WORD OF MOUTH

The activity after Jaco Pastorius had seceded Weather Report was exactly continuous of the misfortune. A delicate part of man who had been taking the action opposite to zeal to the original mind that he really had though it was already a well-known fact until he died in the 80's and music might have been in the place where understanding had been always exceeded.

It is said that a lot of eccentric behaviors were remarkable in the fall of life him. A delicate mind of Jaco Pastorius might always have existed somewhere though it surely gnawed at his body to alcohol and the medicine. The sickness that he held has become arrogant further. However, only the part of the eccentric behavior standing out and having been reported though it was a method adopted as inevitability by him were also true in alcohol and the medicine to suppress pressure to music.

Of course, to be reborn of Jaco, musicians who besieged him did a good working. However, it is said that media of Japan where I live offered the article that reports only the eccentric behavior of Jaco where it visited Japan in the 80's and exaggerates. The second wife of Jaco was making remarks that she had not thought the event to be good.

And, Jaco entered the state that it was not possible even to perform purely in the object with a surrounding person who had made an effort even if the technology and the talent of Jaco were made use of. There might have been a problem also in the report of Japan that had assisted to his mood disorders. However, a creation of the music that he did and an overwhelming technology have already been taken in the world as a well-known fact. And, again respectfully of the listener in the great achievement that he did. will

This album was announced for him as second base Solo album in 1981. It is an album with which an idea that he had exactly almost following the methodology from Weather Report in the album that brings machine parts in to home by him and works even on the edit at that time and an overwhelming technology are blocked. And, it is an album of a valuable content that the state of the part and the spirit that he was exactly keeping as Bass player is in the boundary.

"Crisis" is recorded by the musician who participated in the recording counting on the basic performance that Jaco performs. The musician who was related to the recording did not know the outline of the tune finally finished up. The form of Free Tempo Jazz with the overwhelming might by a final edit of Jaco was exactly completed. The collage of the sound is multiused and it has an overwhelming perfection. The flow continues complete power and the dash feeling.

"3 Views Of A Secret" arranged the tune collected to "Night Passage" of Weather Report again by Jaco and was collected. It is a ballade of the gem with a very high popularity in the tune that Jaco made. It is ..arrangement that gives the element of the orchestra to the arrangement done with Weather Report.. finished. It is known widely as a repertoire of Word Of Mouth Big Band formed at a constant period. Also to the harmonica of Toots Teielemans in close relation to a beautiful melody and the band performs complete impression.

"Liberty City" is Funk Jazz where the taste of the theme and Jaco with a good melody of the brass section was splendidly expressed. The percussion instrument and Steel Pans also contribute to the tune. Swing and Groove are expressed enough.

"Chromatic Fantasy" starts from Solo of overwhelming Bass. The tension is continued. And, the experimental element that Jaco exactly did has gone out of the flow that shifts from the part of the orchestra to the element of ethnical strongly. The original world is constructed by making good use of various sound effects. This tune has the flow that even the last tune of the album presents the aspect of the suite.

"Blackbird" introduces the harmonica with the flow of "Chromatic Fantasy" continued. The line of Bass that dashes out to a chaotic flow suddenly will give the listener the agility and the surprise. Jaco that it liked Beatles splendidly expresses with Bass and arranges the sound of an original tune.

Solo of intense Bass appears suddenly in "Word Of Mouth". A chaotic flow is continued and it twines round Bass processed with Overdrive. The rhythm of the harmonica and the drum also contributes to the tune. The harmony of Bass feature. The tune completely receives the top.

"John And Mary" adopts the voices of the daughter and sons of Jaco for the collage. Soprano Sax of Wayne Shorter twines round the rhythm of Latin well. The methodology of Weather Report is made to act well and a grand impression is created. The tune shifts to the part of the orchestra on the way and continues the flow of the melodious sound. Bass is given the anacatesthesia to the tune and progresses. The tune invites the listener to the creation of complete Jaco again attended with the rhythm.

This album might be exactly a work with high quality that should catch as one of the appearance of the mental world that Jaco kept. And, because whether it was an owner of the mind Jaco is very delicate listens to this album, it is likely to be able to discover it.

Very strange and eclectic album. I am familiar with many of Frank Zappa and John Zorn most experimental works, they are sometimes heavy accessible, even not very listenable. But this Jaco's album has it strange feeling of crazy chaos I didn't feel from much more experimental works.

Debut album of his Word of Mouth Orchestra is excellent in some moments and annoying in others. The music played is some freaky mix of almost big-bandish brass sound, post-bop rhythms and structures, some neo-classic orchestration and avant-jazz elements. Plus bluegrass feeling from many harmonica soloings. Musicians all are of high class, including Shorter and Brecker on brass, Toots Thielemans on harmonica, DeJohnette and Erskine on drums.

First of all, this album requires repeated listening.. Only step by step you can hear it's musical layers one after another. Some fantastic bass lines are placed deep under orchestrated skin. Some very strange and unusual musical voices could be found after some researches only.

No way easy listening, this music just could sound as orchestrated jazzy chaotic sound. Try to listen it again and again, and with every listening you will find many new nuances. Possibly you will even like this album.

I want to finish my review with the same theme as I started. Even after many listenings this album still have some open nervous in it's sound for me. It's deeper than I can dig.

Jaco Pastorius (1951 - 1987) wasn't a modest musician. He used to call himself the best bass player in the world, but that wasn't empty talk for sure. His short career included playing for Weather Report, Blood Sweat & Tears, Joni Mitchell and others, and he also recorded a few albums as the group leader and composer.

Word of Mouth is a work for a large ensemble; most noticeably it contains lots of reeds, harmonica (Toots Thielemans) and percussion. Jaco handles also keyboards. The seven tracks vary between near-3 minutes and 12 minutes. 'Crisis' is a very hectic and nervously busy piece that gives me very little enjoyment. '3 Views of a Street' is relaxed like a balmy summer day and gives a central role to harmonica.

'Liberty City' starts with a sharp and fast brass intro and soon settles on a nice groove starring bass, piano, percussion (incl. steel drums) and reeds. Otherwise enjoyable, but 12 minutes of it is too much. 'Chromatic Fantasy' is based on a Bach tune; after the bass solo it gets quite an experimental mess of mainly percussion and reeds.

'Blackbird', the shortest track, is naturally the McCartney evergreen. The melody is loosely played by bass and harmonica while the sharp percussion makes it excitingly edgy. The title track is hectic like the opener. 'John and Mary' is the other long piece (10:53) and perhaps the easiest track to enjoy. It has some Pat Metheny reminding airiness and the biggest amount of lyricless vocals. In the halfway it fades and continues, for a couple of minutes before returning to the main groove, in completely another style.

This is admittedly a very personal and eclectic fusion album. At times I'm mildly charmed by it, but most of the time frankly not at all, in the sonic sense. I'm not fond of brass orientation, steel drums or harmonica, and there's not much of fresh melodies on the whole album. Three subjective stars.