Paul Jackson Sound (Herbie Hancock)

[narud]

Man, you need to listen to the right Jaco recordings. One of the most swinging and funkiest players ever. Different than Paul Jackson, both super great.
Hancock's 4 A.M., Jaco + Mike Clarke, one of the most amazing tracks ever. Try to play a groove like that, never one bar the same but always always in the groove. Listen to the 1st bar of Herbie's solo, that pickup (or absence of) is unbeatable.

regardless of recording, jaco was always pushing the beat and playing notes all over the place. now, imo, its not the busyness that made it not very funky because rocco and p.j. were playing pretty busy too, but it was less notes.

i like chester thompson's description of jaco

Thompson described it to World Of Genesis webmaster David Negrin: "Jaco was very much wanting to be in the band. So, he was pretty much being the ‘Yes Man’ to whatever they said (laughs). The [Black Market] rehearsals were a bit strange, because the songs that I had just recorded with Alphonso (Johnson) playing bass were 180 degrees different with Jaco (playing bass). Alphonso had this wonderful sense of space when he played, and Jaco was just all notes. It just didn’t work. I suppose, I certainly could have made the adjustment, musically, but to be honest, I really didn't care to."

 

[Timboech]

My Jaco´s favourite record is the Live in New York Vol.2. Anyone has an idea which bass that was - a friend of mine, Kris Jefferson told me that he often played a fretted in those days.

I tried a Precision Neck Maple on a Jazz Body. Mhhhh. Nice!

There´s also a cd called Jaco-the early recordings. More funk stuff - yeah!

 

[Timboech]

Hi Duranjoe, nice playing - nice vibe ;-) Like your sound.

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

My Jaco´s favourite record is the Live in New York Vol.2.

This is widely considred to be Jaco at his worst - when his mental health was deteriorating and his drug problems escalating...

 

[narud]

This is widely considred to be Jaco at his worst - when his mental health was deteriorating and his drug problems escalating...

just cued this up in itunes and its actually pretty good who'da thunk it.

 

[narud]

Hi Duranjoe, nice playing - nice vibe ;-) Like your sound.

thanks

 

[jumbosilverette]

Could you guys take the Jaco conversation in another thread?

 

[njjazzman2002]

Glad to see a Paul Jackson thread!
Check out the nine segment video stream from BP TV:
Link Removed

 

[Mushroo]

Could you guys take the Jaco conversation in another thread?

But it is not possible to understand the "Paul Jackson Sound" without first understanding the innovations that Jaco broguht to the table. Without Jaco's contributions to funk, tjhere is no Paul Jackson in my opinion. He is the father of the modern electric bass after all. Spend some time transcribing tunes like "Havona" and "The Chicken," Grasshopper, and then you will understand where Jackson is coming from. Herbie's Headhunter band is very derivitive of Weather Report, he just got all the credit because he dumbed it down for the MTV generation by teaming up with Rick Rubin to produce "Rockit" and "Axel F."

 

[narud]

But it is not possible to understand the "Paul Jackson Sound" without first understanding the innovations that Jaco broguht to the table. Without Jaco's contributions to funk, tjhere is no Paul Jackson in my opinion. He is the father of the modern electric bass after all. Spend some time transcribing tunes like "Havona" and "The Chicken," Grasshopper, and then you will understand where Jackson is coming from. Herbie's Headhunter band is very derivitive of Weather Report, he just got all the credit because he dumbed it down for the MTV generation by teaming up with Rick Rubin to produce "Rockit" and "Axel F."

im seriously hoping youre not serious

 

[4Mal]

im seriously hoping youre not serious

+1 - that's just silly ...

Jaco certainly pulled off some real impressive stuff but I kinda think he's more the godfather of Eddie Van Octave Lower ... (OK - I really, liked his playing on the Joni Mitchell stuff. She wound him up, gave him room and he stomped the parts.) I really prefer the groovalicious PJ in the Head Hunters approach personally. and long as he already came up in the thread. all hail Alphonso!

Far as getting a good PJ Head Hunters type tone. I tend to think in terms of warm, but articulate. When I was building up a bass for that sound it translated to a P-Bass pickup with a slight overwind and alnico magnets for a little softer attack.

 

[ebozzz]

He is the father of the modern electric bass after all.

