About the Book
With Hit Me, Fred, sensational sideman Fred Wesley Jr. moves front and center to tell his life story. A legendary funk, soul, and jazz musician, Wesley is best known for his work in the late sixties and early seventies with James Brown and as the leader of Brown's band, Fred Wesley and the JB's. Having been the band's music director, arranger, trombone player, and frequent composer, Wesley is one of the original architects of funk music. "[Fred Wesley is] one of the most influential instrumentalist/composer/arrangers in the annals of R&B, soul-jazz, and hip-hop...[and] one of the most sampled musicians in the world today."--Timothy White, Billboard "This book is straight up! Fred Wesley, he'll tell you like it is, even if your feelings get hurt, but coming from Fred, for some reason it makes you wanna do better. The book is the bomb!!! Stories are stories but this is real life. Write on, Fred."--Bootsy Collins "[T]he book reads easily--it sounds like Fred's telling you all this over plate of rice 'n' ribs...When James [Brown] and George [Clinton] are long gone, the music they brought to life between 1967 and 1977 will still be tearing the roof off the sucker--and Fred Wesley was an indispensable part of that revolution.
"--Dan Warburton, Signal to Noise "[A] remarkable autobiography...This candid and hilarious account of working alongside James Brown, Parliament/Funkadelic, and on his own, should solidify [Wesley's] reputation as much as the music he created."--Down Beat "As passionately crafted as one of [Wesley's] solos, Hit Me, Fred becomes a shout-out to all sidemen who play their hearts out--just outside the spotlight. As a musician, Wesley could always capture the feverish moment. Now, as a storyteller, he has revealed yet another way to take us higher."--Boston Globe
Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations ix
Foreword xi
1. A Musical Upbringing 1
2. Higher Education 31
3. Uncle Sam's Army 55
4. James Brown 84
5. California 115
6. James Brown Again 132
7. Bootsy's Rubber Band and Parliament/Funkadelic 190
8. Count Basie 211
9. Hollywood, Hollywood 228
10. Mile High in Denver 263
11. JB Horns 285
12. Star Time 301
Selected Discography 313
Index 317
About the Author :
Fred Wesley Jr. is an accomplished trombonist renowned for his contributions to funk and jazz music over the past several decades. Working for James Brown from 1968–75, he was instrumental in the production of such milestone recordings as The Payback; Doing It to Death; Get on the Good Foot; and Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud, as well as the scoring of the soundtracks to Black Caesar and Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off. In the 1990s Wesley toured extensively with Pee Wee Ellis and Maceo Parker, before forming his own band. Wesley continues to tour and play music. He also writes, lectures, and conducts workshops on jazz and funk music. Wesley lives in South Carolina.
Review :
" ... the autobiography of trombonist Fred Wesley, Jr. can now be added to this slender list as a major resource about the background to such bands as Ike Turner's, James Brown's and Bootsy Collins'."--Jazzwise, November 2002 "This book is straight up! Fred Wesley, he'll tell you like it is, even if your feelings get hurt, but coming from Fred, for some reason it makes you wanna do better. The book is the bomb!!! Stories are stories but this is real life. Write on, Fred."--Bootsy Collins "[Fred Wesley is] one of the most influential instrumentalist/composer/arrangers in the annals of R & B, soul-jazz, and hop-hop... [and] one of the most sampled musicians in the world today."--Timothy White, Billboard "As passionately crafted as one of his solos, Hit Me, Fred becomes a shout-out to all sidemen who play their hearts out--just outside the spotlight. As a musician, Wesley could always capture the feverish moment. Now, as a storyteller, he has revealed yet another way to take us higher."--Boston Globe "Wesley has written a thoroughly engaging memoir of his life in music, using frank, opinionated, 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... Recommended for all collections, a real gem for music collections."--Library Journal "[A] remarkable autobiography... This candid and hilarious account of working alongside James Brown, Parliament/Funkadelic, and on his own, should solidify [Wesley's] reputation as much as the music he created."--Down Beat "Fred Wesley Jr. is inextricably woven into the fibers of fun's historic quilt--and as much as he may humbly play it down--his impressive contributions as a trombonist and music arranger are tremendous."--Craig Curtice, FM Sound "[An] honest hardhitting autobiography ... For all Funk aficionados this is a MUST ... [W]e haven't been able to put it down ... [T]racing Fred's beginnings with James Brown, Count Basie, P-Funk. It's a no-holds barred account from the funkiest trombone player in the world!"--Maceo Parker News "[T]here's no doubt that Wesley is still the baddest trombonist in funk."