On October 19, 2025, Anthony Claiborne Jackson died aged 73. He was musician (electric bass, contrabass, guitar), bassist, regarded as “one of the masters of the instrument”. He performed live in more than 30 countries and recorded in more than 3000 sessions on more than 500 albums, with Al Di Meola, Billy Paul, Carlos Garnett, Roberta Flack, Patti Austin, Alex Bugnon, Michel Camilo, Jorge Dalto, Mandoki Soulmates, Will Downing, Carlos Franzetti, Jun Fukamachi, Eric Gale, Terumasa Hino, Garland Jeffreys, Chaka Khan, Steve Khan, Tania Maria, Harvey Mason, Michel Petrucciani, Buddy Rich, Lee Ritenour, Mike Stern, Hiromi Uehara, Grover Washington Jr., Monty Alexander, Peter Allen, Gabriela Anders, Ashford & Simpson, Fahir Atakoglu, Anita Baker, Bob Baldwin, Gato Barbieri, Thereza Bazar, Jim Beard, Bee Gees, George Benson, Warren Bernhardt, Randy Bernsen, Rory Block, Perry Botkin Jr., Ralph Bowen, Till Brönner, Peabo Bryson, Jimmy Buffett, Dina Carroll, Dennis Chambers, Sandeep Chowta, John Clark, Norman Connors, Chick Corea, Hank Crawford, Randy Crawford, Lou Courtney, Eddie Daniels, Michael Davis, Rainy Davis, Eumir Deodato, Devonsquare, Paul Dresher, Ned Rothenberg, Gene Dunlap, Eliane Elias, Pee Wee Ellis, Jon Faddis, Donald Fagen, Joe Farrell, Rachelle Ferrell, Barry Finnerty, Sonny Fortune, Hiroshi Fukumura, Four Tops, Henry Gaffney, Carlos Garnett, Stephane Grappelli, Urbie Green, Michael Gregory, Dave Grusin, Kit Hain, Delores Hall, Lionel Hampton, Gene Harris, Takehiro Honda, Lena Horne, Miki Howard, Bobbi Humphrey, Phyllis Hyman, Masaru Imada, Freddie Jackson, Joe Jackson, Rebbie Jackson, Al Jarreau, Quincy Jones, Ryo Kawasaki, Earl Klugh, Kahoru Kohiruimaki, Wayne Krantz, Bireli Lagrene, Yusef Lateef, Webster Lewis, Dave Liebman, Reggie Lucas, Ralph MacDonald, Teo Macero, Madonna, Teena Marie, Sleepy Matsumoto, Maureen McGovern, Sergio Mendes, Pat Metheny, Bette Midler, Barry Miles, Russell Morris, Gerry Mulligan, Milton Nascimento, David “Fathead” Newman, Maxine Nightingale, Claude Nougaro, The O’Jays, Jeffrey Osborne, Phil Perry, Peter, Paul & Mary, Esther Phillips, Simon Phillips, Noel Pointer, Jesse Rae, Ernest Ranglin, Lou Rawls, Jess Roden, Diana Ross, Ray Russell, Sam & Dave, David Sanborn, Arturo Sandoval, Alejandro Sanz, Lalo Schifrin, Helen Schneider, John Scofield, John Sebastian, Doc Severinsen, Carly Simon, Edward Simon, Paul Simon, Simon & Garfunkel, Kathy Sledge, Lonnie Liston Smith, Steve Smith, Phoebe Snow, Bert Sommer, David Spinozza, Steely Dan, Jeremy Steig, Charles Sullivan, Ximo Tebar, Nino Tempo, John Tropea, Michal Urbaniak, Dave Valentin, Luther Vandross, Harold Vick, Roch Voisine, Martha Wash, Kazumi Watanabe, Sadao Watanabe, Frank Weber, Dave Weckl, James D-Train Williams, Vanessa Williams, Nancy Wilson, Bernie Worrell and Akiko Yano. As co – leader Jackson released three albums.
