James Jamerson (January 1936-August 1983)
Nick names: Diego Diegerson,Funk,Igor
Instruments Played: 1957 Fender Precision, 1962 Fender Precision (The Funk Machine), German Upright bass, Fender 5 string, Hagstrom 8 string
When somebody once asked Smokey Robinson the question "What is the Motown Sound ?"he replied that "it was all in the bass" and the undisputed king of the Motown bass was James Jamerson.
Arriving at Motown in 1959,James' bass playing evolved over the next decade into a completely new and revolutionary style.Even the other Funkbrothers were in awe of his talent and recognized him as a genius.His new concept on bass was built upon rapid-fire 16th note runs and syncopations and became the bench mark for bass players in all popular music.He plucked the strings of his bass using only one finger ("the hook") and named his 62 Fender Precision bass "The Funk Machine".
Plagued by alcoholism in later life,his towering genius remains on recordings like Stevie Wonders "I Was Made To Love Her",The Four Tops "Bernedette" and Marvin Gayes "Whats Going On".