--Grant Britt, ESP Magazine "In a book like this, it is difficult to hide yourself without the whole thing seeming false. This is not the impression that Fred gives. One has the feeling of an all-round sort of guy, intelligent, perceptive, someone who likes people and can see good things in them, perhaps a trifle arrogant--but that's a small price to pay--in fact an absolute prerequisite for the life he took on. This book will interest musicians and Jazz enthusiasts alike; it contains so much detail, so many names--and it is possible to taste the flavor of the sort of life you lead if you have a consuming passion for your music."--Ferdinand Mavlin, Jazz Now "[T]he book reads easily--it sounds like Fred's telling you all this over plate of rice 'n' ribs... When James [Brown] and George [Clinton] are long gone, the music they brought to life between 1967 and 1977 will still be tearing the roof off the sucker--and Fred Wesley was an indispensable part of that revolution."--Dan Warburton, Signal to Noise "[A] major resource about the background to such bands as Ike Turner's, James Brown's and Bootsy Collins'."--Alyn Shipton, Jazzwise "[A] very interesting book...[A]n intriguing behind-the-scenes look at the music business. But more than that it is a shocker for its revelations about James Brown. It is bound to alter whatever you think about Brown now... [C]heck out this book. It will educate and inform."--Steve Holsey, Michigan Chronicle "[Wesley] has written a book about his experience in playing with a 'Who's Who' of African-American popular music... It's a rich read."--Jeri Rowe, Triad Style "This book offers a candid, indeed unsparing, look at [Wesley's] whole career... This compellingly told narrative, liberally spiced up with strong opinions, valuably illuminates a rich slice of recent history... Highly recommended. All collections." --K. R. Dietrich, Choice "[F]antastic... It's a candid, often humourous, and compelling story."--Sunil Chauhan, Straight No Chaser Magazine "[E]ngaging... The sheer scope of Fred's experiences is impressive... his laid back, colloquial style affords an entertaining, often humorous read with salty stories, and details galore... [O]ne hell of an interesting story."--Seamus McGarvey, Juke Blues "In his autobiography Hit Me, Fred, Mr. Wesley talks about dancing around the continent-size ego of James Brown. He juxtaposes the courtliness of the South against the hardscrabble desperation of poverty, mentioning the hideous conditions that created Brown though understanding that nothing could explain his boss's monstrous behavior."--Elvis Mitchell, The New York Times "Did you know Wesley was a milkman? Me neither. How cool. So you know he was JB's man--and then he was Clinton aide... There's a lot about this guy you should know though. Good book... [W]hat a great man."--Grand Slam Magazine "Hit Me, Fred is must-read for anyone interested in American pop music."--David Dupont, Cadence "Narrated in a thoroughly entertaining, conversational tone, Hit Me, Fred is first an insightful examination of the vibrant jazz/blues culture of [Wesley's] hometown, Mobile, Alabama, in the 1950s... The early section of the book is notable also for the fervor with which Wesley relates his growing comfort with the bebop idiom, his cracking the code, so to speak. The description of his joy on surviving his first public 'cutting' session is nothing short of a spiritual expression... [T]his book is a highly significant addition to the literature on the jazz/blues continuum."--Henry C. Lacey, Times-Picayune (New Orleans) "During his studies, Wesley learned another skill, writing. It shows. Hit Me Fred reads like a real story, rather than a mere list of his accomplishments throughout the years. It's an autobiography worth reading."--Jennifer Bihm, Sentinel (Los Angeles) "Trombonist Wesley details the ups and downs of working as a sideman with a special focus on his stint with Godfather of Soul and petty tyrant James Brown."--Larry Katz, The Boston Herald "This legendary musician has a new book entitled Hit Me, Fred: Recollections of a Sideman that chronicles his career and the many personalities he worked with who shaped the sounds of vintage soul."--New Pittsburgh Courier (also ran in Atlanta Inquirer, The Jacksonville Free Press, and Westside Gazette (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) "Anyone who is interested in music should read this book. A powerful, honest and fascinating insight into the life of a man who has dedicated his life to music, Fred tells it how it really is. Life on the road, life with James Brown, life with George Clinton, the battle between making a buck and making music you're proud of. Also includes good coverage of his work on the Black Caesar and Slaughter's Big Rip Off soundtracks."--Blaxploitation.com Wesley was interviewed on NPR's "Weekend All Things Considered," NPR's "Tavis Smiley" and on WUNC's "The State of Things." Also reviewed in Undercover Magazine (UK). Book has been mentioned in numerous articles about Fred's tour including an interview in the International Herald Tribune. It's all over the web, too. Listed as #4 in Essence's Top 5 Hardcover Nonfiction (April 2003). Mentioned in Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO). Mixed review in The Wire. Also listed in PW
