Jaco Pastorius Archives - Page 3
Jeff Berlin on Jaco Pastorius: Harmonics
In my younger years, Jaco Pastorius and Jeff Berlin were two of the titans of bass I looked up to. So it was super cool to spot this video by Jeff talking about Jaco’s use of harmonics. I remember watching Modern Electric Bass back in the ’80s. Jerry Jemmott asked Jaco how he came to use harmonics in his playing....
Jaco Pastorius Big Band: Sophisticated Lady
On this day in 1951, Jaco Pastorius was born. We’re celebrating with this clip from his big band performance in Tokyo on September 1, 1982, which features Jaco and Toots Thielemans on Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady.” Happy birthday, Jaco. We miss you.
Jaco Pastorius: 30 Years Later
Today marks 30 years since Jaco Pastorius passed away. Though three decades have come and gone, his approach to the bass and singular voice on the instrument is still strongly felt. We remember him today with a collection of reader favorite videos and transcriptions from our archives
Unreleased Jaco Pastorius Live Album Coming Soon
A previously unreleased Jaco Pastorius live album has been unearthed and will be available to the public this spring. Truth, Liberty & Soul captures the entire performance featuring the bass legend’s Word of Mouth big band (along with harmonica virtuoso Toots Thielemans) from a 1982 recording for NPR’s “Jazz Alive!” program. “I think that this recording more than any other...
Unreleased Weather Report with Jaco Pastorius: “Young And Fine”, Live (1978)
Just in time for Jaco Pastorius’s birthday today, Rick Suchow has shared another great video. This one, like others we’ve shared before, was recorded during Weather Report’s 1978 show in Reading, PA. The video was shot by Peter Erskine’s father, Dr. Fred Erskine and mixed with the audio feed from Brian Risner’s soundboard mix. “The interesting thing about this particular...
Your Top 10 Bass Albums
Q: I’m curious. What are your top 10 bass albums. What albums do you think everybody should hear? A: I hesitated to answer this because of the inherently subjective nature of the question. My top 10 albums are not likely to coincide with yours, but I ultimately decided that for that reason alone, I should answer the question! Maybe I’ll...
Bass Transcription: Jaco Pastorius’s Bass Line on Weather Report’s “Night Passage”
Today we will be tackling Jaco Pastorius’s bass line on the title track from Weather Report’s 1980 album, Night Passage. This is one of the best Weather Report albums. To me, it always sounds fresh and modern, like a timeless record. The group also includes drummer Peter Erskine and percussionist Robert Thomas Jr, who sound very tight together. In this...
“The Bass Book” Published in Revised Third Edition
A classic bass book is back in a revised edition. The Bass Book: A Complete Illustrated History of Bass Guitars, covers everything from the introduction of the electric bass guitar in the early 1950s up through today. Written by by music journalist Tony Bacon and UK bass retailer and distributor Barry Moorhouse, the book includes interviews with bass makers and...
New Book Offers Jaco “Ultimate Bass Lesson”
Bass instructor and author Jon Liebman’s latest book teaches you how to play like one of the greats. In “Play Like Jaco Pastorius: The Ultimate Bass Lesson” Liebman examines and analyzes everything from Jaco’s technique and equipment to his licks and his “stylistic DNA,” according to one book description. Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, who produced the recent, well-received “Jaco” documentary,...
Jaco Pastorius Play-Along Book Published
Jaco Pastorius revolutionized bass playing over the course of a tragically short life, which has been depicted in the acclaimed documentary, “JACO,” produced by Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo. Now, some of Jaco’s most famous bass lines (from his solo work, tenure in Weather Report, and on songs by Joni Mitchell and Herbie Hancock) are part of the Hal Leonard Bass...
Jaco Pastorius Big Band Import CD Available
Jaco Pastorius’ music, as played in the past and closer to the present, are the focus of Now & Then, the two-CD import set from the Jaco Pastorius Big Band. The first disc of the Japanese import is the “Then” part of the package, featuring previously unreleased takes from Jaco’s 1981 “Birthday Concert.” The second disc is primarily culled from...
Jaco Pastorius: Musicians Institute Master Class
A little over a year ago, Musicians Institute discovered a video in their vault of Jaco Pastorius’s appearance during a master class, which took place in the mid-80’s. They recently posted the entire video, where Jaco fielded questions from students. “Despite the glitchy video, the bassist’s signature sound rings loud [and] clear as he unveils the secrets of his virtuosity...