Jaco - "Biography" - Discussion

[Introvox]

I just read JACO - THE EXTRAORDINARY AND TRAGIC LIFE OF JACO PASTORIUS - By Bill Milkowsy "Anniversary Edition" with CD included $30 CDN

Loved it!!!!!

Anyone care to discuss?......pleeeeeeeeeeease.....

Introvox

[markjazzbassist]

yeah i read it a couple of months ago. here's my synopsis.

The author is a great writer. I read the book in 4 days. I couldn't peel myself away from it. Jaco's story is very interesting but i think the writer definately made it more likeable and interesting. I also really enjoyed how he tried to be as unbiased as possible. He talked about all the good times and the bad times too. I liked how he also had conflicting stories too. Like about when Jaco started drinking, i think that makes the book more realistic knowing that his own buddies can't remember when it started. Overall i loved the book and will probably read it again sometime. I would give it a 10 (on a 10 point scale, with 10 being the highest and 0 being the lowest). If you are a bassist, it's a must read.

ps.. great thread idea.

[SamJ]

Originally Posted by Introvox

Anyone care to discuss?......pleeeeeeeeeeease.....

what more can one say..

Jaco

[superbassman2000]

its a great book...Bill Milkowski is a great jazz historian

[Introvox]

my thought exactly....on every point.

I had read that Pat Metheny had strong words about the original pressing of the book.....would love to get my hands on a copy.

I too couldn't put it down, and I agree with you on your statement "every bassist should read it", and extend your thought to "every musician......"

3 months ago I turned a guitarist friend onto Jazz...on April 17th (my birthday) we were jammin, and I gave him an original (yet Jaco inspired riff) that initialy left him blank... I quoted an exerpt from the book (when Jaco lived above the Laudrymat) "just play....the rule is there are no wrong notes"

The recording is spectacular....I unlocked that boy that night....

He played the track on an Ovation Semi-Acoustic (sorta rare) in less than mint condition.

Tonight he ordered an Ibanez AF120 "Jazz Box" and wants to do an album....yeah!

Anyhoo....back to the book

I plan on reading it again and noting every song reference...although I have heard about 95%....there's a few I'm dyin to hear....

[Introvox]

Almost forgot....

As a musician and educator I really appreciated the bit in the front of the book the author named "ID LOCK" I now teach it to my students (well at least how to rid oneself of it...)

[phillys]

I have that book too. Bought it from Amazon and have it shipped all way to my house in Malaysia. Finished it in less than a week which is a record for me since I didn't like reading very much.

It is definitely a very interesting read and in many ways inspired me experiment a lot more than I used to

[JimK]

Originally Posted by Introvox

I had read that Pat Metheny had strong words about the original pressing of the book.....would love to get my hands on a copy.

I had an original hardback edition...then-drummer borrowed it, moved, etc. never heard from him again.
I also have an original soft copy + this latest revision.
I dunno, if you have the 'latest & greatest edition', you have the 'original +1'.

I guess I can understand how many would be upset at the 'dark' vibe towards the end...the beginning is such a joy to read while the end is so much of a downer.
Really, though, the stark reality of one falling from such heights is a life's lesson for us all. When a friend died of AIDs, his parents told the priest to pull no punches during the 'eulogy'...I think the parents were hoping to discourage those in the congregation that were still shooting up.

[Larry99]

I read the book a few weeks ago and actually went back and read much of it again during a long flight to/from Japan. I thought it was a fascinating read. ..but as others have said, it just leaves you really, really sad at the end. It did seem relatively unbiased but some of it was a little over the top. ...like the part with Joni Mitchell offering Jaco a large sum of money to impregnate her because of his superior predisposition to music and such. That's pretty far out if that really happened, wow.

One of the things I wanted to know more about were how Jaco's Jazz basses disappeared, which the book doesn't really address. There seems to be some info on the net about a few of them and I saw here on TB that his main fretted had turned up. I also never know that Jaco had his '62 fretless rebuilt before he lost it. I always heard he left it in central park but it seems it may have actually been somewhere in the Village or Washington Sq. I suppose its just one of those things that no one really knows about so Milkowski couldn't accurately write about it.

