Tag Archives: Sonny Fortune

Anthony Jackson

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.

George Benson: Tell It Like It Is

In July 1969, “A&M” label released “Tell It Like It Is”, the seventh George Benson album. It was recorded April – May 1969, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • George Benson – vocals, guitar
  • Rodgers Grant, Richard Tee – piano
  • Bob Bushnell, Jerry Jemmott, Jim Fielder – bass guitar
  • Leo Morris – drums
  • Paul Alicea, Angel Allende, Johnny Pacheco – percussion
  • Arthur Clarke, Bob Porcelli, Hubert Laws, Jerome Richardson, Joe Farrell, Joe Henderson, Sonny Fortune – saxophone
  • Lew Soloff – trumpet
  • Marty Sheller – arrangements, conductor
  • Pete Turner – photography

Track listing:

  1. Soul Limbo – Booker T. & the M.G.’s
  2. Are You Happy – Theresa Bell, Jerry Butler, Kenneth Gamble
  3. Tell It Like It Is – George Davis, Lee Diamond
  4. Land of 1000 Dances – Chris Kenner
  5. Jackie, All – Eumir Deodato
  6. Don’t Cha Hear Me Callin’ to Ya – Rudy Stevenson
  7. Water Brother – Don Sebesky
  8. My Woman’s Good to Me – Billy Sherrill, Glenn Sutton
  9. Jama Joe – George Benson
  10. My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder, Henry Cosby, Sylvia Moy
  11. Out in the Cold Again – Ted Koehler, Rube Bloom

McCoy Tyner: Song Of The New World

In July 1973, “Milestone” label released “Song of the New World”, the 17th McCoy Tyner album. It was recorded in April 1973, at “A&R Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Orrin Keepnews.

Personnel:

  • McCoy Tyner: piano, percussion
  • Sonny Fortune: alto and soprano saxophone, flute
  • Cecil Bridgewater: trumpet 
  • Jon Faddis: trumpet
  • Virgil Jones: trumpet
  • Garnett Brown: trombone 
  • Dick Griffin: trombone, baritone trombone
  • Willie Ruff: French horn
  • William Warnick III: French horn
  • Julius Watkins: French horn
  • Kiane Zawadi: euphonium 
  • Bob Stewart: tuba 
  • Hubert Laws: piccolo, flute
  • Harry Smyle: oboe 
  • Joony Booth: bass
  • Alphonse Mouzon: drums
  • Sonny Morgan: conga drums
  • Sanford Allen: violin
  • John Blair: violin
  • Selwart Clarke: violin
  • Winston Collymore: violin
  • Noel DaCosta: violin
  • Marie Hence: violin
  • Julian Barber: viola
  • Alfred Brown: viola
  • Ronald Lipscomb: cello
  • Kermit Moore: cello
  • William Fischer: conductor 

Track listing:

  1. Afro Blue – Mongo Santamaría
  2. Little Brother
  3. The Divine Love
  4. Some Day
  5. Song of the New World

George Benson: The Other Side of Abbey Road

In June 1970, “A&M” label released “The Other Side of Abbey Road”, the eight George Benson album. It was recorded October – November 1969, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • George Benson – vocals, guitar
  • Bob James – acoustic piano, organ, harpsichord
  • Herbie Hancock – acoustic piano, organ, harpsichord
  • Ernie Hayes – acoustic piano, organ, harpsichord
  • Ron Carter – bass
  • Jerry Jemmott – bass
  • Idris Muhammad – drums
  • Ed Shaughnessy – drums
  • Ray Barretto – percussion
  • Andy Gonzalez – percussion
  • Sonny Fortune – alto saxophone
  • Jerome Richardson – tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute
  • Don Ashworth – baritone saxophone
  • Phil Bodner – flute, oboe
  • Hubert Laws – flute
  • Wayne Andre – trombone, euphonium
  • Freddie Hubbard – trumpet
  • Mel Davis – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Bernie Glow – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Marvin Stamm – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Raoul Poliakin – violin
  • Max Pollikoff – violin
  • Emanuel Vardi – viola
  • George Ricci – cello
  • Don Sebesky – arrangements
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Sam Antupit – design
  • Eric Meola – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, except where noted.

  1. Golden Slumbers / You Never Give Me Your Money
  2. Because / Come Together
  3. Oh! Darling
  4. Here Comes the Sun – George Harrison / I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
  5. Something – George Harrisons / Octopus’s Garden – Richard Starkey / The End

Stanley Cowell

On December 17, 2020, Stanley Cowell died aged 79. He was musician (piano), co-founder of the “Strata-East Records” label, and professor at the “Music Department of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers”, the “State University of New Jersey”. He recorded with many famous jazz musicians including Gary Bartz, Larry Coryell, Richard Davis, Sonny Fortune, Roy Haynes, Jimmy Heath, The Heath Brothers, Stan Getz, Johnny Griffin, Bobby Hutcherson, J. J. Johnson, Clifford Jordan, Oliver Nelson, Jimmy Owens, Art Pepper, Buddy Terry, Charles Sullivan, Charles Toliver, Roland Kirk, Marion Brown, Harold Land, and Max Roach. As leader Cowell released 34 albums.

Sonny Fortune: A Better Understanding

On September 12, 1995, “Blue Note” label released “A Better Understanding”, the 13th Sonny Fortune album. It was recorded in February 1995, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and was produced by Marty Khan and Sonny Fortune.

Personnel:

  • Sonny Fortune– alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto flute, flute
  • Jerry González– trumpet, flugelhorn, congas
  • Robin Eubanks– trombone
  • Kenny Barron– piano
  • Wayne Dockery– bass
  • Ronnie Burrage, Billy Hart – drums
  • Steve Berrios– percussion

Track listing:

All tracks by Sonny Fortune

  1. Mind Games
  2. Laying It Down
  3. Awakening
  4. A Swing Touch
  5. Never Again Is Such a Long Time
  6. It Ain’t What It Was
  7. It’s a Bird
  8. Tribute to a Holiday
  9. Long Before Our Mothers Cried