I just recently listened to Teen Town because i heard that Jaco was a beast. I´m really impressed, what other songs would you recommend?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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 was a beast
- Thread starter BXBss
- Start date
-
- Tags
- best bass jaco pastorius
All of them. There isn't much. He wasn't around very long.
I like everything on his self titled album. I'm not crazy about most of the stuff he did with Weather Report.
Barbary Coast, A Remark You Made, Opus Pocus, Liberty City. Also The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines and Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, from Joni's Mingus album. GPPH is a master class in reharmonizing. Still makes my hair stand on end.
Last edited:
Havona w Weather Report is probably his most succinct and propulsive solo.
As much as I love his chops monster playing in jazz fusion contexts, his playing with Joni Mitchell is def. my favorite= so supportive of the song yet virtuosic and emotional.
As much as I love his chops monster playing in jazz fusion contexts, his playing with Joni Mitchell is def. my favorite= so supportive of the song yet virtuosic and emotional.
I really like the stuff he did with Joni Mitchell. Her famous comment about Jaco, "as a matter of fact when you have a job for the bass player, you almost have to hire a bass player!", pretty much sums it up.
To me, Mingus is the pinnacle.
Port of Entry. So much crazy tasty bassy goodness there. Those slides are just... boom. Mind blown.
Oh yeah, there's a sixteenth note or two somewhere in there too.
Oh yeah, there's a sixteenth note or two somewhere in there too.
I bought the 2 CD set, listening to it regularly...
... when I obtain another pair of hands, I plan on incorporating his work into my playing regimen...
... when I obtain another pair of hands, I plan on incorporating his work into my playing regimen...
Like others said you can't go too wrong, but these 2 albums are tasty
- The Birthday Concert - Jaco Pastorius
- Black Market - Weather Report
Both are incredible all star lineups, not just a solo bass with sidemen
- The Birthday Concert - Jaco Pastorius
- Black Market - Weather Report
Both are incredible all star lineups, not just a solo bass with sidemen
Yet another vote for his work with Joni Mitchell. I watched the "Shadows and Light" live DVD a few years ago for the first time, and really enjoyed it.
Jaco's performance on the studio version of Birdland is something that every bassist should check out note for note. Just listen to his time on that recording. Listen to the placement of every note. And yes, the time at 1:17 - 1:30 is on purpose. To me, this defines just-behind-the-beat playing that sounds like it's so deep in the pocket.
Then listen to his intonation, which is just an added bonus because the vast majority of us play fretted.
There's plenty of stuff that showcases his chops but this is the recording I love to listen to. The Shadows And Light record shows off more of this, only live.
Last edited:
Given the relative paucity of his output in the grand scheme of things it's probably a worthwhile endeavor to check out "all of them" eventually...but I think the general consensus is that you want to concentrate on his pre-1982 work. That's the shizznit. Post-1982 the QC department seemed to take a lot of time off, noamsayin?
Yeah, total beast. And although his chops and technique were amazing, it was the *music* that was the pinnacle. He wrote and played beautiful, expressive, challenging, thoughtful music, but also with humor and pathos. Total beast in all dimensions.
