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.
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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.
Melvin Ragin
On October 24, 2018, Melvin M. Ragin aka Wah Wah Watson died aged 67. He was musician (guitar), famous for his unique skills with wah-wah pedal. He was member of The Funk Brothers, the studio band for “Motown Records”, recorded and performed with Dizzy Gillespie, John Lee Hooker, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Vanessa Williams, Thelma Houston, The Four Tops, The Jackson 5, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Michael Jackson, Maxwell, The Beach Boys, George Benson, Bobbi Humphrey, Janet Jackson, Yung Berg, Blondie, Norman Whitfield, The Undisputed Truth, Donald Byrd, Labelle, Love Unlimited, Cher, Meshell Ndegeocello, Gloria Gaynor, The Temptations (his guitar work on “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”), Pointer Sisters, Martha Reeves, Rose Royce, Bob Scaggs and Herbie Hancock. As leader, Wah Wah Watson released one solo album (Elementary, 1976).
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