On May 3rd, 1933, legendary soul musician, pioneer of the funk, inventor of
'the one’, dancer, bandleader, songwriter, composer, producer, record executive, radio station owner, TV show producer, international soul music icon, multi-instrumentalist, social activist, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame artist-James (Joseph) Brown (Jr.) aka The Godfather Of Soul, The Hitman, The Minister Of New New Super Heavy Funk, and Soul Brother #1 was born in Barnwell, South Carolina. TOV has covered this artist in many posts, including his death on December 25th. Please refer to them for more information. The 1960's saw a change in James’ music from soul, with a gospel base, to a harder style of funk-with less harmonizing and more ‘rapping’ and improvisation over a constant riff.
'the one’, dancer, bandleader, songwriter, composer, producer, record executive, radio station owner, TV show producer, international soul music icon, multi-instrumentalist, social activist, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame artist-James (Joseph) Brown (Jr.) aka The Godfather Of Soul, The Hitman, The Minister Of New New Super Heavy Funk, and Soul Brother #1 was born in Barnwell, South Carolina. TOV has covered this artist in many posts, including his death on December 25th. Please refer to them for more information. The 1960's saw a change in James’ music from soul, with a gospel base, to a harder style of funk-with less harmonizing and more ‘rapping’ and improvisation over a constant riff.
He invented 'the one,' stating that he heard the music like the entire band was made up of percussionists-regardless of the instrument they played. His legendary term "hit me!" verifies that he wanted the instrumentation to be percussive, explosive, and something the listener could feel. He also needed this all to be done on 'the one,’ or the first beat of a four beat measure, that’s played harder/with more emphasis than the following three notes. Using all of these elements, he created his first official funk song I Got You (I Feel Good) in 1964 for Smash Records. Brown self-produced the release, and had a big hand in his music career overall. He had a record company (People Records), studio, in-house promoter (Alan Leeds), security, restaurants, etc. Name a service James needed, that was related to his music, and he either owned a portion of-or the entire business. He was 73 when he passed.
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On May 3rd, 2001, we lost a free jazz musician, drummer, bandleader, educator, prominent sideman, hard bop pioneer, and percussionist-Billy Higgins. The Los Angeles, California native is most known for his versatility as a musician performing with hard bop, be bop, fusion, free jazz bands, as well as funk and rock outfits. His work as a sideman is far greater in quantity than his work as a bandleader. He’s been featured on more than 700 recordings, the majority of which are on other people’s albums. His discography includes eight LPs released between 1979 & 2001-five of which came between 1979 and 1986. In the free jazz world, he’s most known as the drummer for pioneering saxophonist Ornette Coleman. He played with him for the three years (1958-1961) that Coleman was creating free jazz.
Higgins went on to become the session drummer for Blue Note Records during the 1960's, and played on just about every album released on the imprint. During that time, he worked with John Coltrane, Gene Ammons, Donald Byrd, Gary Bartz, Paul Horn, Don Cherry, Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, Grant Green, Milt Jackson, Eddie Harris, Charles Lloyd, Bobby Hutcherson, Richard Groove Holmes, Lee Morgan, Pharaoh Sanders, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Cedar Walton, Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, Sonny Stitt, Art Pepper, Buddy Montgomery, Freddie Hubbard, Hank Mobley, and Teddy Edwards. Higgins started The World Stage Center in L.A. (1989), to teach young jazz musicians, and give them a performance space. He also taught jazz at UCLA. Billy Higgins was 64 when he passed away.
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On May 3rd, 2011, we lost seminal jazz musician, pianist, composer, sideman, arranger, organist, bandleader, fusion jazz innovator, soul music pioneer, former Tennessee State University Marching Band prospect, and founding member of Odell Brown & The Organ-Izers-Odell (Elliott) Brown Jr. (front-center) was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Brown started playing piano when he was just four. His mother taught and encouraged him to cultivate his skills early. By the time he was 10, he was very productive on the baby grand his father purchased him. He started playing piano and organ with school bands, joined various soul, jazz, and doo wop bands while in high school, and sought a spot in The TSU Marching Band in college.
He got drafted into the Army, however, and was unable to play at TSU. Instead he played in The Army Post Band, and learned the ropes of composing and arranging. After the Army, he moved to Chicago (early 60's). He assembled a soul jazz band, including local players and some of his musical friends from Nashville. They called themselves The Organ-Izers, and secured a deal with Chess Records a few years later. In 1966 they released their debut LP Raising The Roof. They recorded a few albums up to the late 60's, and in the 70's, he started writing, composing, and producing for Minnie Ripperton, Marvin Gaye (Sexual Healing), Curtis Mayfield, and Johnny Nash. Odell Brown was 71 at the time of his passing.
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HONORABLE MENTION: On May 3rd, 1920, influential jazz musician, pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and founder/director of The Modern Jazz Quartet-John Aaron Lewis was born in La Grange, Illinois. He started learning classical piano at the age of seven years old. In the early 1940's Lewis started playing with drummer Kenny Clarke in The Army Band. He played with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Lester Young in the mid to late 1940's; and formed The Milt Jackson Quartet (renamed The Modern Jazz Quartet in 1952). They released over 25 LPs between 1955 & 1982. Aaron Lewis was 80 when he died.
On May 3rd, 1921, the best pound for pound boxer to ever step in the ring-Sugar Ray Robinson (Walker Smith Jr.) was born in Alley, GA. He’s been ranked as the best boxer by multiple boxing associations, sportswriters, magazines, and historians-and is responsible for boxing ratings coming up with the pound for pound category. From 1940 until 1965, he fought 207 times-in four different weight classes (Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Light Heavyweight). He won championships in both the Welterweight and Middleweight classes. Sugar Ray was 67 when he passed away.
On May 3rd, 1926, jazz musician, sideman, trombonist, composer, bandleader, arranger, and producer-Jimmy Cleveland (James Milton Cleveland) was born in Wartrace, Tennessee. Cleveland was a hard bop trombonist that released a few LPs, as a bandleader, during the mid to late 1950's for EmArcy and Mercury Records. He’s most known though for his work as a sideman with Miles Davis, Dorothy Ashby, James Brown, Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Chico Hamilton, Gil Evans, Quincy Jones, Thelonious Monk, Oliver Nelson, Milt Jackson, Hank Crawford, Randy Weston, Stanley Turrentine, Sonny Rollins, Blue Mitchell, and Wes Montgomery. Jimmy Cleveland was 82 when he passed.
On May 3rd, 1959, electronic music pioneer, producer, singer, keyboardist, percussionist, guitarist, songwriter, bassist, composer, arranger, and former member of Soft Cell-David (James) Ball aka Dave Ball was born in Blackpool, England, UK. Ball is most known for his work with Soft Cell (Tainted Love), The Pet Shop Boys, David Bowie, The Grid, and Nitewreckage. His sound is futuristic but melodic. He doesn’t over do it with synthesizer and drum patterns. It sounds more organic than most electronic music, making it easy to dance to. He joined Soft Cell in the late 1970's, and stayed with them until they dissolved in 1984. He currently produces, writes and composes for others. Dave Ball is 60 today.
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