Anthony Jackson, the bass player described as 'a beast' by fellow session bass ace Nathan East here in MusicRadar's pages, has passed away, aged 73. The news was confirmed by Fodera Guitars, the high-end bass luthiers with whom he had a long-standing relationship.
Posting on Instagram, they wrote, "We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Anthony Jackson — one of the most visionary and influential bassists in the history of our instrument.
"Anthony’s impact extended far beyond the notes he played. He pioneered the concept of the six-string “contrabass guitar,” revolutionizing the role of the electric bass in art, jazz, funk, and beyond.
"Back in 1984, we began our collaboration by building prototypes and signature models that embodied his vision
"Rest in power, Anthony. The bass world is forever richer for your contributions."
Jazz fusion guitarist Al De Meola, a long-time collaborator, also paid tribute, writing, "Anthony was one of the most extraordinary musicians I’ve ever had the honor to play with — a true innovator whose genius on the six-string contrabass reshaped modern music. His sound, precision, and soul were unmatched.
"From Land of the Midnight Sun, Elegant Gypsy to countless unforgettable moments on stage, he brought a power and sensitivity that could move anyone who listened.
"Rest in peace, my brother. Your music will resonate forever."
Michael Camilo wrote, ‘Heartbroken by the loss of my longtime dear friend and great bassist Anthony Jackson. One of a kind, a true Genius and an innovator.
‘I was honoured to share with you so many wonderful years of music making and close friendship. “Antonio” you will be greatly missed but the beautiful memories shall live forever in our hearts. Rest in peace my dear friend until we meet again.’
Jackson was a passionate exponent of six-string bass, first approaching makers to commission custom builds in the mid-70s, before deploying them on recordings and tours with, amongst others, Roberta Flack.
"Why is four strings the standard and not six?", he once said. "As the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family, the instrument should have had six strings from the beginning.
"The only reason it had four was because Leo Fender was thinking of an upright bass, but he built it along guitar lines because that was his training.
"The logical conception for the bass guitar encompasses six strings."
He forged a massively successful career as a sought-after collaborator and session player, appearing on albums across the jazz, fusion and pop spectrum, including for Flack, Chaka Khan, Diana Ross, Madonna, The Bee Gees, Simon and Garfunkel and many, many others.
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