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Jaco

#241
With Jaco, you like him, or you don't. Many bass players hate his music, but respect him as a player. What that man pulled off on that bass (i'm not talking about the frets) it's extradorinary. he has speed like nobody else, and plays 16th notes like they're Eighths, even at the tension down by the bridge. I hated Jaco when I first heard him. Then through school, I got more into Jazz and such, and now I love it. I mean like..Jaco is no Geddy in my books ;) but he's quite amazing. For example, listen to Amerika, or the rendition of Blackbird. Both of these blew me away.

Another Fact, Jaco spent I believe it was a year on Donna Lee before he perfected it, without fretnoise. He never believed in hearing Fretnoise and spent alot of his time muting other strings, to eliminate that.
 
#242
Geddy_Lee said:
With Jaco, you like him, or you don't. Many bass players hate his music, but respect him as a player. What that man pulled off on that bass (i'm not talking about the frets) it's extradorinary. he has speed like nobody else, and plays 16th notes like they're Eighths, even at the tension down by the bridge. I hated Jaco when I first heard him. Then through school, I got more into Jazz and such, and now I love it. I mean like..Jaco is no Geddy in my books ;) but he's quite amazing. For example, listen to Amerika, or the rendition of Blackbird. Both of these blew me away.

Another Fact, Jaco spent I believe it was a year on Donna Lee before he perfected it, without fretnoise. He never believed in hearing Fretnoise and spent alot of his time muting other strings, to eliminate that.
Click to expand...

I like Jaco, too. There are players who can play as fast or faster than Jaco.
 
#243
Geddy_Lee said:
With Jaco, you like him, or you don't. Many bass players hate his music, but respect him as a player. What that man pulled off on that bass (i'm not talking about the frets) it's extradorinary. he has speed like nobody else, and plays 16th notes like they're Eighths, even at the tension down by the bridge. I hated Jaco when I first heard him. Then through school, I got more into Jazz and such, and now I love it. I mean like..Jaco is no Geddy in my books ;) but he's quite amazing. For example, listen to Amerika, or the rendition of Blackbird. Both of these blew me away.

Another Fact, Jaco spent I believe it was a year on Donna Lee before he perfected it, without fretnoise. He never believed in hearing Fretnoise and spent alot of his time muting other strings, to eliminate that.
Click to expand...


Well put, I dislike what I have heard of him, but recognize his talent.

Hell, Vai/Satch/Malmstein all have insane talent, but they don't create music I enjoy.
 
#244
Geddy_Lee said:
Many bass players hate his music, but respect him as a player.
Click to expand...

It was a bit of the opposite at this Jazz site I used to frequent.
On a whole, most there(including a few URBassists, too) thought his bass playing was "OK"...but loved his composing. I mean, "Three Views Of a Secret"...c'mon, if that doesn't put chills on ya, you must be dead.
;)
 
#246
JimK said:
It was a bit of the opposite at this Jazz site I used to frequent.
On a whole, most there(including a few URBassists, too) thought his bass playing was "OK"...but loved his composing. I mean, "Three Views Of a Secret"...c'mon, if that doesn't put chills on ya, you must be dead.
;)
Click to expand...


Yes, that's almost exactly what Pete Erskine said and I think the fact that several of Jaco's compositions have made it into Jazz Real Books and effective status as Jazz Standards, shows how much they are valued - he must be unique in this respect as an electric bass guitar payer?

In his best solos - it's not about how fast he can play - but rather his note choice and melodic/harmonic sensitivity...

He's more the Mingus of BG rather than the NHOP!! ;)
 
#247
Hi Bruce - just a quickie to say well done on you letter of the month in this month's Jazzwise - well said. Hope you dig my Mingus DVD review - and yes Jaco was a great groove player and a good, but not brilliant soloist - but his writing was amazing - the quote goes something like "His pen was mightier than his bass..." - he's still worth studying. As Christian MCbride said; "Every kjazz sax player has to go 'through' Charlie Parker, just as every bass player has to go 'through' what Jaco did" - I say take from it what you want - it's only music.
 
