I agree with one thing... It has never been a fun listening experience. I approached it from a learning perspective. For enjoyment, nah... I get it. But boy, it can be work listening to it...
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could you please sell me on Jaco?
- Thread starter Rumbledore
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Back in high school 'we' were Joni Mitchell fans (because of about 40 genius songs and that voice) and when Hejira came out I don't think I identified what the bass was doing, just that it was very strange and moody with some superb lyrics, and became associated with a sad event...not until Jaco's beautiful & phenomenal solo album came out, and the great Bright Size Life, and Jaco jamming with Mike Stern down at Wally's... focus went to the Bass player and back to Hejira and Jaco's other level work on it. Joni's lyric on Coyote is also worth paying attention to
Imagine the first time Joni played with Jaco...I think she has spoken of this, it was like for the first time she had a foil, a soloist who got her changes seamlessly. Effortlessly. Like a big cat, a natural specimen just back from the jungle but with total harmonic facility. this song is overplayed sometimes but as a Jaco musicality example, it's a good'n
People who say Jaco might have done something great if he had just lived longer just don't understand that these things are often very brief and you'd better catch that flower blossoming in the short time it is happening, because next winter's freeze may kill or alter the plant. Does talent like Jaco have to exist with madness? He's a pretty good example of it. Oh yes, put him on mood stabilizers and get him a job working at a music school and let him graduate 23 years of fine students.
Imagine the first time Joni played with Jaco...I think she has spoken of this, it was like for the first time she had a foil, a soloist who got her changes seamlessly. Effortlessly. Like a big cat, a natural specimen just back from the jungle but with total harmonic facility. this song is overplayed sometimes but as a Jaco musicality example, it's a good'n
People who say Jaco might have done something great if he had just lived longer just don't understand that these things are often very brief and you'd better catch that flower blossoming in the short time it is happening, because next winter's freeze may kill or alter the plant. Does talent like Jaco have to exist with madness? He's a pretty good example of it. Oh yes, put him on mood stabilizers and get him a job working at a music school and let him graduate 23 years of fine students.
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Although im not much of a jaco fan, (i used to be though)- i think years of reading interviews, vid’s, etc, his attitude & personality rub me the wrong way. I am a fan of several players who were obviously influenced by him though- Richard Bona, Gary Willis, Alain Caron, Tom Kennedy just to name a few. And they’ve taken the bass to an even higher plane than jaco did. I am appreciative of his influence tho.
Short scale, rosewood neck, Duncan pickups, 4 string is cooler. Makes a statement.
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/daisy-rock-daisy-bass
What you are missing is you are listening to him with today's sensibilities where you have a Marcus Miller, Les Claypool, and other meastros fro comparison. BAck then, little to nobody had heard some guy cooking on fretless bass like that, and then releasing a solo album full of not only cool bass playing, but also some good songs.
EIther take the time to study or let it go.
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I loved his playing with Joni Mitchell, but I was already a Joni fan when I heard it. Less taken by his other stuff. There's no doubt of his skill as a fretless player though (anyone who can play Donna Lee on anything has to have some ability) and Portrait of Tracy is classic for bass harmonics.
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I have to say I kinda wonder what I'm missing with Les Claypool, as yet I haven't heard anything of his that makes me think "wow"...
I think it is the total package with him, crazy songs with insane lyrics, all sorts of cool bass styles, and some honest to god funky rhythms. That slap part in Tommy the Cat may go down as one of the funkiest lines of all time.
What aspects of Jaco make him a difficult sell to you? I would assume it's related to the type of music and not the talent? There are artists whom I respect deeply as musicians, even if I would not typically listen to their music. In Jaco's case, I really like his music.
IMHO, I cannot imagine a musician, especially a bass player, who does not recognize the level of talent and skill Jaco had. I could mention his knowledge of theory and harmony, his speed and accuracy, his ability to play any genre in the correct "style", ...., .... What impresses me most, is that: 1) as a fretless player, he did all this with incredible precision (intonation), and 2) he was a pioneer - doing things that no one else was with an electric bass.
IMHO, I cannot imagine a musician, especially a bass player, who does not recognize the level of talent and skill Jaco had. I could mention his knowledge of theory and harmony, his speed and accuracy, his ability to play any genre in the correct "style", ...., .... What impresses me most, is that: 1) as a fretless player, he did all this with incredible precision (intonation), and 2) he was a pioneer - doing things that no one else was with an electric bass.
Jaco has been, and rightfully so, compared to Jimi Hendrix.
Years ago when I was working on my six string playing I always loved Van Halen and Ozzy so naturally I went to Eddie and Randy to work on my soloing. Eventually I moved on to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Billy Gibbons. Why? Because these were the artists I liked. Everyone told me 'Study Hendrix' but I don't like his stuff. But I did study some of his stuff and it was great to add to my playing and I started to love his guitar sounds solo with no other instruments. Also most of the artists that came after Hendrix were influenced by him therefore any player that studies a guitar player after Hendrix would have a good chance of being influenced indirectly.
Jaco is this way for me. I am not a big fan of his but I admire his playing and what he brought to the world of bass. I do not dismiss any player just because they are not my type of music.
Try playing some of his stuff and you may be pleasantly surprised.
Years ago when I was working on my six string playing I always loved Van Halen and Ozzy so naturally I went to Eddie and Randy to work on my soloing. Eventually I moved on to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Billy Gibbons. Why? Because these were the artists I liked. Everyone told me 'Study Hendrix' but I don't like his stuff. But I did study some of his stuff and it was great to add to my playing and I started to love his guitar sounds solo with no other instruments. Also most of the artists that came after Hendrix were influenced by him therefore any player that studies a guitar player after Hendrix would have a good chance of being influenced indirectly.
Jaco is this way for me. I am not a big fan of his but I admire his playing and what he brought to the world of bass. I do not dismiss any player just because they are not my type of music.
Try playing some of his stuff and you may be pleasantly surprised.
and I'll add Jaco didn't have to slap to be funky!
Well ok not literally everyone but I would think most aspiring modern jazzers owe him a nod.
Just the fact that he mastered scales, chords, harmonics, time signatures and modes alone shows his commitment to trying to be one of the best musicians ever and he coaxed all this from a passive Jazz bass.
For the second half of your question, there's nothing missing
Fair enough, may be it's better to say people who DON'T want to at least listen are being closed minded.
Most people I talk to about Jaco either love or hate him. I neither love nor hate him. It is simply that I don't enjoy his music. There is a lot of music out there that I don't enjoy. As far as him being an important part of electric bass? IMO, that is a no but maybe yes. I also feel the same about Hendrix. Was Jimmy important to electric guitar? No but maybe yes. What I am getting at is that music would probably be the same today with or without either of them because that is just the nature of music. Sure they both inspired but so have countless others. If it wasn't them it would have been someone else. This of course is all my opinion.
That is a fair statement. I give everything a chance. I could moss something if I don't.
I'm not a fan of his music or sound, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate how extraordinarily talented he was.
As a fellow New Englander and Bruins fan, I agree with the Bobby Orr analogy!
