When I dug into him a couple years a go, Jaco's recordings taught me a lot about technique and what's possible on the electric bass in relation to melodicism and groove. He was also the first (far from only now, but definitely the first) bass player I heard who really did a lot more than just play bass -- that is, he was a far more complete musician than just playing basslines. Beyond what he was playing on his own instrument, I'm also a huge fan of his compositions and arranging as well. Dig the horn parts on Dry Cleaner from Des Moines from the Joni Mitchell album "Mingus."
His story also taught me a lot about mental illness and drug abuse, but there are way too many people who have only taken that from him. Believe me, if you're looking for drug abusers, there are plenty of other people in jazz to learn from too. There's a lot of people who read the first edition of the Milkowski book or see the Modern Electric Bass video and judge him as a person solely on this evidence. I urge any bassist to read things about him written by Pat Metheny, and to read about the early years.
We shouldn't forget about his later years, or the bad recordings, because they really do serve as a tragic and cautionary tale for aspiring young musicians, but we shouldn't focus on them as the sole indicator of Jaco as a person or musician. IMO, the electric bass was born with Jamerson, but Jaco was the first to really, really put the instrument through its paces.
For a really interesting look at Jaco's music from a different perspective is to pick up Brian Bromberg's album "Jaco." It was originally supposed to be a tribute album featuring a bunch of different bassists, but it all got loaded onto him and he came up with some really beautiful arrangements. Dig Portrait of Tracy played on upright bass
ninnlangel said:
People worship him because they like to have heroes. He was the first true virtuoso on the electric bass, and opened up the way for the instrument. He also happened to be a fabulous jazz musician, and wrote some beautiful music.
You should maybe get his biography and read it if you are interested.
I hestitate to correct that because I don't want you to think I'm trying to inform you of some brand new fact, just to illuminate a typo. Don't mean anything by it.
That said, I agree with everything you've written in here. The newer edition of the Milkowski book has a lot of really good content on Jaco's early years and about the "good times," if you will, and is a far better indicator of Jaco as a person than the original edition.
