I might be kicked off TB for this, but.....

[DiabolusInMusic]

Does the OP choose the tags? If so, disregard my last post 110%!!!!

I would think so. I have tested adding tags with another member and I couldn't see their added tags. I think the OP adds tags for all and you can only add tags for your own reference. I really don't know how the system works though.

EDIT: More than the OP can add tags.

 

[Kim Jong Funk]

Also, Jeff Berlin probably has better chops and may have more knowledge than Jaco did, but Jaco had a lot more soul in his playing. Balls. Grit. Berlin is cerebral IMO. The only guy that can 'compete with' Jaco, in the musical sense is Gary Willis. IMO. I'll bet most of the Jaco haters don't like Willis or Berlin, either.

I'm not the biggest fan of Willis' music (Tribal Tech and his solo stuff are not my cup of tea), but damned if he isn't an amazing player and a genius on the bass. Harkening back to my earlier point. His playing is great, but the overall tunes don't really do it for me. That can also be said about Weather Report. Some of their stuff I absolutely love, and other stuff: I can take it or leave it. Doesn't diminish Jaco's playing or skill (It's mostly that Zawinul's synth tones sound grating/extremely dated to me).

 

[Kim Jong Funk]

You cannot talk about early/pre-Jaco without mentioning Bunny Brunel.

I was told when they met Bunny said "I hear you play like me."

Although he studied with Jaco, Mark Egan often tries to make it clear that he is not a Jaco clone and has his own style. I think that because they were around at the same time, people accused Egan of being derivative.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

Although he studied with Jaco, Mark Egan often tries to make it clear that he is not a Jaco clone and has his own style. I think that because they were around at the same time, people accused Egan of being derivative.

I think any fretless player got that label around that time. I have heard even Marcus Miller was labelled a Jaco-clone in his early days.

 

[Altitude]

Your right about everyone *except* Stanley Clarke, he was on albums before Jaco!! The other guys, definitely

Agreed, and all the same stuff could be said about Stanley Clarke. He had a different thing going on and was coming up in different circles.

 

[radioface]

When it comes to playing bass guitar, simply stated, Jaco saved my life. Before I heard Jaco, I was listening to funk and rock bassists. Jaco's style opened my eyes and ears. Now, I admire Jaco's work but am to lazy to learn any of his songs. These days, there are many great bassists from which to choose but for me, those who play fretless in a style similar to that of Jaco, just do it!

 

[Kim Jong Funk]

I think any fretless player got that label around that time. I have heard even Marcus Miller was labelled a Jaco-clone in his early days.

Drawing the comparisons between Egan and Jaco, I could see. Anyone saying Miller was a clone must have been freebasing.

 

[Ron Johnson]

I feel the same way in some aspects, probably because I heard all this praise of him before listening to him and expected way too much.

There are some pieces I enjoy, but I expected the songs to be very technically challenging to learn since so many call him the best bassist, and they turned out to be extremely easy to me.

I now believe all the praise comes from the influence he had on the bass, with creativity or skill set aside. He is a great bassist, but I was never really impressed. I do intend to see that movie coming out though.

 

[Biggbass]

I've always liked his work on the Joni Mitchell albums. Can't imagine those songs without him.

 

[Ric5]

I'm really just not that into Jaco.

Now before the lynching begins, I do greatly respect what he has done as a bassist. I am completely aware of the impact he has has on our instrument.

I am just not a fan of his material. I have given many videos on Youtube of him an honest chance. I find it is lacking groove with a very undesirable tone.

In the interest of an open discussion, I will gladly watch an listen to anything that you may suggest. I honestly do want to find something of his that I can really latch onto, but so far, I haven't.

Does anyone else feel this way about any other trailblazing bassists?

Ya ... I lose interest in listening to Jaco noodle in songs pretty quickly ...

 

[StereoPlayer]

Ya ... I lose interest in listening to Jaco noodle in songs pretty quickly ...

I see what you mean....but it's a bit better than Mustang Sally.

