Jaco Pastorius - what's so great about his sound?

[Ralferator]

Am I the only one who doesn't like his sound? I mean I think it's awful! I don't get it at all why people love it. Or are there others who share my opinion?

Ok, I am ready to for the sh*t storm

 

[FRoss6788]

Stellar player, IMHO my farts have better tone.

 

[TN WOODMAN]

I agree. It's the playing that attracts admirers. Not much mention of a tone everyone is trying to cop. His ACOUSTIC AMPS were loud I'll give him that.

 

[Ralferator]

It's just that for me the tone is a big part of the playing. If somebody is super fast but sounds like sh*t, he should have become a race car driver in my opinion

 

[Ralferator]

Stellar player, IMHO my farts have better tone.

I believe it!

 

[ShadowGroover]

What's so great about Jaco's sound? Jaco!

It's his sound. Immediately recognizable, too. His harmony, composition, rhythm, technique, phrasing, tone, stage presence, notoriety, instrument etc. He invented all of it. It's all part of his tone.

Even the best and finest bassists acknowledge Jaco's contribution and stature.

Unknown, lesser bassists might criticize and denigrate Jaco or his tone. If they have to be famous for something, maybe a shot at Jaco or "his tone" is their best and only shot.

 

[FRoss6788]

Nothing at all....

 

[john_g]

I love his tone. I love the color blue. Im right.

 

[FRoss6788]

What's so great about Jaco's sound? Jaco!

It's his sound. Immediately recognizable, too. His harmony, composition, rhythm, technique, phrasing, tone, stage presence, notoriety, instrument etc. He invented all of it. It's all part of his tone.

Even the best and finest bassists acknowledge Jaco's contribution and stature.

Weak, unknown, and pitiful bassists criticize and denigrate it. They have to be famous for something. A shot at Jaco is their only shot.

I fully acknowledge his stature as a trailblazing bassist... with what I feel is crappy tone TO ME.

GUESS WHAT, I'm not wrong, I know I don't like it. I'm allowed to criticize it. He's not God.

 

[McFarlin]

As a listener, I am usually not into the sound of a soloed s/c bridge pickup (unless it really works within the context/ensemble).

But playing a soloed bridge pickup is fun. And it's part of what inspires a player to move like that, which he did quite well—enough to inspire many thousands of players for decades.

 

[logdrum]

It's a great tone. Wayne and Zawinul would have kicked him out if it isn't good and Joni would not have hired him. You are free to not listen to him.

Also he did not mod his bass or had a special amp. He was merely using what the Jazz Bass is capable of producing. Blame Leo if you must.

He is a jazz musician and he is also a very good soloist and composer. Yeah if you do not have the chops to play fast and precise and in tune -- better stay in the full on or neck pickup and use flats.

 

[Kevin Hailey]

I don't like oysters! I feel it's very important that I go on the internet to let strangers know this fact.

 

[jerry]

Talkbass must be slipping, there use to be one of these "what's the big deal with Jaco" threads every week.

 

[sawzalot]

You're allowed to not like any tone you want. I don't usually go for the Jazz bass soloed bridge pickup tone myself, but man it worked for him.

 

[FRoss6788]

As with all art, everything is subjective, right?

Those of you who think he had great tone are not wrong, you liked it. Awesome.

I do not, and really don't care what very talented artist who he worked with thought either, why should I.

 

[Frank Kreber]

Jaco Pastorius was a musical genius that played the bass. He did this with a very personal style; he was inventor and pioneer.
The sound of his recorded playing is certainly a result of the possibilities of the times. Miles admired his playing… also Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Pat Metheny, Tony Williams…
Listen to Portrait of Tracy, his famous recording that sets a standard for solo electric bass. I am no special admirer of Pastorius but his position in Jazz or for the development of our instrument cannot be denied.

 

[FRoss6788]

Jaco Pastorius was a musical genius that played the bass. He did this with a very personal style; he was inventor and pioneer.
The sound of his recorded playing is certainly a result of the possibilities of the times. Miles admired his playing… also Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Pat Metheny, Tony Williams…
Listen to Portrait of Tracy, his famous recording that sets a standard for solo electric bass. I am no special admirer of Pastorius but his position in Jazz or for the development of our instrument cannot be denied.

All of this is true and can not be denied.

...but some folks still don't care for his TONE.

 

[Pyrrho Epoche]

.
Dan Barto on Instagram: "."

 

[chazolson]

I just realized what bothers me about this thread.

Jaco basically invented the fretless bass. (Yeah, yeah, I know, somebody will come up with the example of Klem Kaddiddlehopper who invented the fretless bass in 1742, blah blah. Save it.) For his entire style to work, for those tunes, in THAT band, he could not play a '51 P bass with 20-year-old LaBella flatwounds going through a B15. You don't like his tone, fine. But those on this thread who are basically saying "I don't know why someone would want to sound like that" are missing the point. Horses for courses, people.

 

[bucephylus]

Please post reference vids for the sounds you dislike. Then, those can be discussed. Blanket statements simply provoke tribal banter. Be specific. thanks.

BTW, one needs to experience a Fender Jazz Bass into an Acoustic 360 to "get" what is happening.