I am nearly finished with "Hit Me Fred: Recollections of a Sideman" by legendary trombonist Fred Wesley. Wesley played with such stars as Ike and Tina Turner, Hank Ballard, Count Basie, Bootsy and the Rubber Band, George Clinton &Parliament-Funkadelic, EWF, Curtis Mayfield but of course is most famous for his work with James Brown on such tunes as "Doing it to Death", "Hot Pants", "Say it Loud(I'm Black and I'm Proud)" and many many others. Wesley also was Brown's primary arranger and musical director as well as co-writer on a few songs.

Wesley states that he does not hate James Brown but didn't always like being around him. There's definitely some score settling here as Wesley pulls back the curtain and shares information of both a personal and musical nature that may make some look at Brown in a different light.

Wesley also points out that for better or worse Brown was like a musical father and made Wesley a better person, despite the fact that Wesley did not then and does not now agree with Brown's methods. Wesley also admits that whatever it had to take to be a star Brown had it while Wesley didn't- despite Wesley's musical knowledge. And Wesley is as hard on himself as he is on Brown and other people with whom he did not always get along.

This is really a fun read and gives a tour of the rock-and-roll, soul and funk scenes from the fifties thru the eighties. It was published a few years before Brown's passing.

"James Brown's organ playing was just good enough to fool the casual listener and just horrible enough to make a real musician sick"...Fred Wesley.