Bob’s projects
I have (also) been working on lighting a fire with a contemporary all-star version of Motown’s Funk Brothers. We call them The Great American Rhythm Section.
Motown had as made famous by the Funk Brothers film more number one hits than Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis and the Beatles
The idea is not to recreate the past but rather to rekindle the kind of creativity that led to so many classic records during the 1950s and ’60s.
If we old guys can really crank it up again, we’ll be in a position to hand the skills off to a new generation.
We’re having a complete blast and I get to be a relative beginner again.
Please go to the link and listen to the clips and even download a whole song (for free). Anyway let us know what you think of this project so far. Thanks! 
Here is the link:
http://alicewiththegars.com/
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Fletcher:
What a brilliant idea!!!!!!!!
How can I be a fly on the wall? Need a ‘coffee bitch’?
So Bob… are you going to be like running “Motown South” or “Muscle Shoals North”?
BOB:
BOTH and American Sound too if I can pull it off.
It’s mind-boggling that the “industry” left these folks behind.
I can even get Fred Wesley and a bunch of the JBs.
I really want to hear all these guys play together.
It’s time to mix it up for real rather than just samples.
The kicker will be the young kids who step up to the plate and start playing on the same level.
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I have to mention David Hungate too although he’s one of those guys who makes other people sound great without drawing much attention to himself.
I’ve been using him on rhythm guitar with Babbitt.
One of our secret Motown weapons was drummer Benny Benjamin. Hungate has the same kind of overwhelming musicianship that Benny had.
The man just makes stuff cook.
Fred Wesley! Say hello from R Xeno. He may remember a session or two back in the late 80’s. Fred is an incredible and wonderful talent.
Cool
rxeno
I think one of the great factors in the “Hit Factories” was a band that played together all day, every day. Besides Detroit, Muscle Shoals and Memphis this was also the practice in New York and LA where a small group of session players made most of the records.
During each “Golden Age” the bands worked all the time, and where in front of an audience hundreds of days a year. I’m not just talking about Rock & Roll, Big Bands and cool jazz – this was also true in the Baroque era where Kings had staffed orchestras.
What is really striking is that the music is best when the boss can play. I did not know that Berry Gordy wrote; did you know that Henry VIII and Frederick the Great where accomplished musicians and writers?
Without music education, I find it hard for music of any sophistication to become popular; and with economics reducing most public venues to DJ or computer juke there are not enough places to learn how to play for people.
Where are the next generation of session bands going to get started? How can they afford to practice TOGETHER?