My first guesses are that these people either don't want to add to the legend or want to keep their memories private.
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What Bass would Jaco be playing?
- Thread starter BigAlBass69
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My first guesses are that these people either don't want to add to the legend or want to keep their memories private.
I think his jazz bass would have a modern bridge, a truss rod that is accessible without taking the neck off and 24 fret lines.
I can understand both of your points of course but...... you know a little "yeah Jaco was great standing next to him watching him play was amazing and a different perspective to seeing it on a video" that kind of thing. I think with a lot of people now today in addition to the points you have made there is a lot of rudeness and immediate dismissal around.
ooohh Jaco would have loved that! haha! Is that for sale jeez think I should buy it for myself (joke).
Little benefit comes from bad-mouthing a legend in public. Most people just default to 'no comment'.
I take no joy in saying this, and I heard most of these stories 30 years ago... but you asked.
I never met Jaco, he died when I was 10. However, I've met quite a few people who knew Jaco from the NY Jazz scene. All of them had an immense respect for Jaco as a musician, and most disliked him as a person. One has to understand, Jaco was severely mentally ill, and had a mammoth coke habit on top of it. He would flake on gigs, he would borrow gear from friends, and pawn it for drugs. By most accounts, Jaco wasn't a good friend, or a good bandmate.
Mental illness and addiction may explain Jaco's behavior, but it doesn't right the wrongs he did to people.
To answer the OP question: Jaco would play whatever he could get for free, or be paid to play. It wouldn't matter, he'd make is sound good.
Thanks for your response its appreciated and you are lucky to have gotten a word out of them... but please understand that I do not ask these questions to "create bad press" or "spread bad images" at all, in fact if you want someone to talk down about Jaco I'm the wrong guy! I can understand the mental illness side as someone with the same problem that Jaco had(bipolar disorder).... thankfully I have mine under control for the most part and I don't take drugs or drink the cocaine would have worsened his bipolar disorder considerably and the alcohol.
Its a shame nobody tried to understand him as in this situation its what you need, mental health was hardly understood in those times (even today to an extent it is not understood by many).
P.s Nice band website you have.
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First, thank you. That site has eaten up way too many hours of my life.
I think a lot of people did try to help and understand Jaco, which is how so many got burned. Like so many before him with vision and mental illness/addiction (Mingus, Parker, Miles) Jaco was given a lot of leeway because of his talent.
Interesting article from Joni Mitchell that echo's a lot of what I heard
Joni Mitchell Library - The Life and Death of Jaco Pastorius: Musician Magazine, December 1987
I think a lot of people did try to help and understand Jaco, which is how so many got burned. Like so many before him with vision and mental illness/addiction (Mingus, Parker, Miles) Jaco was given a lot of leeway because of his talent.
Interesting article from Joni Mitchell that echo's a lot of what I heard
Joni Mitchell Library - The Life and Death of Jaco Pastorius: Musician Magazine, December 1987
Jaco's bass that he shocked the world with was a pawnshop bass. A lot of times he didn't even keep it in a case.
He would have continued to play a fretless Fender Jazz.
He would have continued to play a fretless Fender Jazz.
A believer of the Coppengagen interpretation, I see.
Jaco liked to tinker, he liked FSO's, so maybe a Warmoth (or its ilk).
When I listen to Jaco's music it seems to me he was pointed at toanal capabilities of his instrument + experimentation, so I truly believe, in modern days, he would pick a fanned 6 (or 7 strings) instrument, more or less every elite/boutique builder of the world would die to make him a bass
I haven't read all of this post, got about halfway through, then skipped to end to say my "bit".
I believe he would play..any bass .
No one has mentioned "the gear", and the terrible lifestyle, that goes with addiction, including Mental health issues, (which came first "chicken or egg"), Homelessness, No $s... Unless he was one of the (lucky?) few , who eventually get straight, he would still be using (drugs).
He tragically, like a lot of artists of all ilk, was sublimely talented, and fatality flawed ... Cool Cat, Rock n Roll, "lifestyle" , has taken many, many talented, lovely people ..
If he were still alive, he would play ..any bass... really really well. ..
I believe he would play..any bass .
No one has mentioned "the gear", and the terrible lifestyle, that goes with addiction, including Mental health issues, (which came first "chicken or egg"), Homelessness, No $s... Unless he was one of the (lucky?) few , who eventually get straight, he would still be using (drugs).
He tragically, like a lot of artists of all ilk, was sublimely talented, and fatality flawed ... Cool Cat, Rock n Roll, "lifestyle" , has taken many, many talented, lovely people ..
If he were still alive, he would play ..any bass... really really well. ..
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I should add, I still have Heavy Weather on vinyl.. even though I haven't had turntable for years , one of few old classics IV kept, just because!
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Due to the importance of this topic, I thought it best and I poise this question to chat GPT and submitted parameters such as this thread, Jacos list of known equipment used and a psychological breakdown of him based off the documentary of him.
Since my family has a personality profile for our chat GPT it kindly replied with the following.
“Good Morning Tony,
Based off in information available the results are inconclusive. So I suggest you make a morning coffee and proceed to begin your practice routine, you kook.”
I humbly stepped away from the PC, started a French Press, hugged my daughters before school, shared my response on here and will descend to my little studio space after this.
Since my family has a personality profile for our chat GPT it kindly replied with the following.
“Good Morning Tony,
Based off in information available the results are inconclusive. So I suggest you make a morning coffee and proceed to begin your practice routine, you kook.”
I humbly stepped away from the PC, started a French Press, hugged my daughters before school, shared my response on here and will descend to my little studio space after this.
He would have a whole stable of basses including his original Jazz. He would probably play them all.
