Fred Wesley book signing (May 19, 2005) (swipe)

johmbolaya

Someone posted this at OKP so I thought I'd post it here:

CALLING ALL FUNK AND SOUL FANS!!!!!![/b]Funk legend Fred Wesley will be speaking and signing copies of his new book "Hit Me, Fred" Recollections of a Sideman this Thursday 5/19/05 at 7PM at ESOWON Books, 3655 South La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles CA. (323) 294-0324For all you funk fans and crate diggers out there you don't want to miss this. This man was the band director for "James Brown" & The JB's.He has recorded performed and arranged for non other than "Lynn Collins", "Bobby Byrd" "Sweet Charles," "Marva Whitney," "Parliament," "Bootsy Collins," "Parlet," "The Brides of Funkenstein" and a host of others. He is responsible for writing "The Payback" and producing and arranging the "Black Caesar" sound track and film score. His work with James Brown and others has been sampled countless times by a huge number of A list rappers and producers to many to name.If you know and love "The Funk" you need to be there this Thursday 5/19/05 at 7PM at ESOWON Books, 3655 South La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles CA. (323) 294-0324Hope to see you there!Book review:[/b]Before hip-hop. There was soul and funk, which gave rise to such highly influential bands and popular stars as Ike and Tina Turner, George Clinton, Parliament, Funkadelic, and, of course, James Brown. Trombonist Wesley has been associated with all of these and more, serving as Brown???s bandleader for many years and through his personal sound, compositions, and arrangements contributing immeasurably to the fabric of American popular music. Wesley has written a thoroughly engaging memoir of his life in music, using frank, opinion and sometimes colorful language that reads as if he were sitting across the room reminiscing. Readers will be fascinated by his insider descriptions of working with the volatile Brown and by his vivid descriptions of the vicissitudes of life as a professional musician; musicians at all levels will find his comments on life on the road particularly compelling. Chapters on his tenure with the Count Basie Orchestra, his struggles with the L.A. music scene, and playing jazz in Denver after brother Ron helped him overcome a cocaine habit round out the picture of Wesley???s musicianship and humanity without lapsing into ???behind the music??? clich??. Recommended for all collections, a real gem for music collections. ???Mark Woodhouse, Elmira Goll. Lib., NYTaken from www.fredwesley.com