Jaco America The Beautiful

[zenlowend]

I'm sure many of you have seen this alrady but for those that have not here is Jaco playing America the Beautiful at "live under the sky" in Japan circa 84...just a few years befor he was murdered. If you know Jaco's story then no intro is needed. If you don't then get the book "Jaco" by Bill Milkowski.
I have never seen anything so beautiful and sad at the same time.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5UqDqwzagU

[Lazylion]

He had his moments, didn't he.
Last night my keyboard player asked me what Jaco died of. I almost wish I didn't know the answer to that question. Definitely wish the answer was something different, like "old age".

[zenlowend]

Even at his lowest, which by all acounts this tour/show was one of them, he was still amazing. This video is a GREAT capture of his unique sound and ground breaking style along with the infamious "bass of doom".

[jsingles]

every time i watch that it makes me really sad, and the fact that the crowd is cheering SO loudly for him still is really touching.

[zenlowend]

Yeah you can hear it eveytime he starts to break out...they just freak!

[zenlowend]

if any of you TBers have rare jaco vids please post them...its nice to share.

[mapleleaf4evr]

A musical visionary and jazz legend.........

[zenlowend]

Originally Posted by mapleleaf4evr

A musical visionary and jazz legend.........

+1 for that

[Davo-London]

He inspires me everytime I listen to him.

There is always a better way to accompany someone else ...

Davo

[JamesM]

Originally Posted by zenlowend

if any of you TBers have rare jaco vids please post them...its nice to share.

this youtube user has a lot of rare Jaco vids http://www.youtube.com/user/francky85

[John Wentzien]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFwfp...eature=related

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by JamesM

this youtube user has a lot of rare Jaco vids http://www.youtube.com/user/francky85

I had a brief look at these - but the picture and sound quality is so poor that I couldn't recommend them to anybody...

You're much better off sticking with the official releases!

I think this is a worrying trend for the net - so people will grab anything that is free - regardless of quality - while the best, but that requires payment, gets ignored...

I would hate for Jaco to be remembered for this kind of thing rather than his best work like on "Shadows and Light" for example?

[JamesM]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

I had a brief look at these - but the picture and sound quality is so poor that I couldn't recommend them to anybody...

You're much better off sticking with the official releases!

I think this is a worrying trend for the net - so people will grab anything that is free - regardless of quality - while the best, but that requires payment, gets ignored...

I would hate for Jaco to be remembered for this kind of thing rather than his best work like on "Shadows and Light" for example?

any Jaco is good Jaco 2 me, even though the quality is bad its still good to see him play, especially the clips with Weather Report

[Bruce Lindfield]

Actually there is a lot of bad Jaco out there - as he deteriorated pretty badly before he died...

[zenlowend]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

I had a brief look at these - but the picture and sound quality is so poor that I couldn't recommend them to anybody...

You're much better off sticking with the official releases!

I think this is a worrying trend for the net - so people will grab anything that is free - regardless of quality - while the best, but that requires payment, gets ignored...

I would hate for Jaco to be remembered for this kind of thing rather than his best work like on "Shadows and Light" for example?

+1 for the Shadows and Light... I had totally forgot about show. Here are some vids of Jaco from that show for all to enjoy...and for free.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFxxN...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GLJC...eature=related

Not from the same show but still w/Joni. One of my favorites.
Slang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm1jd...eature=related

[Dbassmon]

That particular video of America the Beautiful is near the end of his career. He is bloated, pasty looking and puffy and his pants are covered in mud. He is obviously not quite there. He is still brilliant of course.
Shortly after this was filmed, he began to decline rapidly. He came in the club I was playing in the Village. He had been 86ed from almost every club in NYC by that time. He was drunk and had a black eye. He was warm and engaging. He introduced himself to me as the "best bass player in the world" and I agree with him to this day. We hung. It was a bit unnerving to have Jaco watching you play from a few feet away but he was complementary and he sat in. He played Mercy, Mercy, Mercy at tune written by his pal, Joe Zawinul. Terrific. At the end of the night, he asked to borrow $5, I gave him $10. I feel very fortunate to have met him and hung out with him. I wanted to cry on my drive home. Very sad

[zenlowend]

Originally Posted by Dbassmon

That particular video of America the Beautiful is near the end of his career. He is bloated, pasty looking and puffy and his pants are covered in mud. He is obviously not quite there. He is still brilliant of course.
Shortly after this was filmed, he began to decline rapidly. He came in the club I was playing in the Village. He had been 86ed from almost every club in NYC by that time. He was drunk and had a black eye. He was warm and engaging. He introduced himself to me as the "best bass player in the world" and I agree with him to this day. We hung. It was a bit unnerving to have Jaco watching you play from a few feet away but he was complementary and he sat in. He played Mercy, Mercy, Mercy at tune written by his pal, Joe Zawinul. Terrific. At the end of the night, he asked to borrow $5, I gave him $10. I feel very fortunate to have met him and hung out with him. I wanted to cry on my drive home. Very sad

man that is sad. I think what most don't realize is that Jaco was sick at at time when mental illness had little to no treatment. The drug of choice for mania back then and today was lithium. The difference in the latter is that Doctors now understand how and why Lithium works so it's dosed more appropriatly and much more testing is done to ensure healthy kidney and liver function , which I'm sure Jaco did not have. Jacos heavy drug and alcohol use just compounded his underlying mental problems. Anyone who has delt with a bad manic knows exactly what I'm talking about. His demize and eventual murder will go down as one of the greatest tragedies in music history.

[lambro]

well on a positive note, look at all the he made incredible about the bass

look at how certain of his great facets are now perverted to the extreme with the loss of musicality, tone groove etc

Jaco was in a pocket, he had it all, the tone, technique, groove the phrasing, beb bop improv skills, innovation and the ears

his life ended in massive imbalance, but his fame is because of his brief encounter with supreme musical balance and that is what everyone should take forward - the quest for that balance

[zenlowend]

Originally Posted by lambro

well on a positive note, look at all the he made incredible about the bass

look at how certain of his great facets are now perverted to the extreme with the loss of musicality, tone groove etc

Jaco was in a pocket, he had it all, the tone, technique, groove the phrasing, beb bop improv skills, innovation and the ears

his life ended in massive imbalance, but his fame is because of his brief encounter with supreme musical balance and that is what everyone should take forward - the quest for that balance

+1 Nice to see another "zen" brother...lol

[mike.b]

sometimes its nice too see a bassist take the lead,other times it reaks of elitescism and as talented as he was there's too much bass masterbation.