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JACO PASTORIUS

Jaco Pastorius

Jazz Rock/Fusion


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Jaco Pastorius Jaco Pastorius album cover
3.61 | 86 ratings | 5 reviews | 27% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
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Studio Album, released in 1976

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Donna Lee (2:26)
2. Come On, Come Over (3:50)
3. Continuum (4:31)
4. Kuru / Speak Like A Child (7:38)
5. Portrait Of Tracy (2:20)
6. Ocus Pocus (5:25)
7. Okonkole'y Trompa (4:21)
8. Used To Be A Cha-cha (8:52)
9. Forgotten Love (2:12)

Total time 41:35

Bonus tracks on 2000 remaster:
10. (Used To Be A) Cha-Cha (Alternate Take ) (8:49)
11. 6/4 Jam (7:45)

Line-up / Musicians

- Jaco Pastorius / bass, horn (2) & string (4) arrangements

With:
- Sam & Dave / vocals (2)
- Herbie Hancock / keyboards (2), piano (4,8-10), Fender Rhodes (3,6,11)
- Alex Darqui / Fender Rhodes (3)
- Randy Brecker / trumpet (2)
- Ron Tooley / trumpet (2)
- Peter Graves / bass trombone (2)
- David Sanborn / alto sax solo (2)
- Michael Brecker / tenor sax (2)
- Howard Johnson / baritone sax (2)
- Wayne Shorter / soprano sax (6)
- Peter Gordon / French horn (7)
- Hubert Laws / piccolo flute (8,10)
- Narada Michael Walden / drums (2)
- Lenny White / drums (3,6,8,10,11)
- Bobby Economou / drums (4)
- Don Alias / congas (1,2,4,7,8,10,11), bells (3), bongos (4), percussion (6,7)
- Othello Molineaux / steel drums (6)
- Leroy Williams / steel drums (6)
- Michael Gibbs / strings conductor (4,9) & arranger (9)
- David Nadien / violin & concertmaster (4)
- Harry Lookofsky / violin (4)
-Paul Gershman / violin (4)
-Koe Malin / violin (4)
-Harry Cykman / violin (4)
- Harold Kohon / violin (4)
- Matthew Raimondi / violin (9)
-Max Pollikoff / violin (9)
-Arnold Black / violin (9)
- Selwart Clarke / viola (4)
- Manny Vardi / viola (4)
- Julian Barber / viola (4)
- Al Brown / viola (9)
- Charles McCracken / cello (4)
- Kermit Moore / cello (4)
- Beverly Lauridsen / cello (4)
- Alan Shulman / cello (9)
- Richard Davis / double bass (9)
- Homer Mensch / double bass (9)

Releases information

Artwork: Don Hunstein (photo)

LP Epic ‎- PE 33949 (1976, US)

CD Epic ‎- EK 33949 (1991, US)
CD Epic ‎- EPC 494850 (2000, France) Remaster by Vic Anesini w/ 2 bonus tracks previously unreleased

Thanks to pokes for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
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Buy JACO PASTORIUS Jaco Pastorius Music



JACO PASTORIUS Jaco Pastorius ratings distribution


3.61
(86 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(27%)
27%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(40%)
40%
Good, but non-essential (29%)
29%
Collectors/fans only (5%)
5%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

JACO PASTORIUS Jaco Pastorius reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Easy Money
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
3 stars Jaco Pastorius' debut album certainly got a lot of attention in the jazz world. In 1976 there wasn't a bass player alive who had not heard, and consequently had not been blown away by Jaco's version of Donna Lee that opens this album. When it came out, this album was revolutionary in the world of bass playing, and most bassists probably still consider it a five star album to this day, but how does it sound to us regular folks.

Jaco certainly goes for the eclectic approach on this album, touching on RnB, neo-classical, be-bop, world beat, ambient and a few styles of his own invention. Probably the nicest cuts on the album feature Herbie Hancock and a string ensemble playing some sophisticated Jaco compositions that are a third stream cross between jazz and 20th century neo-classical. My other favorites include two semi-ambient pieces that feature Jaco playing the bass as if it were a tuned percussion instrument.

The rest of the album consists of a couple of upbeat world-jazz numbers that show what direction Jaco would be taking Weather Report, an outdated shot at commercial RnB with Sam n Dave, and a couple of solo straight ahead jazz numbers that highlight Pastorius's obvious skills on the bass.

Once upon a time this album was 'the shot heard round the world' for bass players, it still is highly influential and contains some nice sophisticated music for us non-bassists as well.