Tag Archives: Lee Ritenour
Sarah Vaughn: Songs Of The Beatles

On April 9, 1981, “Atlantic” label released “Songs of the Beatles”, the 45th Sarah Vaughan album. It was recorded in 1977, and was produced by Marty Paich and David Paich.
Personnel:
- Sarah Vaughan – vocals
- Lee Ritenour, Dean Parks, Louie Shelton – guitar
- Michael Lang – keyboards
- Marty Paich, David Paich – keyboards, arranger
- Steve Porcaro – synthesizer
- Toots Thielemans – harmonica
- David Hungate – bass guitar
- Bob Magnusson – string bass
- Jeff Porcaro – percussion, drums
- Bobbye Hall, Joe Porcaro, Steve Forman – percussion
- Jon Smith – tenor saxophone
- Marcos Valle – vocals
- Bill Thedford, Perry Morgan, Jim Gilstrap – backing vocals
Track listing:
All tracks by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, except where noted.
- Get Back
- And I Love Her
- Eleanor Rigby
- The Fool on the Hill
- You Never Give Me Your Money
- Come Together
- I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
- Blackbird
- Something – George Harrison
- Here, There and Everywhere
- The Long and Winding Road
- Yesterday
- Hey Jude
Blue Mitchell: African Violet

On March 13, 1978, “Impulse!” label released “African Violet”, the 27th Blue Mitchell album. It was recorded in 1977, at “The Burbank Studios” in Burbank, California, and was produced by Esmond Edwards.
Personnel:
- Blue Mitchell – trumpet, flugelhorn
- Herman Riley, Harold Land – tenor saxophone
- Sonny Burke – electric piano, piano
- McKinley Jackson, Michael Boddicker – synthesizer
- Lee Ritenour – electric guitar, guitar
- Scott Edwards – bass, electric bass
- Chuck Domanico – electric bass, bass
- James Gadson, Harold Mason – drums
- Paulinho Da Costa – congas
- Eddie “Bongo” Brown – congas, percussion
- Bob Zimmitti – marimba, percussion
- Julia Tillman, Luther Waters, Maxine Waters Willard, Oren Waters – vocals
- The Sid Sharp Strings
Track listing:
- Mississippi Jump – Larry Nash
- Ojos de Rojo – Cedar Walton
- Sand Castles – Dana Kaproff
- African Violet – Steve Hulse
- As – Stevie Wonder
- Square Business – Cedar Walton
- Forget – Don Sebesky
Blue Mitchell: Summer Soft

On February 22, 1978, “Impulse!” label released “Summer Soft”, the 28th and the final Blue Mitchell album. It was recorded in 1977, at “ABC Recording Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Esmond Edwards.
Personnel:
- Blue Mitchell – vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn
- Eddie Harris, Harold Land, Herman Riley – tenor saxophone
- Cedar Walton – piano, electric piano
- Bobby Lyle – electric piano, piano
- Richard Tee – keyboard
- Michael Boddicker – synthesizer
- Mike Dosco, Lee Ritenour – guitar
- Scott Edwards – bass
- James Gadson – drums
- Paulinho Da Costa – percussion
- Julia Tillman Waters, Luther Waters, Maxine Waters Willard, Oren Waters – vocals
Track listing:
- Try Not to Forget – Cedar Walton
- Summer Soft – Stevie Wonder
- A Day at the Mint – Blue Mitchell
- Love Has Made Me a Dreamer – Mike Dosco, Esmond Edwards
- Evergreen – Barbra Streisand, Paul Williams
- 30 Degrees to the Wind – Cedar Walton, Susan Brickell
- Funkthesizer – Eddie Harris
Natalie Cole: Thankful

On November 16, 1977, “Capitol” label released “Thankful”, the fourth Natalie Cole album. It was recorded August – November 1977, at “ABC Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy.