While on my trip I picked up the Japanese issues of the Jaco/Bley/Metheny/Ditmas recording from '74 and 'Holiday for Pans', that are banned in the US. ...I must admit I felt a bit guilty buying them but I just needed to hear more Jaco. It's really heartbreaking over everything that happened with the 'Pans' recordings. Reading the book gives the impression that it's some kooky, far out, esoteric recording that Jaco made when he was starting to get messed up but I think it's actually some really great stuff. Excellent versions of Elegant People, Giant Steps, and the beautiful original compositions like Good Morning Anya make for some meaningful and profound music. Shame on Warner for dismissing it like they did, which one could argue (as the book alludes) contributed to Jaco's demise, all for the almighty dollar. Even tho it's not Jaco on bass, it's his music and vision and you can definitely hear his stamp on the recording. Hopefully, all the copyright bs will get worked out and it will get released here. I will buy another copy if it does. ..wouldn't it be cool if his son could record the bass parts?

[Lazylion]

I recently got the "Portrait Of Jaco" CDs + book package. Very interesting and touching. Done by Jaco's friend Bob Bobbing, it shows you his early development up to the big time. Well worth the price if you love Jaco's music or if you ever wondered what Wayne Cochran and the CC Riders were like. I wish there was more of them on there! Other threads have dealt with it, so I'll leave it at that.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by Larry99

While on my trip I picked up the Japanese issues of the Jaco/Bley/Metheny/Ditmas recording from '74 and 'Holiday for Pans', that are banned in the US. ...I must admit I felt a bit guilty buying them but I just needed to hear more Jaco.

The Jaco/Bley/Metheny/Ditmas album is banned in the US?
TMK, that is not a boot...it was originally released on Bley's record label and,IIRC, was a Bley album...later, it became a "Jaco album" due to his popularity.
Anyway, a damn good recording of early Jaco & Metheny...when they were both young & you know the rest.

[spudmaster34]

Originally Posted by JimK

I had an original hardback edition...then-drummer borrowed it, moved, etc. never heard from him again.

its such a good book your drummer moved just so he could keep it i did a book report on that one. didnt get such a hot grade but i loved the book (my teach was just upset by the drug references )

[Bubba Love]

Originally Posted by Larry99

It did seem relatively unbiased but some of it was a little over the top. ...like the part with Joni Mitchell offering Jaco a large sum of money to impregnate her because of his superior predisposition to music and such. That's pretty far out if that really happened, wow.

I've got a 1996 paperback edition and it doesn't say anything about that incident in there! Do you have a new edition? I'd be interested in reading more about that occasion, as you say it's pretty far out.

[Baryonyx]

I'm not a huge Jaco fan but I think I will have to pick this one up and have a read of it!

[Larry99]

Originally Posted by JimK

The Jaco/Bley/Metheny/Ditmas album is banned in the US?
TMK, that is not a boot...it was originally released on Bley's record label and,IIRC, was a Bley album...later, it became a "Jaco album" due to his popularity.
Anyway, a damn good recording of early Jaco & Metheny...when they were both young & you know the rest.

You may be right, but appearently Bley marketed it sort of unscrupulously when Jaco became popular. I remember reading somthing in the book about about a 'cease and disist' court order regarding publication/release, maybe just the way Bley originally put it out as a Jaco album ...maybe it was eventually worked out. ...incidentally, the copy I got in Japan is on Sound Hill, whcih is the Japanese label that released Pans.

Originally Posted by Bubba Love

I've got a 1996 paperback edition and it doesn't say anything about that incident in there! Do you have a new edition? I'd be interested in reading more about that occasion, as you say it's pretty far out.

Yea, it's in the new(er) 2003 paperback revision. It doesn't really say that much about it, just a sentence ot two.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by Larry99

...incidentally, the copy I got in Japan is on Sound Hill, whcih is the Japanese label that released Pans.

My Bley/Jaco/Metheny/Ditmas album is on Improvising Artists, Inc. That was Bley's label back in the day.
BTW, the Bley bio/book is also a very decent read.

[fraublugher]

called the album "Jaco" and had only Jaco on the cover.

[Larry99]

Originally Posted by JimK

My Bley/Jaco/Metheny/Ditmas album is on Improvising Artists, Inc. That was Bley's label back in the day.
BTW, the Bley bio/book is also a very decent read.

correction... my copy is also on Improv Artists but it says distributed by Sound Hill.

I'll have to check out that Bley book, thanks for the tip.

[DaveBeny]

Another bit of news for Jaco fans (some of you will already know this):

John McLaughlin is currently mixing the complete Trio of Doom (Jaco, McLaughlin, Tony Williams) recordings - the infamous Cuba concert mentioned in the bio, plus some studio recordings made a few weeks later.

I've heard a couple of live tracks - taken from the 'Havana Jam' releases I think. Not bad, not amazing IIRC, but hardly the trainwreck that was described in the book.

Due to be released by Columbia Legacy later this year.

[Baryonyx]

Hmm, I think I might get this book....

EDIT: Decided against it and got "Adventures in Radioland" by Mahavishnu instead.