October 28

 Kenny Passarelli

October 31, 1949

Kenny Passarelli developed his career in Colorado during the late 1960s before joining Joe Walsh's band Barnstorm in 1972. As a bassist, he appeared on the albums Barnstorm, The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get, and So What, helping shape Walsh's transition from the James Gang to a successful solo career. His bass playing was featured on songs including "Rocky Mountain Way" and "Turn to Stone."

Passarelli later became a member of Elton John's touring band and performed on tours and recordings during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He also worked with artists including Hall & Oates, Stephen Stills, Dan Fogelberg, and Crosby, Stills & Nash while maintaining a long career as a session and live performer. His work with Joe Walsh and Elton John remains the part of his career for which he is best known. He remains active in music in 2026.

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Elton Dean

October 28, 1945 – February 8, 2006

Elton Dean joined Soft Machine in 1969, replacing Brian Hopper, and became one of the band's saxophone players during its transition from psychedelic rock to jazz fusion. His alto saxophone and saxello playing helped shape albums such as Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Six while contributing to the group's increasingly improvisational sound. He also co-wrote material and participated in many of the band's extended live performances.

After leaving Soft Machine in 1972, Dean pursued a prolific solo career and became a respected figure in British jazz and free improvisation. He recorded extensively under his own name and collaborated with artists including Keith Tippett, Carla Bley, Mike Osborne, Hugh Hopper, and members of the Soft Machine family. His work with Soft Machine and his later recordings established him as one of the distinctive voices in British jazz fusion and progressive music.

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