Review by Epignosis
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars For bassists, this is required listening. For everyone else, it's worth hearing, but not necessary to go out of one's way to get. The late Jaco Pastorius does some phenomenal things on his instrument, but for those uninterested in virtuosic showing off, this will hold little value.

"Donna Lee" Hand percussion accompanies Pastorius in a spirited romp of a bass solo during this rendition of a bebop jazz standard.

"Come On, Come Over" The short initial piece segues right into this louder track, which features vocals and variety of instruments.

"Continuum" Over light drums and electric piano, Pastorius delights the listener with a tranquil lead on his swamped-sounding fretless bass.

"Kuru / Speak Like a Child" A wild, avant-garde piano solo runs over Pastorius's mad-dash of a bass groove. Later, layers of strings and a more bossa nova sound arrive. It's an excellent piece that showcases the bassist's abilities as part of the rhythm section. Astringent strings mark the end of the track.

"Portrait of Tracy" An unofficial benchmark test for bassists, this solo piece employs natural and artificial harmonics, as well as regular notes, to the point that it sounds like more than one instrument.

"Opus Pocus" An avant-garde blend of steel drums, Pastorius's funky bass, and some light drums, begin this dreamy instrumental. The screeching soprano sax of Wayne Shorter wails in, and serves as the lead instrument throughout, even though the steel drums and Herbie Hancock's Fender Rhodes electric piano have their moments.

"Okonkole y Trompa" Subdued, this piece features percussion, electric bass (creatively employed), and soft bellows of the French horn.

"(Used to be a) Cha-Cha" Picking things up is this jazzier number, heavy on Hancock's masterful piano skills and the prowess of Hubert Laws's wind instruments. Pastorius reminds the hearer that this is his album, however, as he engages in a growlingly funky bass solo that makes up a generous portion of the first half.

"Forgotten Love" Lovely strings and piano conclude this album, and so far as I can tell, Pastorius refrains from performing on it.

Review by Kazuhiro
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Pat Metheny answered the interview. 「I was not able to believe the music to which it listened by my ear when listening to his 1stAlubum. Such music did not exist till then. 」This remark was a remark after Pastorius had died. The performance of Pastorius might be unknown and be continuous for various musicians and listener with the threat regardless of Metheny. And, his life became a legend including a lot of anecdotes.

Some charms are perfections of the performance in his performance. And, it is accurate and a sense of the rhythm. Or, it is a point that deviates from an original usage as for the Bass guitar. And, the point to have taken the root of his music to the performance satisfactorily. And, the point to have taken the phrase of musical instruments and wind instruments of the keyboard.

Pastorius was answered in the interview. 「Anyway, it was interested in the music of various types. It applies to the item and the style and, in a word, it doesn't fit in. 」This element is concretely exactly expressed by this album with various guests' musician. The composition of the tune replaces the guest of each tune and is recorded. And, it is said that the majority of the collected tune are ideas where Pastorius already existed at one's teens. He had a reformative creation jumping over the range of Bass very if it listens to "Portrait Of Tracy" might be understood.

Jazz and Funk. And, whether the music that he incessantly has to Caribbean music is made an embodiment indeed splendidly and he grew up in such music might be understood. Anyway, all his music characters are blocked in this album.

Review by Mellotron Storm
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars 3.5 stars. I agree with the majority that if your a bass player this is required listening, for everyone else, not so much. Over 30 musicians are involved in the making of this album and the ones who standout would be Herbie Hancock playing Fender Rhodes on a couple of tracks and piano and keys on four more. Wayne Shorter playing soprano sax on one track and Lenny White playing drums on three songs.

A mixed bag for sure and often on the same track. Two of those would be "Kuru/ Speak Like A Child" and "Ocus Pocus" where there's lots to like but also some annoying stuff that keep me from completely enjoying the tunes. Those would be the disco vibes on the former and the island sounds on the latter. The opener "Donna Lee" is one crazy bass track, oh my! Percussion supports but this is all Pastorius. "Continuum" could be on the ECM label. Soul vocals from Sam & Dave on "Come On, Come Over". The closer is all bass. Top two though for me would be "Used To Be A Cha-Cha" at almost 9 minutes. We get flute, piano and bass soloing here. Love that determined sound with the bass and percussion on "Okonkole' Y Trompa", just relentless.

A good album but not as good as the World class bass player here.

Latest members reviews

4 stars I think like most people, the music of Jaco Pastorius came into my life by way of legend and hyperbole. Long before ever hearing his work I knew of him as one of the Olympian Gods of the bass guitar. Not being a bass player or a music historian, I can only offer conjecture on either point. But as ... (read more)

Report this review (#415931) | Posted by R-A-N-M-A | Monday, March 14, 2011 | Review Permanlink

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