could you please sell me on Jaco?

[madmarvin]

I just saw a vid of Metallica covering Priest's Rapid Fire and Rob Trujillo simplified Ian Hill's bass part!

Dunno about Dusty Hill though. My understanding is that Gibbons does everything in the studio and Dusty is good enough to lock it in for live shows. I'm no insider, so take that with a grain of salt.

I'd never heard that about Dusty not being on the recordings, well other than Legs anyway. Live? Dude was an animal...tone, playing, singing the whole thing. For those that think all he does is thump quarters listen to this:

 

[JimK]

Yeah, c'mon...Dusty Hill is a very adequate Blues/Rock bassist...those earliest albums are great!

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

I'd never heard that about Dusty not being on the recordings, well other than Legs anyway. Live? Dude was an animal...tone, playing, singing the whole thing. For those that think all he does is thump quarters listen to this:

Didn’t think they could be so heavy !
But what this has to do with selling Jaco to the OP?

 

[madmarvin]

Didn’t think they could be so heavy !
But what this has to do with selling Jaco to the OP?

Well.... I wasn't really trying to sell him on Jaco. I think it's like anything, just trying to expose and show that some players are not always just their stereotypes.

 

[JimK]

Didn’t think they could be so heavy !
But what this has to do with selling Jaco to the OP?

Improvisation? Stream Of Consciousness? One of Jaco's thangs...

 

[5StringBlues]

Taco (musician)
Background information
Birth name Taco Ockerse
Born July 21, 1955 (age 62)
Invalid Link Removed, Indonesia
Origin Invalid Link Removed, GermanyInvalid Link RemovedInvalid Link Removed[3]
Genres Swing, soul, new wave
Occupation(s) Singer, actor, producer, composer, songwriter, scriptwriter
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1979–present
Labels Invalid Link Removed, Invalid Link Removed
Taco Ockerse (born July 21, 1955), usually known mononymously as Taco, is an Indonesian-born Dutch singer[4][5] and entertainer who started his career in Germany.Invalid Link RemovedInvalid Link Removed[3]

Early life[edit]
Taco Ockerse, born in Jakarta, Indonesia on July 21, 1955,Invalid Link Removed had spent many of his childhood years moving around the world, residing in the Netherlands, the United States, Singapore, Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany.[6] He attended the International School of Brussels, Belgium, and graduated in 1973. Afterward, he studied interior decoration and finished acting school in Hamburg. He held lead roles in numerous school productions, including Invalid Link Removed; Carousel; Invalid Link Removed; and Invalid Link Removed.

In 1975, he began his first professional theatrical engagements in Hamburg.[6] This included roles in Children's Theater, and roles as an ensemble member of the Thalia Theater in a number of plays, including Sweet Charity, Chicago, and Three Musketeers. He also directed and choreographed for the musical Nightchild. In 1979, he played "Chino" in John Neumeier's West Side Story at Hamburg Opera House. He founded his first band, Taco's Bizz, in 1979.

Professional career[edit]
In 1981, Taco signed his first record contract with Polydor (Germany) for two record releases, whereon he released his first single, "Puttin' On the Ritz",[6] which in 1982 was picked up by Invalid Link Removed for US release. His version of the song also had pieces of other Irving Berlin songs, such as "White Christmas". The single was widely played throughout the US by late summer of 1983 eventually peaking at No. 4 in September 1983 on the Hot 100 as well as No. 1 on Cashbox.[7][8]Although the single eventually earned him a Gold-certification for selling over one million copies, it was Taco's only Top 40 hit in the US.[9] In 1983 and 1984, he toured extensively throughout Europe. While the single "Puttin' on the Ritz" topped the charts in Sweden and New Zealand, it entered the Top 5 in numerous countries including Norway, Austria and Canada.[10][11] His subsequent album, After Eight, was released in over 40 countries and managed to reach No. 4 in Norway, No. 5 in Canada, No. 11 in Austria, No. 17 in New Zealand, No. 23 in the United States, and No. 59 in Germany.[12][13][14][15] The album earned Taco a number of Gold certifications including one in Finland for selling over 25,000 copies.[16]

