Talk about auspicious beginnings

[conguiño]

I just listened to Jaco Pastorius' debut album for the first time. Although it's lacks the crystal clarity that I'm used to on recent recordings . Does that ever happen to you guys when a song is that good?

 

I've been trying to turn my younger peers onto this stuff. It kinda helps you understand why great chops mean shit if you aren't musical.

 

BTW, a question for you more mature folks. Pat Metheny mentions how Jaco's playing was unprecedented for the time. I know it's fucking awesome but I doubt a friend would write anything negative on a remaster of your first record.

 

Enlighten a youngster like moi with your wisdom. Was there absolutely no one like him before or at the time? If so I have an angel to pray to before I sleep at night for musical wisdom.

[patrick_dont_fret]

Some people say his playing was way ahead of his time. He couldn't even read music, and was playing full sets from memory (he saw the same set the night before, played by the same band). He was once asked to read something for another set, and the band was completely blown away by the fact that he was that good and couldn't read a bit of music.

 

I think he was a great player, as well. He could coax any sound he wanted out of his beat up ole Jazz, using roundwounds of course. I've copied that approach, and to amazing results. I'm not the most awesome player, but I've blown a few (mostly non-musical) people away by what my bass sounds like...they just don't expect it. It's quite fun.

[jeremy c]

BTW, a question for you more mature folks. Pat Metheny mentions how Jaco's playing was unprecedented for the time. I know it's f* awesome but I doubt a friend would write anything negative on a remaster of your first record.

That was a major compliment. Look up "unprecedented" in your Funk and Wagnalls.

 

There was nobody playing anything even close to what Jaco was doing. There still isn't.

 

"Jaco opened the door, and we walked through" is a famous quote.

 

Sometimes it is hard for younger people to appreciate a major change in the world when their world takes this change for granted. When we heard the 20 year old Jaco Pastorius (I was 28 at the time)we were shocked and amazed. The entire world of music had changed. Fretless bass had become a real instrument. The use of harmonics became a standard playing technique. A new standard had been established as to what a good player should be able to do. In addition, the level of composition by a bass player (or anyone) was extremely high, and all the songs stand up over the years.

 

It was kind of like what happened with Charlie Parker and saxophonists or Jimi Hendrix and guitar players.

 

We're seeing a lot of Jaco tribute discs this year because many of the players who were inspired by him are now at the height of their recording careers.

[GeorgeR]

"Portrait of Tracy" had me doing graemlins/cry.gif

Yea you picked a good one! I've got the same CD as you I think. Portrait of Tracy is number 5 on that compilation and it's one of my favorites too.

 

Damn great left hand work on that song! What a loss.

[Edendude]

Jaco was to electric bass, what Hendrix was to guitar, Monk was to piano, and Miles was to the horn.

 

[SoundWrangler]

Official Jaco web site

In these interviews, Jaco mentions influences (& hanging out w/The Wailers during his formative years! ), & playing "every soul tune that came out in the 60's". And it's also well-known that he practiced many Charlie Parker solo transcriptions... (Duh, "Donna Lee"!)

"Bright Size Life" (still one of my fav Metheny albums) was recorded 12/75; that's where he 1st knocked our concept of bass playing for a loop. (Solo album & work w/Weather Report, Joni Mitchell was in 1976, I believe.)

[Jim T.]

In answer to your question: if there is anyone now who is as innovative -yes!

Check out www.garrisonjazz.com You won't be sorry!

[davebrownbass]

I've mentioned it before...when I hear Jaco, I'd been playing bass for just a few years. I was 22 or so, and within a year or two, I gave up electric bass completely, focused instead on the URB and classical music.

 

I came back...but I still respect Jaco's awesome musicality.

 

Regarding "Portrait of Tracy," it was the first, and remains the only Jaco tune I've mastered (if you can call my poor efforts mastery) from beginning to end (except that damn artificial harmonic at the very end...)

 

All the other Jaco licks I know, albeit few, have worked thier way under my fingers, and come out in the weirdest places.

 

That is a definition of "unprecedented;" someone writes a new bass language that works its way into the national voice...Jaco did definitely do that.

 

And you don't have to sound like Jaco, or use his songs, writing forms, ideas and so on to have integrated him into your playing. Just listen.