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.

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