Taco's second single "Singing in the Rain" was a moderate success peaking at No. 49 in Germany, No. 46 in Canada and No. 98 in the UK.[17][18][19]

He appeared as a guest on The Merv Griffin Show, Alan Thicke, Solid Gold, Good Morning America, a Bob Hope TV special, and many other TV shows while touring.[6]

Taco's follow-up album, Let's Face the Music, was recorded in 1984 for Polydor (Germany) which peaked at No. 58 in his home of Germany and managed to enter the Top 100 in Canada peaking at No. 92.[15][20] Taco continued to record, focusing mostly on the German market with albums Swing Classics/In the Mood of Glenn Miller in 1985 and Tell Me That You Like It in 1986 for Polydor. In 1987 he recorded the self-titled album Taco.

In 1989 he briefly flirted with contemporary dance music by releasing a pair of singles, "Love Touch" and "Got to Be Your Lover", that were styled after the high energy disco sound popularized by Stock Aitken Waterman. Afterwards, he repositioned himself as a swing/soul singer. He has collaborated with Geff Harrison of Kin Ping Meh fame.

Between 1989 and 1996, Taco worked as an actor. He had television acting roles in Friedrichstadt Palast and Das Erbe der Guldenburgs, and an appearance in the film Karniggels. He also appeared as "Chico" in the theater production of Marx Brothers Radio Show, and played lead roles in Shakespeare Rock n Roll in Berlin and Shakespeare as We Like It in Austria.

He currently resides in Germany, performing with his band and as a gala artist.

I'm sorry, I meant to ask if someone would sell me A taco.

 

[IamGroot]

I'm sorry, I meant to ask if someone would sell me A taco.

They come in packs of ten.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I'm sorry, I meant to ask if someone would sell me A taco.

Is this him?

 

[IamGroot]

No, there was only one Taco Pastorius. Everybody else needs a 5 string.

 

[Jeff Scott]

 

[Manuel Bass]

What Jim said, listen to his work from '75 until '79 make believe he died in a car wreck at age 27 and you never read any of his bi-polar years.

He makes a lot of beautiful music in his bipolar era too it’s really sad to see him falling in this behaviors an incredible lost

 

[THE SAW]

Clarity, melody woven into fabulous bass lines, exemplary use of harmonics, huge beautiful chords.....

Yeah, he's OK!

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

Eh .. for liking this you have to be “into it”, otherwise ... it’s like for a hard-rock enthusiast to try and like Steely Dan .. it’s a different thing

 

[Jeff Scott]

It opens one's mind to infinite possibilities in creativity and otherworldliness.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

It opens one's mind to infinite possibilities in creativity and otherworldliness.

Yes, I agree, but the OP's request is difficult to handle if the OP is not already open-minded enough to feel and appreciate the harmonic complexity and subtleties of certain musical genres .. good luck in his quest on my side ..

 

[thabassmon]

Well Jaco....

I don't think anyone can sell you on him.
Just some notes.

Played fretless (not the first, but different enough to make him stand out). Gave him a sound that was different.

Played in forward thinking ensembles that composed music that allowed bass to be an integral voice rather than relegated to support.

Harmonics. Natural and false extensive use. Again not the first on bass but he used them well.

Played fast, hate to say it but all players that play fast get attention, good or bad. Bass in the mid seventies, dude playing all that bass, telling people he's the greatest is a surefire way to be noticed. Still he had chops.

So basically had own sound, had chops and played with people open enough to let the bass player do his thing.

Whether you like it or not is a different story.

 

[Manuel Bass]

Well Jaco....

I don't think anyone can sell you on him.
Just some notes.

Played fretless (not the first, but different enough to make him stand out). Gave him a sound that was different.