 

[DWBass]

During those days, I was way more into Stanley Clarke. I had all his albums. He had a much bigger impact on my early bass playing days. And as I said earlier, the 70's funk and r&b bass players garnered all my attention. Some who were definitely on the same level as Jaco for playing skills. I don't think anyone here is questioning Jaco's talent. Just his impact on their own personal playing. Jaco did his own thing and was kinda arrogant about it in a way. That alone may have had more of an impact than his playing alone. He did create some really good music especially his use of harmonics. Now that was pretty impactful. But.........Stanley was doing it too and so did others.

 

[StereoPlayer]

During those days, I was way more into Stanley Clarke. I had all his albums. He had a much bigger impact on my early bass playing days. And as I said earlier, the 70's funk and r&b bass players garnered all my attention. Some who were definitely on the same level as Jaco for playing skills. I don't think anyone here is questioning Jaco's talent. Just his impact on their own personal playing. Jaco did his own thing and was kinda arrogant about it in a way. That alone may have had more of an impact than his playing alone. He did create some really good music especially his use of harmonics. Now that was pretty impactful. But.........Stanley was doing it too and so did others.

I still have all those albums and cd's
Stanley and Jaco and more....

 

[DWBass]

I still have all those albums and cd's
Stanley and Jaco and more....

I had all of Stanley Clarke's albums. None of Jaco's. 1 Weather Report album to see what the buzz was about. Didn't get played much at all. Went back to my funk!

 

[Brad Johnson]

I didn't like liver until I took a trip to Italy and had liver that was wrapped in pancetta and cooked in a wood-burning oven.

MAN that was good!

That dish might've tasted even better without the liver.

I've had several versions of stealth mode liver... in the end the liver still came through.

 

[Nunovsky]

I think that anyone is entitled to their opinions. I respect but I don't have to agree.
I'm into Jaco because I think he one of the groundreakers of bass. He's brought many new ideas and concepts to the instrument and you can see his impact through all diferent bass players that use his basslines and practice to his musics. He was a great musician and must be respected as so. He didn't have an easy personality to deal with, as far as one can tell from his biography, but all comes down to the music.
Now, is he the only bass player worth listening in the world? Has the bass ended with Jaco? Offcourse not. He's one of my major influences but so are a lot of other great players from past and present days.

 

[NortyFiner]

It's best to not be part of some discussions.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I wasn't saying that at all. I was making an analogy to what alaskaleftybass said about JP with respect to his impact on bass playing. When one knows the landscape of bass playing BEFORE Jaco, it is in that context that JP's contribution can be most appreciated. He was a pioneer who substantially altered the status quo forever. So regardless of whether you LIKE his playing, which is a matter of taste, you can at least truly appreciate him for the magnitude of his game-changing impact.

So it is with the Beatles. A previous poster said he didn't get what was so great about them, either. I was merely pointing out that regardless of whether you like or appreciate their music, which is a matter of taste, at the very least they too can be appreciated for the utter revolutionary impact that they had on music when taken in context with pre-Beatles rock and roll and music in general.

The Beatles were revolutionary. So was Jaco. Never said that either should be revered. I never offered any measure of greatness as Yeti suggested. That completely misses my point. I was merely finding the point alaskaleftybass made quite analogous to the the Beatles with regard to their pioneering impact on the landscape of music.

My response to Yeti was merely to emphasize the enormity of that impact when it came to the Beatles. No other group of musicians has ever had that kind of impact on the status quo, and it will be a long time until one does again.

And my response was that no matter what YOU think about anyone's impact...

 

[Stranger Danger]

I'm really just not that into Jaco.

Now before the lynching begins, I do greatly respect what he has done as a bassist. I am completely aware of the impact he has has on our instrument.

I am just not a fan of his material. I have given many videos on Youtube of him an honest chance. I find it is lacking groove with a very undesirable tone.

In the interest of an open discussion, I will gladly watch an listen to anything that you may suggest. I honestly do want to find something of his that I can really latch onto, but so far, I haven't.

Does anyone else feel this way about any other trailblazing bassists?

The Mt. Rushmore of electric bassists goes like this:

James Jamerson
Paul McCartney
John Entwistle
Jaco Pastorious

These aren't my favorite players but I do like them. They are the best of their genres and the true groundbreakers and they changed the way we think of the electric bass.

 

[Ampig]

I think most virtuoso's suck.

Brilliant!