Personnel:
- Natalie Cole – lead vocals
- Criss Johnson – guitar
- Ray Parker Jr. – guitar
- Lee Ritenour – guitar
- Linda Williams – acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes
- Marvin Yancy – acoustic piano, organ, clavinet
- Reginald “Sonny” Burke – organ
- Michael Boddicker – synthesizers
- Larry Ball – bass guitar
- James Gadson – drums
- Donnell Hagan – drums
- Paul Humphrey – drums
- Teddy Sparks – drums
- Alan Estes – percussion
- Chuck Jackson – handclaps
- Hal Brooks – handclaps
- Gene Barge – alto saxophone, arrangements
- Richard Evans – arrangements
- The Colettes – backing vocals
- The “N” Sisters – backing vocals
- Anita Anderson – backing vocals
- Yasmine “Sissy” Peoples – backing vocals
- Barney Perkins – engineer, mixing, mastering
- Zollie Johnson, Lester Smith – engineer assistant
- Barney Per – mixing
- Dean Rod – assistant
- John Golden – mastering
- Roy Kohara – art direction
- Craig Nelson – illustration
- Gene Barge – co-producer
- Larkin Arnold – executive producer
Track listing:
All tracks by Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy, except where noted.
- Lovers – Chuck Jackson, Marvin Yancy, Natalie Cole
- Our Love
- La Costa – Natalie Cole. Linda Williams
- There Ain’t Nothing Stronger Than Love
- Be Thankful
- Just Can’t Stay Away
- Annie Mae – Natalie Cole
- Keeping a Light – Natalie Cole
Sparks: Introducing Sparks

In October 1977, “Columbia” label released “Introducing Sparks”, the seventh Sparks album. It was recorded in 1977, at “Larrabee Sound” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Jimmy Lenner, Terry Powell, Ron Mael and Russell Mael.
Personnel:
- Russell Mael – lead and backing vocals
- Ron Mael – keyboards, arrangements
- Alan Broadbent, Ben Benay, David Foster, Ed Greene, David Paich, Mike Porcaro, Reinie Press, Lee Ritenour, Thom Rotella – musicians
- Tom Bahler, Al Capps, Stan Farber, Jim Haas, Ron Hicklin, Mark Piscitelli, Nick Uhrig – backing vocals
- Lenny Roberts – engineer
- Betsy Banghart, Randy Tominaga – engineer assistant
- Al Capps – arrangements
- John Kehe, Tommy Steele – design
- Bob Seidemann – photography
Track listing:
All tracks by Ron Mael and Russell Mael.
- A Big Surprise
- Occupation
- Ladies
- I’m Not
- Forever Young
- Goofing Off
- Girls on the Brain
- Over the Summer
- Those Mysteries
Natalie Cole: Stardust

On September 24, 1996, “Elektra” label released “Stardust”, the 15th Natalie Cole album. It was recorded June – September 1996, at “Ocean Way Recording”, “Capitol Studios”, “Conway Studios” and “LeGonks West” in Hollywood, “Record Plant” in Los Angeles, “Chartmaker Studios” in Malibu, California, “The Hit Factory” and “Sony Music Studios” in New York, “The Shire” in Bedford, New York, “Wisseloord Studios” in Hilversum, Netherlands, and was produced by George Duke, David Foster, Phil Ramone and Natalie Cole. At the 39th “Grammy Awards”, Natalie Cole won the “Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals” for the song “When I Fall in Love”, a duet with Nat King Cole. The song also won the “Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocal(s)” for arrangers Alan Broadbent and David Foster.
