On a scale of one to ten?

Question

How much of a legend is Jaco Pastorius?

Oh my lord, open your eyes people, i can't believ so many people have never heard of JACO.

He changed the way electric bass is played and therefore changed music.

He brought it from the back of the stage to the front of the stage.

Answer 1

Wow! I can't believe the breadth of these answers. There are so many babies in here!

I agree with your posters who say ten isn't high enough for Jaco, but I don't think he knocked Stanley Clarke out of first place as an electric bassist. Jaco was too individual to be classified as a bassist anyhow! Jaco would be 15 or 20 as a creative jazz musician! Never mind which instrument.

As a gigging jazz man myself, I heard from many people who knew Pastorius that Jaco was big into cocaine, not so much into alcohol!! By the way, I played bass with Joni Mitchell (impromptu) one night while she was working on the HEJIRA album which Jaco played so well on. I actually approached some of the songs the same way he wound up doing on the recording. But he did it SO MUCH better! He was pure music. So is Joni!

Answer 2

Jaco Pastorius is one of the most influential electric bassists of the last century. He was "discovered" by Bobby Colombi who was executive producer of Jaco's premier solo album. The groundbreaking album features Herbie Hancock and The Brecker Brothers amongst other greats.

Jaco was famous for reinventing the electric bass. He tore the frets out of his old Fender Jazz bass and filled the fret-slots with epoxy. His tone, articulation, eclectic taste, dynamic articulation and dazzling technique were just the beginning. He pioneered the now-widespread use of natural and artificial harmonics on Bass. He was an electrifying soloist but was just as famous for his ability to play the groove. He was snatched up by Jazz legend Joe Zawinul to play a starring role in Weather Report.

I got to see Jaco years before he was famous when he played a local club in my hometown. Then, he was traveling with Mitch Rider and The Detroit Wheels. He was playing rock and roll, and I mean playing the hell out of it!

Later, when I was at Miami University, I got to see him play in a small club in Miami. There he played with an unusual Jazzy cover band that did their own unique arrangements of popular tunes.

No matter what style of music, Jaco always astounded his fellow musicians.

Scale of one to ten? Sorry, ...that scale doesn't register high enough. Try high 20’s.

Jaco's scale completely recalibrated every bass player's references. He set the new standard and to this day still inspires a host of imitators. Jaco was unique, in the true sense of the word. He was a fantastic musician, an innovator, a composer, and if half the stories I've heard are true, he was a sweet decent man.

If there was a single word I think of to describe Jaco Pastorius, I would choose "intense." He never let up. He always played with the utmost conviction. It didn't matter if the groove was a complex Cuban poly-rhtyhm or a simplistic slow I, vi, ii, V... Jaco rocked. He had fire. Sadly, his fire was the end of him.

Jaco suffered from a drinking disorder that affected his otherwise gentle personality. When he mouthed off to a bouncer at Floridian nightclub, the bouncer assaulted him. That resulted in injuries to Jaco's head, which led to his death.


To all who know him, his fire is sorely missed. All of us who met him will keep the flame alive.

Answer 3

Pastorius is a 9 or 10 in my opinion. He was one of the most well known "fusion" bass players. His early work with Metheny and with Weather Report are considered landmarks, especially his tour de force song "Teen Town". Of course, being dead always adds a point or two to your legendary status.

As a side note, I saw him play on the last night of his life. I was attending a Santana concert at the Sunrise Musical Theatre near Ft. Lauderdale, FL. At one point during the concert, this crazy guy jumped on stage and started dancing around behind Alphonso Johnson, who was playing bass for Santana at the time. I thought it was odd that security didn't run the guy off. After a while, he left.
The next morning I read in the papers that Jaco had been severely injured by a bouncer at a club the previous night, and the article made reference to him appearing on stage with Santana. It was only then that I put two and two together and realized who the dancing guy was. Pastorius died of the bouncer-inflicted injuries not long after that.

Answer 4

3

Answer 5

Your scoring should have been from 0-10. As I have never heard of Jaco Pastorius, then he can't be much of a lagend. Therefore a big "0"

Answer 6

Okay I know some Jazz I know Charlie Parker and Louie and most of those guys but sorry I've never heard of Jaco Pastorius but I play sax and a little trumpet so what do I know about base?

Answer 7

8

Answer 8

He is a 15 on my scale.

Nobody played like him before or since. I'm not just talking about him as a bass player, this includes any instrument.

I can't get enough, as I own all of his solo, Weather Report and Word of Mouth recordings, along with recordings of the big band inspired by his music, recordings by Joni Mitchell (Mingus, Hejira), Brian Melvin's Nightfood, Al DiMeola and Pat Metheny.

I hope he has found peace in the afterlife that he could not find in this world. We are lucky to have had him for the time we did.

Answer 9

10+. Hes a legend. He was the greatest jazz electric bassist ever. He bumped Stanley Clarke to the second best.

Answer 10

I've heard him, but from what I recall, he played with a lot of 'avant-garde' jazz musicians and I cannot quite figure out where these guys come from.

Someone who is a minority, within a minority genre, within a musical style (jazz), that is, again a minority taste, can only be a legend within his own adherents.