Fred Wesley
- Type: Bandleader
- Country: United States
- Born: July 04, 1943 in Columbus, Georgia, United States
Biography
A principal architect of funk, trombonist, composer, and arranger Fred Wesley is renowned for his work as the musical director for *James Brown* and his band, The J.B.'s. His precise, rhythmic horn arrangements and solos on tracks like 'Pass the Peas' defined the genre. In 1975, he joined *George Clinton*'s Parliament-Funkadelic, further expanding funk's vocabulary with The Horny Horns and contributing to seminal albums like 'Mothership Connection'. Rooted in jazz, Wesley later joined the *Count Basie* Orchestra and has led his own jazz and funk ensembles, including The New JBs, cementing a legacy that merges big-band discipline with revolutionary groove.