• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Jaco the world greatest bass player ...

#161
Reg Braithwaite said:
if you and/or your tribe have no interest in musical history, carry on and live a good life.

but please don't imply that people who have listened to the music for forty years and happen to be aware that a certain musician existed and happen to think that musician had an impact on he music are a "snobbish clique."

there's really very little less attractive than "reverse snobbishness," where someone slags everything they're not into as "snobbishness" or "elitism." that poopie was old when we were all fresh and new on this rock, and it isn't getting any younger.

now about never having heard of him. you don't have to have heard of him. billions of people have never heard of Miles Davis. Or JS Bach. or Aretha Franklin. or Joni Mitchell. or Gordon Lightfoot. or all kinds of historically important figures in "Western" music.

that doesn't make them unimportant. and critically, that doesn't mean all those people haven't been affected by the musicians they've never heard of. if your family have never asked you for a miles davis tune, and don't know who he was, that doesn't mean your family has never heard and liked someone influenced by miles davis.

in 2020, it's nearly impossible to listen to electric bass players and not hear Jaco's influence. that's how music works, people influence each other. i'd bet you've also been influenced, whether you are aware of it or not. if you're curious about looking back and finding out how we got hear, great. if you aren't, also great.

it isn't a requirement.
Click to expand...

Thank you, Reg. You are my new hero for today!

The following is for the rest of the room.

I'm going to politely bow out this discussion because I think it's run it's course. My whole impetus in this room today, was to express that Jaco was more than just an arrogant egotistical individual, but a man more complex then was dwelled on in his latter years. His antics and issues got him a lot of bad press. Sure, I wouldn't have wanted him as roommate in that time period, but he wasn't always like that.

If you don't want or need to refer to history to assist in your musical endeavors, that's your choice. Personally, I don't understand it. My education and level of playing went up immensely once I started reviewing the past, but that's one man's experience. Each person to there own musical destiny. By the way, here are some links that might be helpful to those who want a famous players view on Jaco as well as a review of his contributions.

Take care ladies ( there's a least one of you here) and gentlemen.

25 Years Later: The Continued Influence of Jaco Pastorius
10 examples of the supernatural genius of Jaco Pastorius | Louder
 
  • Like
Reactions: Double E, Mili and DJ Bebop
#163
Signalsdrone said:
The GOAT? I'd never heard of Jaco before coming onto this website and I'm 48 yrs old and don't live under a rock. What does that tell you?
Click to expand...
It tells me your musical interests were or are in a different place. My mom had never heard of Jaco. Yet my dad, who was a jazz musician did. My kids did because I played a lot of his music around the house. My neighbors who are into other kinds of music didn't.
 
#165
Signalsdrone said:
Why would I research the history of the bass guitar and it's players? I play. I play the music I listen to. I play music that my friends and family listen to. Taking a course on the history of bass guitar is not a prerequisite to grabbing the thing and doing your best. That being said, no one in my circle of friends or family has ever asked me to play a Jaco piece, play like Jaco or ever mentioned his name.

Are all my friends and family musical idiots? Or is it that we do we not belong to a snobbish clique who worship a player that is most likely amazing but is not a well known outside of select bass circles.

That is why he's not the GOAT.
Click to expand...
Do you play music, my friend? What type of music do you like?
 
#167
TNCreature said:
That you may not have a deep musical vocabulary? Or maybe you focus on the music more than the musicians?
Whenever I bought an album or heard something I liked, I always wanted to know everything about the act or album. The musicians, producer, studio, cover art, instruments, everything. From my perspective (which is only mine of course) I can't imagine being a bass player of a certain age (I am in my 50's) and never having heard of Jaco Pastorius.
Then again, last year someone posted here that they never heard The Beatles!
Click to expand...

roccobass said:
Yes! This is something that came to me over the years also. The immersion of getting to know everything about the album release was not only entertaining, but educational. There's countless times I've been led to new ideas, previous release of songs, and inspirations by just getting to the nuts and bolts of each release. Ironically, that's also something I picked up by listening to Jaco too. He was a great deconstructed too. That and his lesson that you can do anything on the bass.

As for someone not knowing the Beatles. I was in a Tower Records store in 1974. A girl in the next aisle says to her friend, "oh look, Paul was in another group before Wings"! :bored:
Click to expand...
I was and am the same way. The first record I bought with my little lawn mowing money was Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention Freak Out. I appreciated the fact that not only did he tell you who was on the record but, how the record was recorded and with what. Even since then I always seek that kind of info out. I also listen to other kinds of music that are not in my wheelhouse. I even force myself to listen to music that I think I won't like just to see what's up. Many times I find doing that I have found something new to like. I do that also with other things like food, books, thoughts, people. Having an open mind can lead to discovering new enjoyable things. A closed mind leads to stagnation. As always, IMHO :)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: TNCreature, roccobass and Roger W
#169
Fact, a lot of guys on Talkbass have played on records (remember them:)) Pretty certain that you've heard some of them on the radio, etc, and haven't a clue who they are. You may not know who Jaco is, but it's pretty certain that even if you haven't heard him, (unlikely) you've heard someone that was influenced by him. Ignorance is bliss, so they say.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Reg Braithwaite and DJ Bebop
#171
5StringBlues said:
Who is Leo Lauchie?

Who is Wilbert Freeman?


Who is Charles Sherrell?

Who is Tim Drummond?




Who has to Google?
Click to expand...
jaco-pastorius-The Cats .jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: PJ Muzikmansky, Squittolo, J_Bass and 1 other person

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back