The "Jaco Effect" - Page 2

Roscoe East · #21 02-01-2013, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okcrum

Like him, learn him, or not, Jaco changed the game for everyone who played EB. That's a rare thing, hence the effect.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnltb

But why then does the same not happen when mentioning jamerson?

Because A) Jamerson worked in comparative anonimity...Motown didn't credit the musicians on all their records, and Jamerson wasn't nearly as egotistically self-promoting as Pastorius (and I don't mean that in a perjorative way)

and B) because Jamerson's bass playing wasn't nearly as In Your Face as Jaco's, and so his innovations could remain under the radar of all but the most attentive bass players/listeners.

preside · #22 02-01-2013, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrandonBass

Hey guys, you know afew years back those 'shred series' videos were pretty popular on youtube? Like, if you typed in 'coldplay shreds'. If will show the band's music being dubbed over with the band playing random notes etc.

One day, I decided to check out the 'Jaco shreds' video. The funny thing was, I couldnt really tell if it was real or if it was dubbed over with the intention of humour. : XXX

Sometimes it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt

Roy Vogt · #23 02-01-2013, 09:15 AM

I am teaching a talented young student how to play "Continuum" at this point. This stuff is 38 years old and still a bear for anyone, including me. He is 20 years old, so Jaco is Ancient History like Parker, Coltrane, Bach and Hendrix. I am in a different place, since Jaco was going strong when I was learning to play in the early 70s and I had some chances to meet, talk and play with him. It was definitely Bass before Jaco/Bass after Jaco for serious Pro Players at the time. I run into students who are Bass Majors who have never heard him and it's a pleasure to acquaint them with him and his talent.
Jaco can be a polarizing figure over on the Bass Guitar side of Talkbass. I don't think I've ever heard anyone saying, "Scott LaFaro? What junk! That's not bass playing he did with Bill Evans!" over on the Double Bass side of the TB Forum. Interesting.....

HolmeBass · #24 02-01-2013, 09:26 AM

Yeah, hard for me to understand not appreciating Jaco, or Weather Report. And a big +1 to the other great bass players in WR- Zawinul definitely liked great bass playing and heartily encouraged it through his entire career.

Plus Zawinul wrote "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" which is one of my favorite tunes of all time. Always brings a smile to my face to hear it. RIP Joe.

Roy Vogt · #25 02-01-2013, 09:46 AM

Getting back to the OP, the players who are saying this are older. They would have been learning bass in the middle of the Jaco era, so that makes sense. It's kind of like when I meet an older player here and show much respect for Bob Moore.

Roy Vogt · #26 02-01-2013, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HolmeBass

Yeah, hard for me to understand not appreciating Jaco, or Weather Report. And a big +1 to the other great bass players in WR- Zawinul definitely liked great bass playing and heartily encouraged it through his entire career.

Plus Zawinul wrote "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" which is one of my favorite tunes of all time. Always brings a smile to my face to hear it. RIP Joe.

Yep, in addition to Jaco, Alphonso, Miroslav, Victor Bailey, Etienne M'bappe, Gerald Veasley, Abraham Laboriel, Matthew Garrison, Linley Marthe and Richard Bona also played with Joe live or in the studio. He had an ear for great bass for sure!

micgtr71 · #27 02-01-2013, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tayal01

I was the same about WR until Zawinul passed away a few years ago and they played Birdland and Barbary Coast on the radio. I suddenly realised what a treasure trove of Jaco awesomeness I'd been missing out on. Now I have all their albums and I listen to them all the time. I now appreciate Zawinul for the gifted harmonic and melodic genius that he was. I was too young and/or stupid to recognise it at the time.

I tried at that point as well. I see that he is a gifted composer and there is some superb playing on those albums. I still can't get too excited about the songs though.

zfunkman · #28 02-01-2013, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaco Taco

That's an amusing story, I would posit that 99.99% of bass players who have "heard of Jaco" can't play like him.

I can agree with that. But you wouldn't be pushing it to say no bass player at all can play like him.

zfunkman · #29 02-01-2013, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaco Taco

Weather Report was the greatest of the fusion groups, the writing skill of both Zawinul and Shorter was amazing, in addition to them both being legendary jazz players. Add Jaco to the mix and you've got three unbelievable jazz gods playing incredibly tuneful music.

I actually prefer the Weather Report albums with Jaco on them over the Jaco solo stuff (though I do like the Jaco solo stuff too). Weather Report, Heavy Weather, Mr. Gone, 8:30 (live!), and Black Market are awsome! However, my favorite fusion group has got to be Brand X; Percy Jones is right up there with Jaco.

maxgrant · #30 02-01-2013, 11:57 AM

I appreciate Jaco's playing, don't care much for the style of music. I actually have a fretless Jazz (the Squier Jaco bass) but my only "Jaco" influence is obviously he set a very high standard for precision in his playing, which is something that seems natural to aspire to. The bass really is a very nice instrument and it has a great sound. It was the only fretless bass I'd encountered in over 20 years that literally seemed to shout at me from the wall of the music store. It said "hey, buy me right now and learn all your material on me!" I obliged.

