With Hit Me, Fred, sensational sideman Fred Wesley Jr. moves front and center to tell his life story. A legendary funk, soul, and jazz musician, Wesley is best known for his work in the late sixties and early seventies with James Brown and as the leader of Brown's band, Fred Wesley and the JB's. Having been the band's music director, arranger, trombone player, and frequent composer, Wesley is one of the original architects of funk music. "[Fred Wesley is] one of the most influential instrumentalist/composer/arrangers in the annals of R & B, soul-jazz, and hip-hop... [and] one of the most sampled musicians in the world today. "--Timothy White, Billboard "This book is straight up! Fred Wesley, he'll tell you like it is, even if your feelings get hurt, but coming from Fred, for some reason it makes you wanna do better. The book is the bomb!!! Stories are stories but this is real life. Write on, Fred. "--Bootsy Collins "[T]he book reads easily--it sounds like Fred's telling you all this over plate of rice 'n' ribs... When James [Brown] and George [Clinton] are long gone, the music they brought to life between 1967 and 1977 will still be tearing the roof off the sucker--and Fred Wesley was an indispensable part of that revolution. "--Dan Warburton, Signal to Noise "[A] remarkable autobiography... This candid and hilarious account of working alongside James Brown, Parliament/Funkadelic, and on his own, should solidify [Wesley's] reputation as much as the music he created. "--Down Beat "As passionately crafted as one of [Wesley's] solos, Hit Me, Fred becomes a shout-out to all sidemen who play their hearts out--just outside the spotlight. As a musician, Wesley could always capture the feverish moment. Now, as a storyteller, he has revealed yet another way to take us higher. "--Boston Globe