Fred Wesley

Born in Columbus, Georgia in 1943 and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Fred Wesley established himself in the 1960s as one of the central trombonists of American funk, at the crossroads of soul, R&B and jazz. His career is closely tied to James Brown, within whom Fred Wesley played, arranged and led the J.B.’s during a decisive period, participating in the creation of a dry, syncopated and highly mobile brass language, heard on tracks such as Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud and Hot Pants, which he co-signed. After leaving in 1975, Fred Wesley joined George Clinton's Parliament-Funkadelic universe and took part in several P-Funk related projects, while pursuing personal work where funk groove dialogues with jazz writing. From the late 1970s, he also played with the Count Basie Orchestra, illuminating another facet of his playing, more rooted in the tradition of big bands. His leader discography includes Damn Right I Am Somebody (1974), A Blow for Me, a Toot to You (1977), To Someone (1990), New Friends (1990) and Wuda Cuda Shuda (2003). Fred Wesley has also collaborated with Maceo Parker, Pee Wee Ellis, Soulive, The Greyboy Allstars, and De La Soul, and continues to move between instrumental funk, soul-jazz and collective ensembles.