Give the others some
Michael Sean | Seattle, WA - US | 07/24/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"While James Brown is no doubt most recognized for such familiar hits as "Sex Machine," "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," and "I Got You (I Feel Good)," his remarkable skills as a musician, composer, and bandleader are often overshadowed by his flamboyant stage presence. In addition to his role as vocalist, he also spent time on the organ and the drums. This magnificent 2-disc set concentrates on his instrumental work with his various lineups during the decade of the 1960's, showcasing their airtight performances of soul, blues, jazz and funk. Brown's demanding material resulted in a succession of top-shelf players such as keyboardist Bobby Byrd, tenor sax legends "Pee Wee" Ellis and Maceo Parker, trombonist Fred Wesley, and funky drummer Clyde Stubblefield, whose infectious breaks were one of the cornerstones of beat sampling in hip-hop. A pair of live cuts display a couple of the lineups in action, with the 1966 group, the New Breed, doing their signature tune, "Devil's Den," and the 1968 band captured in the spotlight on a fabulous version of Archie Bell & The Drells' "Tighten Up," led by Maceo. Not all of the tracks lack vocals, however. Brown's voice can be heard from behind the drums on "Hold It," as well as on "Devil's Den," "Ain't It Funky Now, Pts. 1 & 2," and "Funky Drummer." This collection represents the other side of the hardest working man in show business, and acts as a nice companion to the "40th Anniversary Collection" or the "Star Time" box set. Pick it up, get into it, and get involved."
Simply Awsome
mike lewandowski | Lakewood, CO United States | 08/21/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Soul Pride is one of those collections that anyone interested in jazz simply must have. There is a big difference between disk one and two. You can hear how much improved the band became. The first disk has a rough edge but loaded with power. Fat Bag and Devil's Den are standouts. From disk two songs like The Chicken, Soul Pride, The Chase,& Sudsy, is group jazz at it's finest. The band is tight and the sound is powerful. And Tighten-up is pure fun with Maceo at the helm,. there is so much good music here it will take months to absorb it all. There is a jazz radio station in Denver and why they never play anything of this set is a mystery. James Brown had a jazz Band that is up there with anyone at the time these CD's are proof of that."
Great on the road, great for a party
Louis | San Francisco, US, Canada | 08/03/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My guitar teacher loaned me tapes of these two CDs. On a 3600-mile road trip they earned pride of place in the car player. Guitar-wise you won't hear anything rock-ish, no fuzz tones, and nothing particularly jazzy. You will hear bare-bones, squeeky-clean R&B, a textbook of the style. JB and the whole band-- horns, drums, bass-- wrote the book on this style, and man does it wear well."
Track Listings (20) - Disc #1