I really like the transcription. Makes it easier to learn since my hearing isn't what it once was. I'm sure many of us can relate.

> my hearing isn't what it once was. I'm sure many of us can relate.

Me too! Too many years sitting between bass and guitar amps!

James Brown was the original 'minimalist.' That man would take a single/simple groove and play it to death. All of his music was like that, stripped down to bare bones, repeated rhythm figures, over and over.

The 'genius' of it all was, how rich and complex, -deceptively simple and almost hypnotic- the components of the grooves was. Brown's music was a 'complex thing' presented in plain brown paper. On the surface it was all basic and simple, but if you dug down into it, the rich complexity of it all hit you right in the face. The 'sampling' of today, taking a piece of a groove and looping it to create an entire record/tune, is the music James Brown invented and was doing 'Live!' He always used top-shelf musicians in his bands. Don't let the repetition fool you, there's a lot going on musically. Try playing some of this stuff. Not easy... at all.

Here is a piece of Funky Drummer I found on You Tube:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVn7gy2p-wc[/ame]

I wrote it out years ago, I'll have to see if I can find it. I couldn't ever play ir quite right but if I recall it wasn't straight 16s on the hats.

The snare sounds like a small piccolo. Nice and funky tight! What'd ya think John?

I lived about 25 city blocks north of the Apollo Theater on 125th Street in Harlem. On a Friday or Saturday night me and my friends used to share a bottle of cheap wine, smoke a few doobs and then head down to the Apollo to Catch the James Brown Review. I got to see Clyde play maybe a dozen times. I never saw a piccolo snare. They always looked like either 5 or 5 1/2 inchers. I think I saw him play on Gretsch and Ludwig drums. One time he was playing a clear Zicko's kit. But never piccolo's, I would have noticed. My favorite kit of his was a Ludwig black diamond pearl kit, he made that sound like the Thunder of the Gods. He was just a great -natural- player. He knew how hit the hide to get any sound out of it that he wanted.

John

This could be part of that hearing issue I mentioned, but at 0:34, "standing over there...the devil son in law". LOL, that's what I hear.

That's exactly what he's saying! LOL

Repeating James Brown lyrics is like singing, 'Louis, Louis,' who knows what that cat was saying! It sounded cool though! Stage Band2

"Hitma! Hoon-azah!" What the hell is that? But it sounds so cool -and right- when James sings it on stage, or on a record! :p

Ok, this is a sample of a James Brown Review. If you can tell me one word of what the man is saying on most of the songs, I'll grow a whole new respect for your hearing! James kills it, but I have never been able to make out a complete sentence in the entire song! LOL Killer number, 'Baby Don't Go' with the famous James Brown walk-off... watch, listen. He's part of the reason the 60's was so great musically. Guys like James and Clyde making music only they can make.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_jqhXNF98A[/ame]

John

Bowing

I give a left testicle to see that!!

I love blasting James Brown through YouTube ran from my computer to the ole' stereo and playing along with Clyde! Closest I'll ever be to the guy!

> I give a left testicle to see that!!

Brew - I didn't know it then, actually, I took it for granted that growing up in NYC in the 50's/60's was a monster stroke of luck.

When I was 14/15 me and a couple of my 'musician' friends used to stand on the sidewalk outside of the Metropole Cafe' and listen to the Woody Herman orchestra, guys like Gene Krupa, Max Roach, Earl Jones. We lived in Washington Heights, uptown, Westside of Manhattan so we could literally be anywhere in the city inside of 20 minutes. We used to chuck quarters into Bob Dylan's and Richie Havens hats when they were playing the small clubs in the Village. We got to see James Brown and his Flames live at the Apollo at least a dozen times. The Filmore East where for $2.50 you could hear 5 top bands in one night. I've been hit with more Allman Bros. sweat than Cher Bono! There was a Baptist Church on 113th Street in Harlem with a Gospel choir that would bring you to your knees. We'd sit up in the balcony and the music and the voices would wash over you like electric waves of sound. Something you could feel physically.

We had 48th Street which is a strip of iconic music stores of all stripes. Manny's, Sam Ash, they all got their start on 48th Street. That block was always teeming with musicians from all over the city. It was a great place to meet other musicians and get the chance to play with all kinds and style of bands/groups. 52nd Street had the music of every big name jazz musician and his combo streaming out of the clubs onto the street. It was a magic time and a magic place to be... if I knew then, what I know now, I'd have a career as a professional drummer behind me and my basement would be full of perfect condition vintage cymbals, kits and drums that I bought at Manny's 50 years ago and saved all this time. I was a lucky dog to be a part of that time and that place. The images and sounds are all inside my brain for safe-keeping and future reference.

Imagine. :p

Memory-Lane rant over...

John

That just jogged an old memory. I remember skipping school to drive to the University of Houston to see Woody Herman. This was around '75? We snuck in and stood at the door to the auditorium and watched a couple songs before we were chased away. The one thing I remember is that the drummer had a huge chunk missing from his ride cymbal.