"Gimme Some More" - Fred Wesley

"Gimme Some More" (PDF) from The J.B.'s album, Food for Thought, and compilation, Funky Good Time: The Anthology.

These days, Fred Wesley usually performs this tune together with "Pass The Peas" as a J.B.'s medley. While "Pass The Peas" has a more laid back groove to it, "Gimme Some More" digs into the "on-the-one" type of groove. I have transcribed both the studio and live versions that appear on the Funky Good Time compilation because they showcase Wesley's driving style of playing the trombone.

It is interesting to note the similarities between these two versions. Obviously, they both begin with a trademark glissando that not only amuses an audience but also creates some tension and anticipation for the actual solo. There are also some identical patterns that Fred uses in both versions. One can argue that this may be unimaginative, but being that Fred Wesley wrote the book of funk trombone, his patterns are "The Word." His patterns work in this type of music, and his playing is often quoted by many.

The Fred Wesley Lick, as I like to call it, appears in the last four bars of the studio solo. Essentially, it's just a D blues scale, but Wesley plays with it by accenting the G against the D minor triad, and then "bends" the G up to an Ab and eventually resolves back down to the D. It's a simple blues lick, but it's Wesley's signature pattern.

This solo also features the use of syncopation. An easy way to get into Fred's funky rhythms is to use his "eighth-note rest followed by two sixteenth notes" pattern for a launching point. While the groove is playing "on the one," Fred uses this pattern to play all around the beat, to get outside of the pocket, to get funky. I think of this pattern as a hiccup, because that what it sounds like to me.

This completes Fred Wesley 101.

Recommended Reading: Hit Me, Fred: Recollections of a Sideman. Written by Fred Wesley Jr.. Published by Duke University Press.