Listen to this article · 6:31 min
Anthony Jackson, a visionary and master of the electric bass, passed away on October 19th on Staten Island at the age of 73. He was celebrated for redefining his instrument and laying down iconic, funky grooves for pop stars like Madonna and jazz legends such as Chick Corea.
Jackson had been battling Parkinson’s disease and suffered multiple strokes in recent years. His manager, Danette Albetta, announced his passing, noting that health issues had unfortunately kept him from performing since 2017.
In 2005, Modern Drummer magazine recognized Jackson as “one of the most in-demand session musicians in the world.” They highlighted his unforgettable opening riff on The O’Jays’ 1973 hit “For the Love of Money” as “one of the most memorable bass lines in popular music.”
Throughout his career, Jackson was a sought-after sideman, contributing to diverse genres from jazz to pop. In a span of just five years, his work included Quincy Jones’s cover of “Takin’ It to the Streets” (1978), Diana Ross’s “No One Gets the Prize” (1979), Paul Simon’s “Oh, Marion” (1980), Steely Dan’s “My Rival” (1980), Madonna’s “Borderline” (1983), and Luther Vandross’s rendition of “A House Is Not a Home” (1983).
He once expressed his enjoyment of performing with large ensembles, stating, “and being the one to put a big, fat foundation under it.”
However, one of Jackson’s most significant contributions was the pioneering invention of the six-string contrabass guitar. This innovation greatly expanded the instrument’s tonal range, moving beyond the traditional four-string electric bass.
“When it has been pointed out that I invented an instrument now played by thousands worldwide, it’s certainly a source of pride,” Jackson shared. “The contrabass guitar has been a path to ecstasy for me, my Eden.”
Early versions of the electric bass, commonly known as the bass guitar, emerged about 90 years ago. The term “Fender bass” became ubiquitous after Leo Fender launched his electric bass in the early 1950s.
Soon after, record producers encouraged upright bass players to transition to this new electric sound. Jackson often recounted how many viewed the electric bass as “a poor man’s upright.” Consequently, he was part of the first generation of musicians who primarily trained on the electric bass, dedicating themselves to exploring its full musical potential without reservation.
Jackson’s notable breakthrough arrived with “For the Love of Money,” recorded when he was only 21 years old.
The O’Jays’ classic song, “For the Love of Money,” prominently featuring Anthony Jackson’s innovative bass work.
Joe Tarsia, the recording engineer for that session, recalled in 2015, “It all started with Anthony Jackson’s bass line. I walk into the studio, and I heard this bending wah-wah on the bass. Nobody ever did that before, that I knew of.”
The track famously opens with Jackson’s bass as the sole instrument, its playful and distinct sound forming the primary melodic hook. Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, the renowned songwriting and production team, unusually shared songwriting credit for the song with the then little-known young bassist.
“For the Love of Money” climbed into the Top 10 on both the Billboard pop and R&B charts in 1974. It later gained renewed fame as the theme song for “The Apprentice,” the reality show starring Donald Trump, which aired in various formats for over a decade starting in 2004. In 2016, the iconic track was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Jackson considered his mature style to have begun with his work on Chaka Khan’s 1980 album, “Naughty.” He described the songs on this album as “among the best examples of blatant commerciality infused with high art.”
A classic performance by Chaka Khan, featuring Anthony Jackson on bass.
Another testament to Jackson’s artistic journey was his decades-long pursuit of creating the six-string contrabass guitar. He explained that by the age of 16, after four years of playing bass, he constantly felt limited: “wanting to get down underneath the bottom register and wanting to move to the upper register without feeling like I was going to run out of space.”
As soon as his earnings allowed, he sought out luthiers capable of designing this novel instrument. Initially, his ideas met with confusion. He invested thousands commissioning instruments that ultimately didn’t meet his vision, even attempting DIY solutions with epoxy and kitchen knives.
His breakthrough came when he collaborated with instrument builders Vinny Fodera and Joey Lauricella. They crafted prototypes that Jackson rigorously tested for days, experiencing an adrenaline rush with each new contrabass. In 1996, with the tenth version, he declared, “we hit the jackpot.” He added that it took him another six years to fully grasp how to master this groundbreaking instrument.
Bass magazine lauded this collaboration in 2019, calling it “probably the longest and most productive partnership between a player and a builder in the history of the bass guitar.”
In 2008, Bass Player editor Chris Jisi highlighted that while histories often depict the five- and six-string electric basses as magically appearing from guitar companies in the early ’80s, the widespread availability of these instruments today was “forged largely by one musician, Anthony Jackson.”
Anthony Claiborne Jackson was born on June 23, 1952, in New York City. He fondly recalled the details of his first bass guitar purchase in 1965 at Ben’s Music on West 48th Street, which cost him $43.
James Jamerson, the iconic bassist for Motown, became Jackson’s “mentor” through his meticulous listening to recordings. He was also a devoted admirer of organ compositions by Bach and Olivier Messiaen.
His last significant regular performance engagements were with the Japanese jazz pianist Hiromi.
A performance by Hiromi with Anthony Jackson on bass.
In March, jazz fusion guitarist Al Di Meola shared on social media that Jackson’s manager, Ms. Albetta, had become his caretaker, as he had “no family.” Details regarding other survivors were not available.
Despite being widely considered a master of his instrument, Jackson once reflected, “There is no point where one can be said to have ‘mastered’ anything.” He preferred, he said, that “we remain seekers, never truly achieving our ultimate goals.”