Jimmy Nolen (April 3, 1934 – December 18, 1983)[1][2] was an American guitarist, known for his distinctive "chicken scratch" lead guitar playing in James Brown's bands.
[6] Nolen was "discovered" in a club in Tulsa, Oklahoma by Jimmy Wilson, a blues singer famous for his 1953 hit "Tin Pan Alley.
[5] The Jimmy Nolen band was popular but never released any records since their primary purpose was to work as live backup for more famous acts.
Like saxophone player Maceo Parker, trombonist Fred Wesley and drummers Clyde Stubblefield and John "Jabo" Starks, Nolen was a staple in James Brown's band.
James replied to the mass resignation of his musicians by hiring a then-juvenile band called the Pacemakers from Cincinnati, Ohio.
Despite this band's undeniable talent for playing breakneck funk, it was relatively short-lived as a group, as the Collins brothers soon left to join George Clinton's Parliament-Funkadelic organization.
The result was a rhythm guitar sound that seemed to float somewhere between the low-end thump of the electric bass and the cutting tone of the snare and hi-hats, with a rhythmically melodic feel that fell deep in the pocket.
The fact that Nolen defined the guitar style which influenced decades of guitarists and funk groups to follow, including Earth Wind and Fire, Tower of Power, Chic, George Clinton.
[3] James Brown and Jmmy Nolen's cuts such as "The Payback", "Papas Got a Brand New Bag",[10] "Cold Sweat", "Funky Drummer," and "The Boss" have been sampled, utilized by countless producers, DJs, and MCs.