Jaco Pastorius

[FZ2017]

What's great about Jaco is that not only was he a monster technician on the bass, he was also a great composer of unique original music!

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[Gramps]

I was impressed when I saw him playing piano with Toots Thielemans on YouTube. Worth checking out. (At least to me)

[grahambop]

Yes, I couldn't put this book down. But, a lot of the book talks about Jaco's bipolar behavior and how he progressively falls apart all of the way to the end. As much as he was a brilliant, shining personality, the pain many felt in trying to reach him and watching his slow demise is what comes across most. Tragic.

A photographer friend of mine met Jaco when he sat in on some interviews with Weather Report. I asked him what Jaco was like. He said he was a ‘total nutcase’!

[Fz2016]

Wow sounds like you saw Jaco a lot.

[Fz2016]

Yeah he was definetly an original voice compositionally speaking. Interesting how Weather Report had 3 of the greatest composers in jazz in the same damn band!

[Fz2016]

I was a young electric bassist when the rumblings started -- the Metheny / Pastorius / Bley quartet record and then Metheny's "Bright Size Life" was large. But when the "Jaco Pastorius" black-and-white record dropped players went nuts.

It was music from another planet. The guy really did invent a personal musical language and it changed the way people on all instruments addressed their music. There are many fine, even iconic, bassists but there aren't many who had that kind of "EVERYBODY changes" effect on jazz. Jimmy Blanton, Scott LaFaro, Stan Clarke and Jaco might be the whole list of "Everybody Changes" bassists.

I got to see Jaco twice. The first was with a quartet tour Herbie Hancock put together after the first VSOP record dropped -- HH, Jaco, Bennie Maupin and James Levi. Jaco was amazing -- proving it all night, but in a totally musical way. Less than a year later I saw him right after he joined Weather Report and he was already playing Star Man -- jaw-dropping but the ego was well engaged.

As short as the list of Jazz Game Changers is, think about how much shorter a list is Jazz Game Changers Who Learned And Survived. Ponder that next time you're tempted to say, "I'd do anything to play like . . . . "

How about Charlie Haden and Larry Graham! Oh and Charles Mingus!

[fep]

I was there for Jaco's band to see this. Donna Lee on tuba, are you kidding me

[fep]

Jaco the funk master (the chorus at 0:50!!)

[cosmic gumbo]

[joelf]

A guy I grew up with in Canarsie, Neal Weiss, was such a fan he went to every Jaco gig---with a tape recorder. He eventually started Big World records and released a lot of stuff and did the right thing: he paid royalties to Jaco and his family. (He also recorded Toninho Horta, among other notables)...

[Doug B]

I have been really getting into Jaco lately. That guy is a monster.

I have been listening to him since the late 70's, but I am just now approaching him from the technical point of view and appreciating how fast and expressive he was.

Really, is there anyone who can touch him? (Jamaaladeen Tacuma comes to mind...) It's a real shame he deteriorated in his last few years and died so young.

I saw most of the jazz players of the late 70's-early 80's, but I don't think I ever saw Jaco.

I just found out a couple of weeks ago that Mike Stern played in a band with Jaco-that would have been something to see! :-)

[ronjazz]

The Joni Mitchell video with Jaco, Metheny, Brecker is worth the time, although Joni shows who's gig it is when she sits at the piano and sings and plays by herself. I saw that thing on tour, and she did the same thing live: changed the whole focus. Really something.

[cosmic gumbo]

I just found out a couple of weeks ago that Mike Stern played in a band with Jaco-that would have been something to see! :-)

[Doug B]

Thanks for posting that.