ka-razor"

James Brown and his amazing bands were about the only thing which could induce a bespectacled, pimply, pudgy, klutzy orchestra geek out onto the dance floor when I was a kid. Something about that music transcended my self-consciousness; there was simply no way I couldn't get out there and twitch spastically and enthusiastically.

While not giving a rat's ass how goofy I looked. That is an astounding thing.

He truly was "The Godfather of Soul (and the Minister of the New, New Super-Heavy Funk)"