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James Brown the Bach of our Time

What happens when a musical genius is not nurtured, neglected a classical education, raised in abject poverty by someone other than his biological parents, criminally inclined, chemically altered, and battered by tragic circumstance? You get a man whose music was able to nurture not one genre but four, feed the creativity of four generations of musicians, provide a comfortable life for himself and his family, politically charge a nation, and rise out of bleak obscurity to become known as The Godfather of Soul. James Brown lived a full and tumultuous life, one that mirrors his era, and reflects the struggle of the African-American male in the twentieth century. Brown's songs examine the pain and realism found in living as a black man in the United States during a time when the status quo of segregation was being challenged. His songs "It's A Man's World", "Say It Loud", and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" become the anthems of the poor man, the black man, the lover and the fighter.

James Brown as a musical force is dripping with similarities to another great man of music, the incomparable Johann Sebastian Bach. Both are products of their environment; though 150 years apart, they share a spiritual connection. Musically, they attained a level of genius not fully comprehended. Bach invented so many tools and theoretical concepts that his Sunday alone provides the foundation any fledging musician's practice regimen. Brown ignored the rules and concentrated on what sounded and what felt good. These two maestros are prime examples of the possibilities of mankind. They demonstrate passion, nationalism, pride, ego and a prolificacy unmatched by most.

Although they are at first glance quite different, the similarities between them are staggering. They wear similar hairstyles; they were of similar temperament; they lived a lot, they loved a lot and they poured their souls into their music. Most importantly, their music becomes the foundation of their respective genres, thus ensuring that their music survived, while also infusing life into the genres that follow. Both were cursed with a period of stagnation Bach after his death, and Brown during his life followed by a resurgence rivaling the popularity of any musician past and present.

Both Bach and Brown lost their parents at an early age: Bach's parents died when he was nine; Brown's parents separated and left him in the care of his aunt when he was four. Both received musical training in

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