Jaco Pastorius

• Heavy Weather
• School Days
• Birds Of Fire
• Bright Size Life
• 8:30

This reissue greatly enhances the fidelity of Jaco Pastorius, particularly in the bassist's famous, elusive tone, from lightly chorused, vocal-tenorlike glissandos on "Continuum" and the bell-like harmonics of "Portrait of Tracy" to his percussive, hand-drumlike rhythmic cycles underneath Peter Gordon's august French horn on "Oknokole Y Trompa." Even more stunning are the manner in which Jaco deploys a steel drum choir underneath Wayne Shorter on "Opus Pocus" and the ferocious Latin-inflected groove Jaco, Lenny White, and Don Alias conjure under Herbie Hancock on two takes--one unissued until now--of "(Used to Be a) Cha-Cha." Pat Metheny contributes an extraordinary set of liner notes to this set, putting Jaco's contributions to jazz and the bass in sharp perspective. Still, a spirit of innovation and discovery suffuses every note on Jaco Pastorius, and it is startling how modern and engaging this music remains. --Chip Stern

Big words, eh?

Jaco Pastorius didn't just make himself known by sharing the above statement with everyone who'd listen, however: he was (and remains) an unparalleled musical giant because it was quite simply the truth. The first track of his self-titled debut alone is a stunning jaw-dropper, a bare-bones rearrangement of Miles Davis's "Donna Lee" where Jaco's bass handles all the voices and harmonies in one unbelievable tasty dance of fretwork. (Maybe that's not the best word since his trademark bass had its frets removed, but nevermind.) Jaco's onmivorous musical mind meant that he wasn't content just to become a virtuoso player; he brought the bass to lead-instrument possibilities it had never seen before and his talents extended to brilliant composition & arrangements as well. Add to that the fact that he was 24 years old when this album saw the light of day, and.. the mind just boggles.

Besides that scorching opener, this disc offers a wildly colorful ride with a different face and mood for each track. "Come On, Come Over" is 70s soul/funk with Sam & Dave dropping in for the album's only vocals. "Continuum" and "Portrait of Tracy" are gorgeous ballads.. the former a small-band gem with the bass as lead voice, the latter a breathtaking solo. "Okonkole Y Trompa" is groovy and mysterious with perhaps a hint of some kind of black magic; "Opus Pocus" is a slow-bouncing tropical romp full of steel drums and some (perhaps dated) electric piano. "Cha-Cha" continues that feeling, replacing those tones with some sprite-like piccolo and flute that flit exuberantly all over the place, not to mention some brilliant Herbie Hancock piano work. "Forgotten Love" adds to the somewhat-overdone factor with a seventeen-piece string section backing Hancock (JP doesn't play), but it shows off Jaco's skills as a writer perhaps more than any other selection here. Through it all the bass playing is phenomenal and unmatched, whether he's blending with the crowd or coming out in front to let his instrumental voice soar.

The mood overall is largely tropical (there are plenty of congas), and the prevailing spirit is one of joy and playfulness. If its electric-piano tones and occasionally overdone strings might make it sound somewhat dated in spots, I for one don't hold that against it. The level of sheer creativity and brilliance that went into making this album.. not to mention the virtuosity to pull it all off and the collective straightforwardness to avoid sounding flashy or pretentious.. shouldn't be missed. If you want more of an electric fusion experience you can go for Word of Mouth or the Birthday Concert disc also, but if you want a variety-packed glimpse into the development of a musical genius and don't mind some decidedly 70s elements, pop for this CD and prepare to get carried away.

Great!!!

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