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: Teena Marie
Rick James
On August 6, 2004, James Ambrose Johnson Jr. aka Rick James died aged 56. He was a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer, known as “The King of Punk-Funk”. He was a member of few bands, before starting a successful recording career after signing with Motown’s “Gordy Records”. James released twelve studio albums, plus one released posthumously in 2007. As a songwriter and producer, he worked with Smokey Robinson, the Temptations, Teena Marie, The Mary Jane Girls, and Eddie Murphy.
Leon Ware
On February 23, 2017, Leon Ware died aged 77. He was composer, released eleven albums as a performer, but he was best known for producing and writing music for other musicians and bands including: The Isley Brothers, Donny Hathaway, The Miracles, Teena Marie, Jeffrey Osborne, Loose Ends, James Ingram, Melissa Manchester, Krystol, Bobby Womack, Lulu, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Maxwell, Minnie Riperton and Marvin Gaye.
Rick James: Street Songs
On April 7, 1981, “Gordy Records” label released “Street Songs”, the fifth Rick James album. It was recorded December 1980 – January 1981, at the “Record Plant” in Sausalito, California and “Motown / Hitsville U.S.A. Recording Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Rick James. In July 1981, the album was certified Platinum in US by “RIIA”.
Personnel:
- Rick James – lead vocals, guitar, bass, drums, timbales, percussion, string and horn arrangements, design concept
- Tom McDermott – guitar, percussion
- Erskine Williams – keyboards, clavinet, organ
- Levi Ruffin Jr – synthesizer, backing vocals
- Oscar Alston – bass, percussion
- Lanise Hughes – drums
- Steve Price – drums
- Armando Peraza, Bugsy Wilcox, Nate Hughes, Raul Rekow – percussion
- Donny Keider – vibraphone
- Daniel LeMelle – alto and tenor saxophone, horns, flute
- Fernando Harkless, Roy Roper – trumpet
- John Ervin – horns, trombone, flute
- Cliff Ervin – horns, trumpet, piccolo flute, flugelhorn
- The Mary Jane Band (JoAnne McDuffy, Lisa Sarna) – singers
- Jane’t DuBois, Jackie Ruffin, Julia Waters Tillman, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs, Levi Ruffin, Jr., Marci Thomas, Maxine Waters Willard, Pattie Brooks, The Mary Jane Band – singers
- Aaron Dublin, California St. Clair, Daniel LeMelle, Levi Ruffin, Jr., Lisa Sarna, Oscar Alston, Teena Marie, Victor Reed – handclaps
- Stone City Band – backing band
- Charles Veal Jr – concertmaster
- Daniel LeMelle – string and horn arrangements
- Reggie Andrews – string arrangements
- Bobby Brooks, Tom Flye – recording, mixing
- Rick Sanches – recording
- Michael Johnson, Tony Autore – engineer assistant
- Johnny Lee – art direction
- Ginny Livingston – design
- Norman Moore – logo design
- Ron Slenzak – photography
Track listing:
All tracks by Rick James, except where noted.
- Give It to Me Baby
- Ghetto Life
- Make Love to Me
- Policeman
- Super Freak – Rick James, Alonzo Miller
- Fire and Desire
- Call Me Up
- Below the Funk
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