Personnel:
- Natalie Cole – lead and backing vocals, vocal and music arrangements, album concept, executive producer
- Nat King Cole – lead vocals, Hammond B3 organ
- John Chiodini – guitar, acoustic guitar
- John Pizzarelli – guitar
- Paul Jackson Jr. – electric guitar
- Lee Ritenour – guitar
- Terry Trotter – acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, keyboards
- Michael Lang – acoustic piano
- Rob Mounsey – acoustic piano, keyboards, music arrangements
- George Duke – acoustic piano, keyboards, vibraphone, music arrangements, horn arrangements, vocals arrangements
- Bob James – keyboards, acoustic piano, music arrangements
- Toots Thielemans – harmonica
- Jim Hughart – bass, music arrangements
- Chuck Domanico – bass
- David Finck – bass
- Reggie Hamilton – bass
- Chuck Berghofer – bass
- Nathan East – bass
- Harold Jones – drums
- Ralph Penland – drums
- Chris Parker – drums
- John Guerin – drums
- John Robinson – drums
- Harvey Mason – drums
- Bashiri Johnson – percussion
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion
- Rafael Padilla – percussion
- Dan Higgins – saxophone
- Everette Harp – alto saxophone
- Michael Brecker – saxophone
- Wynton Marsalis – trumpet
- George Bohanon – trombone
- Jon Clarke – oboe
- Alan Broadbent – music arrangements
- John Clayton – music arrangements
- David Foster – music and vocals arrangements
- Johnny Mandel – music arrangements
- Charles Floyd – music arrangements
- Gordon Jenkins – original music arrangements
- Clare Fischer – strings arrangements
- Jerry Hey – horns arrangements
- Janis Siegel – backing and harmony vocals
- Al Schmitt – recording, mixing
- Elliot Scheiner, Erik Zobler, Dave Reitzas – recording
- Felipe Elgueta, Wayne Holmes, Henk Korff, John Patterson, Patrick Ulenberg – additional engineering
- Jeffrey Demorris, Peter Doell, Koji Ejawa, Rob Frank, Barry Goldberg, John Hendrickson, Glenn Marchese, Eddie Miller, Charlie Paakkari, Rail Rogut, Robbes Stieglitz – engineer assistant
- Gabrielle Raumberger – art direction
- Emily Rich – design
- Rocky Schenck – photography
- Simon Ramone, Corrine Duke – production assistant
- Shari Sutcliffe – project coordinator
- Dick La Palm – liner notes
Track listing:
- There’s a Lull in My Life – Mack Gordon, Harrye Revel
- Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish
- Let’s Face the Music and Dance – Irving Berlin
- Teach Me Tonight – Sammy Cahn, Gene de Paul
- When I Fall in Love – Edward Heyman, Victor Young
- What a Difference a Day Made – Stanley Adams, María Méndez Grever
- Love Letters – Edward Heyman, Victor Young
- He Was Too Good to Me – Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
- Dindi – Ray Gilbert, Antônio Carlos Jobim
- Two for the Blues – Neal Hefti, Jon Hendricks
- If Love Ain’t There – Johnny Burke
- To Whom It May Concern – Nat King Cole, Charlotte Hawkins
- Where Can I Go Without You? – Victor Young, Peggy Lee
- Ahmad’s Blues – Ahmad Jamal. Bobby Williams
- Pick Yourself Up – Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern
- If You Could See Me Now – Tadd Dameron, Carl Sigman
- Like a Lover – Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Nelson Motta
- This Morning It Was Summer – Bob Haynes
- When I Fall in Love (Spanish version) – Victor Young, Edward Heyman
Michael Lang
On August 5, 2022, Michael Anthony Lang died aged 80. He was musician (piano, keyboards, organ, synthesizer) and composer, recorded more than 2500 film scores, and worked with some of the biggest names of modern music such as Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, John Lennon, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Vince Gill, Milt Jackson, Lee Konitz, Diana Krall, Arturo Sandoval, Josh Groban, Frank Zappa, Lee Ritenour, Oliver Nelson, Bud Shank, Kenny Rogers, Barbra Streisand, Solomon Burke, Tom Waits, Peggy Lee, Vanessa Williams, Jose Feliciano, Bette Midler, Russell Watson, Michael Bolton, Don Ellis, Robbie Williams, Paul Anka, Sarah Vaughan, Amy Grant, Willie Nelson, Natalie Cole, Dusty Springfield, Melissa Manchester, Neil Diamond, Shelly Manne and Stan Kenton.
