Fred Wesley and Fred Wesley & the New JBs

Fred Wesley, born in Columbus, Georgia, is famed for leading James Brown's J.B.'s, defining funk's language with bold trombone solos. He worked with Brown, creating hits like "Doin' It to Death," joined Parliament-Funkadelic, and released solo albums. Transitioned to jazz, Wesley played with Count Basie Orchestra, collaborated with Earth, Wind & Fire, and was sampled in hip-hop. He published a memoir, toured as Fred Wesley Group and taught jazz studies in North Carolina.