#250
urb_munki said:
Hi Bruce - just a quickie to say well done on you letter of the month in this month's Jazzwise - well said.
Click to expand...

Speaking of "Letters-of-the-Month...yours truly has the 'lead' letter to the editor in March's Bass Player.
Honestly, I haven't been edited(for clarity?) so bad since those 2 New Country wannabe writers/producers instructed me to "...play the next take with ONE finger" on my plucking hand.
;)
 
#251
JimK said:
Speaking of "Letters-of-the-Month...yours truly has the 'lead' letter to the editor in March's Bass Player.
Honestly, I haven't been edited(for clarity?) so bad since those 2 New Country wannabe writers/producers instructed me to "...play the next take with ONE finger" on my plucking hand.
;)
Click to expand...

Coincidences eh? - well done anyway - I'll look out for that edition!

I haven't seen how badly edited my letter's been yet - hopefully I'll get a copy soon! :)
 
#253
OK, firstly I may as well admit that I haven't read every post in this thread, but I think I've read enough to get the flavor of it, and I just want to make a comment or two.

My 14-year-old son recently bought me "Heavy Weather" when he was out CD shopping (for himself he got some James Brown and Al Green - pretty good taste for a 14-year-old kid, eh?), and I've been thinking again about what a monster Jaco was.

I'm not much of a fan of solo bass generally; I don't hate it, I just find it boring. I really like listening to Jaco (and others) in a band context. I thought his work with Weather Report was stellar, and while A) I don't play like Jaco and B) I generally don't find myself in bands where I would need to play like Jaco, he is still a great influence on me.
 
#254
Exactly. If you don't like Jaco's solo work you'll probably much more enjoy Heavy Weather. That album is awesome, and I have to say I do appreciate Jaco's music as much as his technical ability. If you are not digging his avante-guarde stuff check out some tracks like The Chicken, Birdland, and Teen Town. More jazzy and less "out there" as some would say.
 
#256
urb_munki said:
Hi Bruce - just a quickie to say well done on you letter of the month in this month's Jazzwise - well said. Hope you dig my Mingus DVD review - and yes Jaco was a great groove player and a good, but not brilliant soloist - but his writing was amazing - the quote goes something like "His pen was mightier than his bass..." - he's still worth studying. As Christian MCbride said; "Every kjazz sax player has to go 'through' Charlie Parker, just as every bass player has to go 'through' what Jaco did" - I say take from it what you want - it's only music.
Click to expand...

Hmm?
His soloing abilities were amazing in my opinion. A little erratic, but the lines -- GREAT! His son will be a better soloist, but HIS erraticism become even more great. :hiding:
 
#258
Hmm I find it odd that while I can agree that the little I heard of Jaco was an utter letdown and pretty much rubbish, I enjoy the entire Joe Satriani "Live in San Francisco" double album so I can't agree with the comparison to him.

Maybe that means that as much as I love listening to bass I'm better off sticking with guitar. Yeah right, I suck at playing guitar and don't have the time or dedication to ever be good at it, I just enjoy listening to music and sometimes want to pick up a guitar (or bass) to try to play along with songs I like or learn the tab to the main parts of the song. :ninja:

Probably just end up being another pointless hobby for me to sink money into. :hiding:
 
#259
dlloyd said:
Hmm... I started off the same with the "WOAH" and the "***", but kind of got derailed to "meh", through "ho-hum" and ended up at "fphhh"
Click to expand...

Okay.

I'm posting a re-evaluation here. Maybe even a retraction.

It's midnight... I'm listening to the Jaco album for the first time in, maybe, three or four years.

It's kind-of all over the place. But It's good.

I think it's one of those albums I've listened to too much and sickened myself of.
 
#260
Mike Flynn said:
and yes Jaco was a great groove player and a good, but not brilliant soloist
Click to expand...

Well, my friend - I can't agree with you on this one.
Maybe he wasn't that much of an improviser. . But as a soloist, he was, to my opinion, one of the best once ever. The solos speaks for themselves: Havona, Bright Size Life, DONNA LEE(Man,that's a nearly perfect solo over those changes), Continuum - and let's just continoue. You catch my drift;)
 

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