Jaco Pastorius. 20th year anniversary tribute.

[James Banner]

I know this may be a touchy subject for many people including myself, but i start this thread in the hope of celebrating Jaco's life and huge influence upon music.

Bass Player are running a tribute to him in this months issue (which arrived on my doorstep today!) and I thought it would be nice if people would like to write anything and contribute to the thread. It can be a simple few words from anybody or maybe a story from anyone that may have met him in the past.

Thanks

[Oratorio]

Jaco is essentialy the person that really got me into bass. I believe you can learn everything you should know about bass from him (IMO).

[Baryonyx]

Jaco was an immense player. Even during his life, I don't think he was anywhere near the "top spot", but definitely an inspiring musician!

[stingray56funk]

An amazing musician with amazing talent that went too soon. His feel for the instrument was so fluid and expressive. I am truly inspired by his work and sound and he certainly deserves to be one considered to be at the pinnacle of bass. Jaco...we salute you!

[arai]

cliff burton was was much faster and more innovative ...........not.
but he did get me into the bass and jaco made me take the frets outta my aria. and made me realise there is so much one can do.
rip

[StanFan]

I'll have to pick up this issue then. His playing is what help me get into jazzier music. The main song I think of when I think of Jaco is "A Remark You Made", a beautiful song with some of his most emotional playing.

[jeffbrown]

Funny... I just got finished listening again to his first solo album, on CD, with the two "previously unreleased" tracks doubling up (Used To Be A) Cha-Cha and then 6/4 Jam. Sat down at the computer, and here we are.

I was a just-graduated college music student when Heavy Weather came out, and it blew us all away. Black Market had had us spell-bound - Zawinal and Shorter being the movers they were, and then Jaco came aboard. Whew! I soon after got out of the biz, and kinda lost track of a lot of things.

Back to now; I'm playing again, and wanted to get back to the roots. Picked up the CD some months ago, and BAM! Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!

Jaco, we miss you, wherever you are. I've been influenced by a number of bassists, but none quite have the sensitivity and flair you had.

Play on.

Jeff Brown

[stedtale]

Jaco played the bass?

[rockwarnick]

Originally Posted by stedtale

Jaco played the bass?

nope. i dont know what these people are talking about. they must be confused with someone else.

[ALiP BoB]

Jaco forever changed the way people look at bass and opened the door to whole new possibilities.

[Baryonyx]

Then Victor Wooten came and blew the whole house up in an amazing explosion of colour!

[burk48237]

Yeah, But Jaco's no Michael anthony!

[Aarix]

I have to listen to "The Birthday Concert" about once a month. There is just so much joy and friendship in that music that all the players are playing very creatively and constructively. It's exactly what I want music to be.

I know Jaco led a pretty troubled life at the end, but it made the bright spots so much brighter.

Thanks for the music Jaco!

[zazz]

for me jaco showed me the way regarding attitude ..the way a bassline could sit in there and grab the attention of the listener ...but at the same time it was complimentary ...a fine line ..but he dit it.

[FireMedicJim]

I, too received my Bass Player mag and immediately went to the Jaco article. I will most likely NEVER be able to get close to playing Havona like Jaco did, but he never fails to impress me with his skills, even at the end of his troubled life.
Hopefully something will come of a movie of his life. It would be interesting to see who they would come up with to play not only Jaco, but Zawinul and the rest of the characters that made Jaco what he really was.

Keep safe, Yall

FireMedic jim

[Philbiker]

Jaco who?

[Joe Gress]

Originally Posted by burk48237

Yeah, But Jaco's no Michael anthony!

Yeah, but Michael Anthony ain't no Wolfgang!

[Kasper007]

Like someone else said, I love his ability to play very complex and ever changing lines that really stand out, but at the same time fit the music so well and just make the whole feel of a song.

I only really got to appreciate him when I first heard Joni Mitchell's Hejira. Before that I saw he was enormously gifted technically, but I didn't like most Weather Report tunes and his solo stuff musically (I like them technically if that makes sense, but just from a musician's point of view). But on Hejira (and live cd Shadows and Light) his playing just blew me away, the way he creates the feel of a song, almost never repeating a line is incredible I think.

I'm now looking for some more stuff with Jaco playing as a 'session' player, in service of someone, so if anyone can give me some suggestions? I know he did a lot of playing with other artists, but I don't really know which ones to look for.

[gre107]

I always say that "It's all Jaco's Fault" when I'm asked how I got into music but specifically why I chose to play the bass.

[j.a.e.r.i.p]

Jaco pastorius is easily the most important electric bass player that has ever lived to date. Jaco had groove, feel, soul, and genius. The analysis of Jaco's Havona solo in bass player gives some insight into how brilliant his playing was. Jaco attributed all of his playing to Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns by Slominsky. I bought the book and have been slowly chugging away at it since. The book is incredibly difficult, and played through it and was using it in his playing by the time he was about my age (16 y/o). Jaco was made to play the bass, basses were made to be played by jaco. May the genius RIP