James Jamerson

Back in high school, I picked up a Fender Jazz Precision Bass. I'm not sure what caused me to pickup that specific bass but looking back I suspect I was influenced by James Jamerson. His name might not have rung a bell to me in high school, but his bass lines—the heartbeat of Motown hits from the '60s to the early '70s—were unmistakable. Early in the pandemic I loaned my P-Bass to a neighbor. I got it back in late 2022 and mentioned to a friend that I was playing bass and listening to a great James Jamerson playlist on Spotify. My buddy suggested I restring my bass with James's signature flat wound strings. It took me decades to connect the dots but I finally did!