Jaco playing So What

[Baryonyx]

Jaco is the man. I know I always say it, but he is awesome.

[NYCBass]

Originally Posted by bikeplate

HI

Jaco never had anything to prove. One of the most artistic musicians ever. Maybe the most influential electric bassist ever

Rob

+1
Who here as ever taken a solo and not went into their bag of tricks during it? I always try to look at a solo as a moment in time and play for the moment. But.. when I heard a live solo back most of the time I hear myself at some point go into that bag of tricks. Sometimes it's something I played or had hear someone "like Jaco or hundreds of other great bass players" do in the tune. Not always knowing it at the time but hearing it later if it was recorded.

I can't see how people still would look at Jaco and think he did not or could not improvise. I seen Jaco play live a lot in the 80's when he was living in NYC and there were some nights where he was not as on. Still great and had his killer moments , but playing more out of his bag of tricks. Then there were nights where everything was like "***" like the man was possessed blowing out the most incredible music I had ever heard coming from a bass guitar.

Look I know there are some people that are sick of threads about Jaco. I understand, I see threads about some bass players and I'm like "why are they talking about this guy again" IMO Jaco knocked the bass playing world on it's ass and ear. I myself am just happy to see that people are still talking about the Man ! ! !

As I like to say. Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and they usually stink. Including my own.

[bugbass]

Don`t shoot me here, but I actually think Lagrenes playing was impressive

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by NYCBass

+1
Who here as ever taken a solo and not went into their bag of tricks during it? I always try to look at a solo as a moment in time and play for the moment. But.. when I heard a live solo back most of the time I hear myself at some point go into that bag of tricks. Sometimes it's something I played or had hear someone "like Jaco or hundreds of other great bass players" do in the tune. Not always knowing it at the time but hearing it later if it was recorded.

I can't see how people still would look at Jaco and think he did not or could not improvise. I seen Jaco play live a lot in the 80's when he was living in NYC and there were some nights where he was not as on. Still great and had his killer moments , but playing more out of his bag of tricks. Then there were nights where everything was like "***" like the man was possessed blowing out the most incredible music I had ever heard coming from a bass guitar.

Look I know there are some people that are sick of threads about Jaco. I understand, I see threads about some bass players and I'm like "why are they talking about this guy again" IMO Jaco knocked the bass playing world on it's ass and ear. I myself am just happy to see that people are still talking about the Man ! ! !

.

I think you are missing the point of this thread big time - so Jaco was a huge inspiration to me in the late 70s,early 80s and I am still a big fan and love his compositions and recordings...

But that doesn't alter the fact that in the particular recording linked in this thread, his solo starts of with a load of his own cliches, is meandering, unfocused and not really melodic at all - but then we all by now, know the tragic story of his life and his struggle to cope with bipolar disorder and drugs/drink ...

[Possu jam]

I think the solo lacked some development. What I mean is that the drums played pretty much straight ahead without any rhytmic nor dynamic variation and in this sort of a trio setting the guitar could have given some accompanying.

yep

[Megalomania]

+1 to possu jam. I didn't enjoy this clip as much as i thought i would. The guitar solo was great stuff, and the song was going places from there, but there was no comping during jaco's solo (something that always annoys me, other instrumentalists dropping out during a bass solo), the drum beat was weird and didn't suit the song, and jaco's solo was static and just seemed to be trying too hard. Great player but definitley had better nights.

[Eric Perry]

Originally Posted by bugbass

Don`t shoot me here, but I actually think Lagrenes playing was impressive

I thought it was very impressive. I agree with morf though, where he failed was trying to hard to emulate Jaco. Technically, it was great, but it had none of the *feel*, that Jaco was most famous for.

[NYCBass]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

I think you are missing the point of this thread big time - so Jaco was a huge inspiration to me in the late 70s,early 80s and I am still a big fan and love his compositions and recordings...

But that doesn't alter the fact that in the particular recording linked in this thread, his solo starts of with a load of his own cliches, is meandering, unfocused and not really melodic at all - but then we all by now, know the tragic story of his life and his struggle to cope with bipolar disorder and drugs/drink ...

