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Jaco the world greatest bass player ...

#202
Reg Braithwaite said:
My personal opinion is that expressions like "world's greatest" make it seem like there is an absolute scale by which all bassists can be measured, regardless the genre(s) they explored, instrument(s) they played, era(s) they lived in, and contribution(s) they made to the art.

I don't think there is an absolute way to rank the greats, so I don't think he was the world's greatest or wasn't the world's greatest, because the idea that there could be a "greatest" in some absolute sense doesn't work in my brain.

Now as for the portrait: I love it, and given that he referred to himself as the "World's Greatest," I like the line on it. It captures who he was and what he thought of his contribution to music.

And isn't that what portraits are supposed to do? Capture the soul of the subject? If reproductions are available for sale, count me in. I'd hang that in my house in a shot. With the claim, whether I think it's meaningful to compare great bassists or not.
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I agree. An amazing player who was able to get what was in his head through his instrument. That's all anyone can do and when done, put themselves above most other players. I know I keep trying but never quite getting there....LOL
 
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#207
I'm not really a fan of Jaco's schtick. The gooey slidy fretless sounds, the dinging harmonics, the tight staccato tone playing finger style down by the bridge.

But I appreciate his talent and innovation. You still very often see jazz players playing down by the bridge sounding like Jaco.

I love slap bass BTW. Marcus Miller, Nik West etc.
 
#208
Reg Braithwaite said:
My personal opinion is that expressions like "world's greatest" make it seem like there is an absolute scale by which all bassists can be measured, regardless the genre(s) they explored, instrument(s) they played, era(s) they lived in, and contribution(s) they made to the art.

I don't think there is an absolute way to rank the greats, so I don't think he was the world's greatest or wasn't the world's greatest, because the idea that there could be a "greatest" in some absolute sense doesn't work in my brain.

Now as for the portrait: I love it, and given that he referred to himself as the "World's Greatest," I like the line on it. It captures who he was and what he thought of his contribution to music.

And isn't that what portraits are supposed to do? Capture the soul of the subject? If reproductions are available for sale, count me in. I'd hang that in my house in a shot. With the claim, whether I think it's meaningful to compare great bassists or not.
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I agree with this 100%. This obsession we have with measuring and comparing practitioners of an artform (something which is inherently fraught with subjectivity), is a non-starter. I dont think we should rank art and artists; art is not a competition. I think it's human nature to want to stratify, and it may be that our tendency to define athletes, for example, by greatness, tempts us into thinking we should do so with everything. The proposition that one can order bass players like Jaco, Anthony Jackson, or Flea by "greatness" is, frankly, preposterous. Speaking of Jaco, perhaps the fact that he is the one player who is so often the subject of these "greatness" debates, puts him at the top of some list.
 
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#209
ugly_bassplayer said:
Jaco, true legend and genius.

Everyone in here owes him a dept a gratitude. Even if they can't admit it.

/

Respect and RIP


Seems to be a huge lack of respect towards certain bass innovators that's been a trend here on TB for some years. $%^& shame
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I'm very sorry to bring this up but it seems to people are avoiding the subject... I remember long ago my bass teacher telling me he had died of a heroin over dose or was an addict. I watched the documentary and was surprised they didn't mention it. Blamed more on bipolar issues.
I chalked it up to the producers trying to preserve his legacy.
Was this a rumour that was going around at that time? To explain for his errattic behavior? or did I just get some bad info?
 
#212
Yellow Bang66 said:
I'm very sorry to bring this up but it seems to people are avoiding the subject... I remember long ago my bass teacher telling me he had died of a heroin over dose or was an addict. I watched the documentary and was surprised they didn't mention it. Blamed more on bipolar issues.
I chalked it up to the producers trying to preserve his legacy.
Was this a rumour that was going around at that time? To explain for his errattic behavior? or did I just get some bad info?
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Not avoiding it. You bass teacher was way off, Jaco was killed by a bouncer. Jaco had issues, but I don't think heroin was one of them.
 
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#213
jerry said:
Not avoiding it. You bass teacher was way off, Jaco was killed by a bouncer. Jaco had issues, but I don't think heroin was one of them.
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Yup,
Died at the hands of a bouncer over a drink @ some Miami dive, I believe Pat Metheny did a benefit to raise some $$$ for the family & legal expenses etc & tried to press charges against the bouncer/club but at the end of the day only a "slap on the wrist" was the penalty for such a travesty, by far the saddest scenario ever!! Although I hear Robert Trujillo put up the $$$ to get one of his stolen basses back to the family...
 
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#215
Skinsey said:
He's no cliff burton.
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Skinsey, with all due respect, I think you are really comparing apples to oranges here. While I agree that Cliff Burton was a fine bassist who did his part with one of the great metal bands of all time, comparing him with Jaco Pastorius, who, quite literally, revolutionized the entire concept and the technical level of an entire instrument and was ferociously creative to boot, is ludicrous. I truly believe that Jaco, if anyone, would merit the title of "greatest bassist", but, having said that, arguments such as this are an exercise in frustration for just about everyone.
 
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#216
pbassnut said:
Whereas I think very highly of Jaco's playing and like a lot of his music ... particularly his work with Weather Report, the idea of anybody being "the world's greatest electric bass player" is silly, IMHO. Art isn't quantifiable in the same way as, for example, the Olympic 100 meter dash where the best time is the best. Opinions and biases need not apply.
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What ?? Has the talkbass kicked you off?
 
#220
Like many of us, Jaco had a problem holding his booze. He got mouthy with a bouncer and got beat up, resulting in his demise. I know what that's like. I have 24 years sober and play bass in a band, playing motown, blues and classic rock. I don't miss the booze and I'm still alive.
 
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