I learned to play the intro to "Continuum" years ago, and I can kind of hack my way through about the first minute, and I also like to riff on "Come On, Come Over" just to marvel at how precisely he placed his notes rhythmically in that groove.

But, I don't try to impress people by running off Jaco riffs. That's absurd. I don't sound anything like him and I do not try to. And when I talk of my influences, he's not in the top 10, even.

zfunkman · #31 02-01-2013, 12:02 PM

I read through these posts and no one mentioned this:
Jaco on Joni Mitchell's Shadows and Light. There is also a video. Both are incredible! Anyway, I love pretty much everything Jaco plays on. However, this may be my favorite album he plays on. Its with Pat Matheney and Lyle Mays too. Oh yea, and Michael Brecker.

pkstone · #32 02-01-2013, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HolmeBass

Plus Zawinul wrote "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" which is one of my favorite tunes of all time. Always brings a smile to my face to hear it. RIP Joe.

My favorite, too. Beautiful, simple, and so, so soulful. I love covering it.

4001 · #33 02-01-2013, 12:09 PM

Great song with Jaco on it...
http://www.youtube.com/embed/XcEwFuU5irU

HolmeBass · #34 02-01-2013, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zfunkman

I read through these posts and no one mentioned this:
Jaco on Joni Mitchell's Shadows and Light. There is also a video. Both are incredible! Anyway, I love pretty much everything Jaco plays on. However, this may be my favorite album he plays on. Its with Pat Matheney and Lyle Mays too. Oh yea, and Michael Brecker.

Yeah, Shadows and Light is such an amazing album and video. Mind blowing, really. I learned about it many years (maybe 10?) after first learning about Jaco in WR and then finding his solo stuff, and was like- with Pat Metheny and Joni Mitchell?? You're kidding, right? Super-crazy cool stuff.

Regarding OP, I guess I find most people still don't know about Jaco, and if I ever do mention him I then immediately say that I can't play anything like him. Then I suggest they go visit YouTube and check him out. I don't get the feeling it reflects back on me, other than maybe letting them know I listen to jazz. Similar effect to acknowledging Stanley Clarke, really.

zfunkman · #35 02-01-2013, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HolmeBass

Yeah, Shadows and Light is such an amazing album and video. Mind blowing, really. I learned about it many years (maybe 10?) after first learning about Jaco in WR and then finding his solo stuff, and was like- with Pat Metheny and Joni Mitchell?? You're kidding, right? Super-crazy cool stuff.

Regarding OP, I guess I find most people still don't know about Jaco, and if I ever do mention him I then immediately say that I can't play anything like him. Then I suggest they go visit YouTube and check him out. I don't get the feeling it reflects back on me, other than maybe letting them know I listen to jazz. Similar effect to acknowledging Stanley Clarke, really.

Like you, this was the final "Jaco" album I got after getting his, then, two solo albums and everything he did on Wether Report and Pat Matheney's Bright Size Life. We also have someting in common in not playing or sounding anyting like Jaco. In fact I don't play anything like most of my favorite bass players . . . Stanley Clark, Percy Jones, Geddy Lee, Bootsy Collins, Chris Squire, etc. They are all unique and so completely different from on another. I've learned something from each of them and many more and feel I have kinda' my own thing going on.

preside · #36 02-01-2013, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zfunkman

Like you, this was the final "Jaco" album I got after getting his, then, two solo albums and everything he did on Wether Report and Pat Matheney's Bright Size Life. We also have someting in common in not playing or sounding anyting like Jaco. In fact I don't play anything like most of my favorite bass players . . . Stanley Clark, Percy Jones, Geddy Lee, Bootsy Collins, Chris Squire, etc. They are all unique and so completely different from on another. I've learned something from each of them and many more and feel I have kinda' my own thing going on.

Hmmm... are you sure you aren't me posting under a pseudonym??

HeavyJazz77 · #37 02-02-2013, 07:16 AM

Jaco was the bassist's Hendrix. He just got a lot of things kick started that just hadn't been put out there yet. I prefer his solo stuff to WR too. That was a great band, but the non-stop keyboards wear me out. I had played for about 7 years before ever hearing of Jaco, but recognized "Birdland" when told he played on it.

esa372 · #38 02-02-2013, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeavyJazz77

Jaco was the bassist's Hendrix.

Nah - Entwistle was the "Hendrix of bass".

Jaco was more of a "Charlie Parker of bass"...

king_biscuit · #39 02-02-2013, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by esa372

Nah - Entwistle was the "Hendrix of bass".

Jaco was more of a "Charlie Parker of bass"...

Hendrix was a true innovator, but he was really not a great guitarist from a technical standpoint. Jaco had big time technique and he was a big time innovator.

Mojo-Man · #40 02-02-2013, 05:31 PM

The whole Jaco effect is simple.
You really had to be there. Back in 1975-1976 nobody played like that. And fretless to boot. There was no youtube, or internet.
It was, not to be funny. Word Of Mouth.
I remember going to spring break in 1975 to Fla. and hearing everyone talk about this guy.
Finally I got to see him play. Game changer for sure.
A month later, back in Boston, he was playing in the Pat Methaney trio. the buzz was out. To me Jaco, and James Jamerson brought the bass out from behind the band stand.