Played in forward thinking ensembles that composed music that allowed bass to be an integral voice rather than relegated to support.

Harmonics. Natural and false extensive use. Again not the first on bass but he used them well.

Played fast, hate to say it but all players that play fast get attention, good or bad. Bass in the mid seventies, dude playing all that bass, telling people he's the greatest is a surefire way to be noticed. Still he had chops.

So basically had own sound, had chops and played with people open enough to let the bass player do his thing.

Whether you like it or not is a different story.

Yes he was not the first in those item you mentioned buuut he was the best with no doubt nobody do nothing similar to portrait of tracy in his time he studied for 9 years his version of Donna lee until he was happy with the result and of course he invented the new rol of our instrument for me jaco is a portrait of freedom in terms of music play what you think it’s wright and play from the bottom of your so

 

[thabassmon]

Yes he was not the first in those item you mentioned buuut he was the best with no doubt nobody do nothing similar to portrait of tracy in his time he studied for 9 years his version of Donna lee until he was happy with the result and of course he invented the new rol of our instrument for me jaco is a portrait of freedom in terms of music play what you think it’s wright and play from the bottom of your so

Hey man I didn't say anything negative about his playing. Just honest assessment, I was impressed with him when I first heard him about 20 years ago on his debut album, then heavy weather, then bright sized life. I have also checked out a lot more than that.
I used to listen to his stuff quite a lot, learnt to play a bunch of it. Was young and really convinced he was the greatest, media had a great influence on my opinion.
Then I started studying the lines of a lot of different players, bassists, guitarists, pianists, saxophonists and brass players and realized that he had a lot of great attributes but also limitations. That didn't make him worse for me just human.
But the result of intense musical study took him down off the pedestal for me.
It's the same for most people, when you can't do something it seems really impressive but once you can it seems less impressive.
If it's true 9 years is extreme for learning to play Donna Lee. Before everyone jumps on that, I've learnt a ton of Charlie Parker, Donna Lee is one of his ugliest sounding melodies. Scrapple, Confirmation even Yardbird suite sound a lot better.
I remember at music school one student was bragging he could play Donna Lee and then did so, what followed was the other eight bass players in the room playing Donna Lee perfectly back at him. Point is I know that everyone in that room learnt to play it in less tone than 9 years.
I still like it when he plays ballads though.

 

[Manuel Bass]

Hey man I didn't say anything negative about his playing. Just honest assessment, I was impressed with him when I first heard him about 20 years ago on his debut album, then heavy weather, then bright sized life. I have also checked out a lot more than that.
I used to listen to his stuff quite a lot, learnt to play a bunch of it. Was young and really convinced he was the greatest, media had a great influence on my opinion.
Then I started studying the lines of a lot of different players, bassists, guitarists, pianists, saxophonists and brass players and realized that he had a lot of great attributes but also limitations. That didn't make him worse for me just human.
But the result of intense musical study took him down off the pedestal for me.
It's the same for most people, when you can't do something it seems really impressive but once you can it seems less impressive.
If it's true 9 years is extreme for learning to play Donna Lee. Before everyone jumps on that, I've learnt a ton of Charlie Parker, Donna Lee is one of his ugliest sounding melodies. Scrapple, Confirmation even Yardbird suite sound a lot better.
I remember at music school one student was bragging he could play Donna Lee and then did so, what followed was the other eight bass players in the room playing Donna Lee perfectly back at him. Point is I know that everyone in that room learnt to play it in less tone than 9 years.
I still like it when he plays ballads though.

It’s amazing eight super skilled students in the same class it’s a miracle
One more question they do this at the same time with no loosing a single note?

 

[thabassmon]

Not super skilled. Just a third year talking it up in an improv class of second years. It sure was pretty bloody good.
Thing is charlie parker heads are part of the curriculum, so that becomes the norm. So like a said not super skilled it's just the norm for jazz bass music students.

Edit: just corrected "improv" predictive changed it to "improve"