BillyRadd Music

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Seeing James Jamerson's Unique Style



Here's a visual representation of the riffs played by bass player James Jamerson on Stevie Wonder's recording of For Once In My Life. One of the most influential bass players in pop music, James played on many of Motown's biggest hits with pretty much all the recording stars of that era, usually uncredited. Stevie Wonder's track of this song is often singled out by bassists as the best example of Jamerson's style (he did his own arranging) since no two bars of his bass line are played alike during the entire song.

BTW, he picked the strings mostly with only his right index finger, nicknamed "The Hook".

It is also interesting to note that, troubled by alcoholism, James Jamerson, died destitute in Los Angeles at the age of 47 of cirrhosis, heart failure and pneumonia in 1983, and was said to be bitter about his lack of recognition.

Many of us can recognize the distinctive signature of his bass playing on the dozen #1 hits he worked on for Motown from 1961 through 1973, but most of us don't know his name.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

The Gear We've Collected

iMac work station with M-Audio speaker/monitors and Axiom 25 midi keyboard



Cigar box kilimba - parts from C.B. Gitty assembled by Billy Radd


Peavey PV6 audio mixer
Toca djembe with African cow bells


Mojohound electric Stomp box


Alesis practice drum pad


Zildjian crash ride cymbal and stand


AC or battery powered Roland Cube Street combo amp


Battery powered cigar box amplifier made by
Dave Bustos, Black Wolf Instruments


Woodstock Percussion all - metal Kazoo


Latin Percussion multi - guiro with metal scraper
Jumbie Jam steel drum


Latin Percussion Standard & Mini Afuche/cabasas


Steel Cuica
Double African shaker, claves, and wood block


Film can snare drum assembled by Billy Radd


3-string film-can canjo with Flatpup & sanpele neck
made by Billy Radd
Fender acoustic/electric dreadnought guitar
Axiom 25 midi keyboard


Humbucker pickup on Fender Telecaster Custom electric guitar


250 watt amplifier/mixer with 12 inch Eminence speaker
built in a General Electric TV set cabinet by Billy Radd


Headstock of Fender Telecaster Custom electric guitar
Ampeg B10N Portaflex fliptop bass combo amp


Kala acoustic spruce-top U-Bass


Ampeg B10N Portaflex fliptop bass combo amp


Fender Rumbler 15 bass practice amp


Fender Deluxe Active P Bass Special


Djembe from Mali


Bowed psaltery made by Dave Lucas


One-string "Spamjo" Canjo made by Henry Hoover


Kala Concert Ukulele with tweed case
Tibetan singing bowl


Fender Telecaster, Kala u-bass & Kala concert uke


Red Giant redwood tongue drum made by Steve Roberts


Chimes, brass gong, wind chimes & triangle on c-stand rack
Fender Mini Deluxe Combo Amp & Mini Rockers Guitar


Latin Percussion Aspire bongos


Toca Surf Drum


Boghram drum


Honer Big River Harp & Opera Superior harmonica


Goodlin Accordion Squeeze Box


Kilimba made by Steve Catania with "JD" piezo pup attached
Tascam D-40 portable digital recorder


DigiTech RP 1000 integrated effects switching system
Kala California solid swamp ash U-bass
Metal tone drum made by Carl Peverall


Tone drum, Casio 465 Sound Tone Bank,  Ampeg B10N bass combo amp and Peavey Decade practice combo amp


3-String Cigar box guitar with hand-crafted humbucker
made by Milton Cable


Supro High-Gain mini amp


Hand-carved West African krin


1964 Fender DuoSonic electric guitar


Film can speaker with Behringer preamp booster
and film canjo (speaker and canjo by Billy Radd)
Mountain Ocarina, Aulos recorder & Guiness model tin whistle
Ceramic wind chimes


Keven Spears model autographed electric alto
Hugh Tracey African kalimba
Percussion Plus cajon


 Kala Tweed 5 Watt Combo Amp


Kala Ukelimba by Steve Einhorn


Gibson SG Special Bass

MoogerFoogers by Moog


Moog Sub Phatty Synthisizer


Ibanez GIO 6-String Bass

Gretsch Electromatic Hollowbody Guitar