Customer Reviews

Invitation

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've had this since its original release in 1983. It is completly superior to the birthday concert cd and all of the NYC and Punk Jazz discs. It features a large band, that is well rehearsed. And the material is treated to well structured arrangements. It is focused but still contains some great improvisation. Tracks that stand out are; reza, invitation, and one of his better renditions of continuum.

This is a quality Jaco recording. The Bass is indeed way up front, but you'll get no arguments from me. I sincerely disbelieve that Jaco was meant to be heard in perfectly mixed and mastered environments. It's raw, but aside from the mixing the sound quality is great. The big band and Jaco are very tight - it's very reminiscent of some of Jaco's live performances with Birelli Lagrene although he doesn't make an appearance on this slbum.

This is a great album, though a little short since it was originally a vinyl release. I actually prefer the Birthday concert a bit more since the playing was a little hotter and looser. A definite must have.

Just the performance on the track "invitation" by itself is worth buying it let alone the performances on the rest of the CD. Masterful, Awesome, Inspirational playing that "burns" hot!!!

Pastorius was best known for his magnificent debut album and his time with Weather Report. During the 70s he also contributed to other artists' solo albums -- for instance, Pat Metheny's 'Bright Size Life' and Al DiMeola's 'Land of the Midnight Sun'.

After leaving Weather Report and experiencing a dificult time with his Word of Mouth band, Pastorius rebounded with 1983's live outing, 'Invitation'. It's a big-band affair, featuring former Report drummer Erskine, trumpeter Randy Brecker, percussionist Don Alias, and harmonica player Toots Thielmans.

There's no jazz-rock here, but the album harks back once to his first solo album, with a live variant on 'Continuum' with brass section accompaniment. It's well recorded and remastered. The concerts must have been a real blast to hear.

Okay, so Jaco took his Word of Mouth band down to Japan in 1983 and they had a wild time... The first thing a fan of his from 1976-77 stuff will notice is that his sound had changed - spiritually, or in terms of vibe. Peter Erskine said that Jaco had begun to follow "a different muse." He's still good to the point of being sick, but it's not the same Jaco of the first solo album in 1976. There's a kind of darkness haunting him, as it did his life. I can relate, having problems myself. You just have to hear it. It's an indispensable part of Jaco's library, and he and the whole ensemble are awesome. I think this is the last legitimate offer Jaco has; though I've heard that his instructional video Modern Electric Bass, Jaco Pastorius is good as well (1984, I believe). Here's another product link: Jaco: The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius.

Knowing all the above, I hope you can just groove on what's on the record. Note: There's a trumpet player (I think it's on "Reza") who will just knock your socks off in his solo. The packaging should show all the credits when you get it. It isn't Randy Brecker, though I think he's in the show. Oh, well; just buy it and be broadened.

This is by THE BEST BASS PLAYER EVER!!. If you think you can do better drop dead.

3 1/2

Short, showy, and still somewhat spectacular, the esteemed bass player invited listeners into a solo career benefiting immensely from talent alone but inevitably driven to kitsch in later years. Falling somewhere in between the sheer brilliance of rising work and the sad packaged demise, the big band effect is handled mostly well, if at times cluttered.

This live recording is one of WoM's best -- the sound is good, and the blowing is excellent. I'm not that thrilled by Toots chromatic harmonica, and while there is some on this record, there's not a lot. I wish someone would put out a 2 CD set of the best of the live WoM, but until that happens, I'll be happy with this.