Soul Classics Vol. II was the first record I ever remember hearing. James Brown (along with Sly Stone) was my first musical perception. If you consider how many unique rhythms he and his band have created over the years, some of which spawned entirely new genres of music, then you can hardly deny that he was one of the greatest musical innovators of the 20th Century. His death is a complete shock, especially coming on Christmas morning. We have experienced such tremendous losses in the entertainment industry this year (Jack Palance, Ruth Brown, Robert Altman and Ahmet Ertegun to name a few from November and December alone) that it is almost hard to get upset anymore. But James Brown's music has meant more to me over the years than almost any other artist, and there will never be anyone with his brand of strength and courage. In the 1960's, James Brown was a true independent, a true vanguard in a musical world that marginalized black artists' selling potential as well as their humanity. He remained 100% true to his art at a time when success in the musical mainstream was all about compromise.
Just the other week, my cousin showed me a DVD collection of TV appearances James and the band made on Soul Train. It made me love his music all over again. His delivery was perfect, his energy boundless. But it makes his death that much more of a loss.
Have a Funky Christmas.