Jeff Lorber: In the Heat of the Night

On July 26, 1984, “Arista:” label released “In the Heat of the Night”, the second Jeff Lorber studio album. It was recorded in 1984, at “Syncrosound” in Boston, Massachusetts, “Indigo Ranch Studios” in Malibu, California, and was produced by Jeff Lorber and Maurice Starr.
Personnel:
- Jeff Lorber – lead and backing vocals, keyboards, guitar, drum programming, arrangements
- Maurice Starr – lead and backing vocals, keyboards, guitar, drum programming
- Marlon McClain – guitar
- Lee Ritenour – rhythm guitar
- Nathan East – vocals, bass
- John Robinson – cymbal, drums
- Jimmy Johnson – congas
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion
- Ronnie Laws – saxophone solo
- Phillip Ingram – lead vocals
- Alex Ligertwood – lead vocals
- Steve George – backing vocals
- David Page – backing vocals
- Richard Page – backing vocals
- Robert Abel – executive producer
- Phil Greene – recording, mixing
- Chris Brunt – recording, mixing
- Joe Moody – second engineer
- Ben Ing – second engineer
- Ria Lewerke – art direction
- Randy Roberts – creative director, design
- Aaron Rapoport – back cover photography
Track listing:
- In the Heat of the Night – Maurice Starr
- Really Scarey – Jeff Lorber, Nathan East
- Don’t Say Yes – Jeff Lorber, Tony Hayes, Marlon McClain
- Tropical – Jeff Lorber
- Sushi Monster – Jeff Lorber, Nathan East, Marlon McClain
- Rock II – Jeff Lorber
- Seventh Heaven – Jeff Lorber, Marlon McClain
- Double Bad – Jeff Lorber, Joe Ericksen, Jack Robinson
- Blast Off – Maurice Starr
- Water Fall – Jeff Lorber
Fourplay: Same
On September 17, 1991, “Warner Bros” label released the self-titled, debut Fourplay album. It was recorded 1990 – 1991, at “Ocean Way Recording”, “Sunset Sound” in Hollywood, “Pyramid Studios” in Los Angeles, “Starlight Studios” in Malibu, California, and was produced by Bob James, Lee Ritenour, Nathan East, and Harvey Mason.
Personnel:
- Bob James– Yamaha C7 MIDI grand piano, keyboards, synthesizers, programming, executive producer
- Lee Ritenour– electric guitars, classical guitars, guitar synthesizer
- Nathan East– 5-string bass, 6-string bass, backing vocals
- Harvey Mason– drums
- Harvey Mason Jr.– synthesizer programming, computer programming
- El DeBarge– lead and backing vocals
- Darryl DeBarge – backing vocals
- Patti LaBelle– backing vocals, BGV arrangements
- Philip Bailey– backing vocals
- Don Murray – recording, mixing
- Geoff Gillette – additional recording
- Khaliq Glover – additional recording
- Femi Jiya – additional recording
- Mike Kloster – engineer assistant
- Paul May – engineer assistant
- Clif Norrell– engineer assistant
- Harvey Mason Jr. – technical assistance
- Robert Vosgien – digital editing
- Wally Traugott – mastering
- Kim Champagne – art direction
- Leslie Wintner – design
- Stuart Watson – photography
- O’Brien and Schridde – band photography
- Debra Johnson – production coordinator
Track listing:
- Bali Run – Lee Ritenour, Bob James
- 101 Eastbound – Nathan East, Marcel East
- Fourplay – Lee Ritenour
- Moonjogger – Bob James
- Max-O-Man – Harvey Mason Sr, Michael Lang
- After the Dance – Marvin Gaye, T-Boy Ross, Leon Ware
- Quadrille – Bob James
- Midnight Stroll – Harvey Mason
- October Morning – Lee Ritenour
- Wish You Were Here – Lee Ritenour
- Rain Forest – Bob James
