Hello! My name is Ashley Levine, and I'm an archivist for the PBS historical documentary series, History Detectives.

We are currently working on an investigation involving James Jamerson, the Funk Brothers bassist who revolutionized the role of the bass guitar in rock n' roll, funk, R&B, soul [[basically all genres post-1960).

The segment we're working on centers on what might be James Jamerson's trusted Ampeg Portaflex B15-N amp. I'm reaching out to ask about where to find visual materials for use in bringing the historical part of our story to life. While we're really interested in shots of Jamerson, we would also like to secure a multitude of images, from the classic 1960s exterior shots of the Motown "Hitsville" Studios, to exterior shots of the Motown scene in the 60s [[clubs where the Funk Brothers played--The Flame Showbar, Phelps Lounge, Apex Bar, Club 20 Grand, Chit-Chat, Hobby Bar, Al's Cocktail Lounge, Sam Farley's Collingwood Lounge, Mory Bakers', Blues Unlimited), to images of actual recording sessions, notes from sessions, images of Motown legends [[Marvin Gaye, Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Four Tops, and others) performing and/or generally, Funk Brothers images, or just generally Motown archival images/footage from 1959 through 1972.

We are soooo grateful for any insights, leads, or suggestions!


Best,

Ashley Levine
Archivist, “History Detectives"
Lion TV for PBS
ashley.levine@liontv.us
office: 212.929.0229 ext. 276
fax: 212.929.6109
http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/