I would think that James Jamerson would get quite a few votes for that title. Am I wrong?

Back to Paul Jackson. Here is a track from his solo project Black Octopus......

Funk Times Three

And, here's one from the Mike Clark & Paul Jackson collaboration The Funk Stops Here. I couldn't find this on Youtube so......

Steady Freddy

 

[Baryonyx]

youre not missing anything. as much of a genius jaco was, he didnt have anywhere near the amount of funk paul jackson has and those tunes suffer quite a bit.

Hmm I dunno, I love Jaco's feel and how he will "busy up" lines with that gorgeous sound of his. I find that so addictive! I'd still like to check out the records because I find Paul Jackson to be passable in the Headhunters, but I'd really have liked to have heard what a more lively bass player could have brought to the table than just straight up, on the beat funk like Paul does. Not that Paul does a bad job of it, but I love things like Weather Report and such because the bass shifts between support and harmony to passages of melody! Wonderful!

 

[jerry]

youre not missing anything. as much of a genius jaco was, he didnt have anywhere near the amount of funk paul jackson has and those tunes suffer quite a bit.

I agree, and I'm a huge Jaco fan! I thought that CD was just flat with no chemistry, and I thought the Herbie/Jaco chemistry on Jaco's debut was great. Paul Jackson's funk also predates Jaco's debut by a few years for those wondering about who influenced who.

 

[deckard]

Saw PJ live with Headhunters back in the day circa the first HH album, in a very small club here in Seattle (Pioneer Banque Restaurant's downstairs club) - sat just a few feet from him.

He was using the brown maple-neck P-bass and flatwound strings... and I believe he was using Bose speakers. Played his ass off!

The interplay between him and Clark was outright telepathic & definitely not of this earth!!

Had the chance to chat w. him outside the club 'twixt sets - a very nice guy.

 

[James Simonson]

For the Paul Jackson P sound on Head Hunters & Thrust (which would be the classic Paul tone IMO)

I would guess it to be the brown 70's P with a maple neck. Strings are the big question because he probably just went direct at the time. Probably into a glorious Neve type console! Because it's the mid 70's I would guess that he was using a dead set of Rotosound Swingbass 66? I'm pretty sure D'addario was making round wound strings then too but since Paul has been known to change a lot and be forward thinking, I'm guessing he would have been using the Rotosounds but not changing them. That was the hippest choice at the time. Any "red felt" photos anyone?

Dead Rotos do have a thing if you can wait it out. Really nice on a P once the scratch is gone because the bottom stays tight.

If someone really knows which strings from the classic Headhunters mid 70's era, please share!

 

[James Simonson]

I doubt he used the single coil Tele bass on the 2 classic Headhunters records because the Tele with that one single coil pickup is a really noisey set up. Those records sound super clean and perfect, and the bass is upfront and clear.

I had an amazing 66 Tele bass. Super funky. It was the best. But sometimes I would hit the stage, lights would come on and the noise from the lights was insane. Shielding didn't help at all. I tried a humbucker replacement and it lost all that incredible single coil magic. So that was that.

 

[James Simonson]

He was using the brown maple-neck P-bass and flatwound strings... and I believe he was using Bose speakers.

Just saw this cool post.

Well, if you were there then there it is!

 

[Steve T]

Does anyone know what bass/strings/amp setup, etc. Paul Jackson used on the 70s Herbie Hancock recordings? I was listening to Mr. Hands (1980 release) and was really digging Paul's sound on that album (well 4 of the 6 songs anyway, other two songs were Ron Carter and Jaco). Sounds like a P Bass w/ flats, but I am guessing.

Thanks.

 

[Steve T]

I doubt he used the single coil Tele bass on the 2 classic Headhunters records because the Tele with that one single coil pickup is a really noisey set up. Those records sound super clean and perfect, and the bass is upfront and clear.

I had an amazing 66 Tele bass. Super funky. It was the best. But sometimes I would hit the stage, lights would come on and the noise from the lights was insane. Shielding didn't help at all. I tried a humbucker replacement and it lost all that incredible single coil magic. So that was that.

He used a maple neck pbass with hi a pickups. it may have had a tele neck at one point
He also used polytone amp with a split signal. 12'S & 15's for highs and lows

He later switched to Nusear cloud burst.