Is the point as I see it, Jaco's ability for improve? Because that is what he is doing in that clip. I'm sure it was not the same solo he took it in that tune the night before.

Or is this a thread where so called big fans go to beat up on a Jaco clip where he was not 100% on? As I stated in my previous post, a solo is and should be a moment in time. That clip showed you just that.

One more moment in time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXOnhzoC-i8

[superfunk47]

am i the only one who noticed hes not playing his fender, or any kind of fender, as it would appear

ive never seen a fender with a headstock with a point at the bottom of the farthest end, where its supposed to be nice and round...

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by NYCBass

As I stated in my previous post, a solo is and should be a moment in time. That clip showed you just that.

Well - it wasn't a very inspired, focused or melodic moment in time - just mediocre...

Which is sad because Jaco at his best was all these things!

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

I'm a big Jaco fan, but I think it's funny that you chose a video which tends to show the opposite of what you say... his solo isn't very melodic and doesn't really go anywhere - I've heard/seen better from him!

Originally Posted by cnltb

I very much agree !!!!

Originally Posted by Matthew Bryson

+1

Well, I'm not even really a big Jaco fan, but I do enjoy some of his work. I didn't think this was very good. For starters the tempo seem to me like it's just too fast for this tune to groove right. The drums are killing me, I'm not digging the constant fast cymbal pulse... The whole things just seems fast and kind of messy. I could almost suspect that copious amounts of cocaine were used back stage just prior to this recording.

Originally Posted by Possu jam

I think the solo lacked some development. What I mean is that the drums played pretty much straight ahead without any rhytmic nor dynamic variation and in this sort of a trio setting the guitar could have given some accompanying.

yep

Originally Posted by Megalomania

+1 to possu jam. I didn't enjoy this clip as much as i thought i would. The guitar solo was great stuff, and the song was going places from there, but there was no comping during jaco's solo (something that always annoys me, other instrumentalists dropping out during a bass solo), the drum beat was weird and didn't suit the song, and jaco's solo was static and just seemed to be trying too hard. Great player but definitley had better nights.

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

Well - it wasn't a very inspired, focused or melodic moment in time - just mediocre...

Which is sad because Jaco at his best was all these things!

Just to clarify that I am talking about the original clip which started this therad and not any others!

[NYCBass]

I have to say that it might not have been the best solo I ever heard from Jaco, but still not bad for a on the spot improve. Did you guys hear when he stuck the line from River People in it?

I know Jaco is looked at as a God and should have been on every time he picked up a bass. But I would say that a large percentage of bass players would not have take a solo even that good. Again, not his best but not deserving of the bashing IMO.

[Baryonyx]

Originally Posted by NYCBass

I know Jaco is looked at as a God and should have been on every time he picked up a bass. But I would say that a large percentage of bass players would not have take a solo even that good. Again, not his best but not deserving of the bashing IMO.

I guess he set a high standard for himself early on and it's sad to see him fall below that.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Exactly - and I am not "bashing" - whatever that means - as I have pointed out - he was struggling with bipolar disorder, drink and drugs - very sad!

All I have been saying is that I would rather remember the Jaco at the height of his powers with Weather Report or Joni Mitchell, for example - and I would not have picked this clip out to get people interested... and it is not one I want to see again really...?

[morf]

Originally Posted by NYCBass

I have to say that it might not have been the best solo I ever heard from Jaco, but still not bad for a on the spot improve. Did you guys hear when he stuck the line from River People in it?

I know Jaco is looked at as a God and should have been on every time he picked up a bass. But I would say that a large percentage of bass players would not have take a solo even that good. Again, not his best but not deserving of the bashing IMO.

I agree, theres nothing to bash about that solo. It wasn't Jaco at his best, but so what? It was an amazing solo that you won't see anywhere else.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Well - it had a lot of his licks played before many times, thrown in near the start, at random - then he seem to run out of any ideas and it just rambles to a non-conclusion, with little melodic content and no shape to the solo.

If you compare to say Miles' solo on the original...well there's what you can do with that tune...