Jaco

Brian Bromberg | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 15, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A440 Records
• ASIN: B00006LHYJ
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #197,276 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Come on, Come Over

2. Continuum

3. Teen Town

4. A Remark You Made

5. Portrait of Tracy

6. Three Views of a Secret

7. The Chicken

8. Tears

9. Slang

10. Come on, Come Over [Instrumental]

11. Teen Town [Piccolo Bass Version]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Three Views of A Master Bassist!!!, October 25, 2002

By 

A. Davis "astandavis" (Greenville, SC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jaco (Audio CD)

Jaco Pastorious was the most innovative electric bassist to emerge from the productive 70's Fusion era. His master of technique, groove and musical attitude is second to none. He inspired a long list of followers who changed their axes to fretless and proceded to co-op his unique style of playing. Brian Bromberb neatly fell into the "Jaco inspired" catagory until he rediscovered his upright bass and set off to create his own unique style of playing in both the traditional jazz setting and the more popular smooth Jazz setting.

Paying tribute to the master bassist, Bromberb manages to capture the three different sides to Jaco's bass vocabulary. The soul-strutting Jaco is represented by "Come On, Come Over", with blasting horns and driving grooves. The big band Jaco is well presented by lovely arrangements on "Continuum", "A Remark You Made", "Three Views of A Secret" and "The Chicken". On these tracks, Brian's acoustic bass is gorgeous. Laying down fat tones that dance around the horns, he plays with a lot of depth and feeling that is not as present on his other basses. Here is where he really captures the spirit of Jaco's genius. "Portrait of Tracy" has a nice string arrangement that gives the piece a beautiful classical touch. "Tears" looses steam early as it dives into the smooth jazz array, while "Teen Town" (A Jaco burner) is slowed down to a lite disco pace that zaps the energy right out of this tune. "Slang" is a tribute to the pryrotechnique Jaco - using tapping and false harmonics to show off skill and bravado.

Jaco would have been proud of this tribute. It is honest and true to his unique spirit of playing. Brian Bromberg is a master bassist in his own right - but his star is brightest on the upright bass. It is there, where he forges his best ideals and plays with the kind of passion that pushes Pastorious' legacy to the next level. A great effort, that Jaco fans would be proud to add to their collection.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Worthy Tribute To The Late Great Jaco, November 13, 2005

By 

Bill Appel (Ashburn, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jaco (Audio CD)

Commerically, Brian Bromberg is one of the most underrated jazz bassists though very well respected in the musician circles as a versatile bassist capable of playing anything jazz, fusion and funk. He is one of the few bassists to master the tapping technique made famous by Stanley Jordan.

When I saw this CD captured instantly with the portrait photo cover cleverly similar to the style, layout and colors of the great Jaco Pastorius' 1976 debut solo album and then proceeded to check out the songs covered and the guest musicians on it, I knew this was one worth checking out.

Jaco in his relatively short but absolutely brilliant career (he sadly died in 1987)revolutionized the role of the electric bass guitar and took it up a huge notch as a liberated, up-front melodic "voice" giving it a uninhibited, imaginative passion, heart and soul rather then what was a low-end time keeper basically at the time.

On "Jaco", the great Weather Report of whom Jaco spent 6 successful, groundbreaking years, is represented with three absolute classics. Bromberg slows down the great "Teen Town" in 1/2-time and provides a very accessible and infectious funky, hip-hop groove solidifying his masterful talent. The great Bob Mintzer provides beautiful sax on the smooth, gorgeous "A Remark You Made" as well as the suite-like "Three Views Of A Secret" which Bromberg successfully upbeats the tempo from the original. Jaco's own funkified "Come On, Come Over" is refreshed with Bill Champlain and Bobby Kimball (of Toto fame) on vocals and Eric Marienthal on sax with Bromberg cleaning up on a 5-string bass. Jaco's beautiful and pervading "Continuum" and simply gorgeous "Portrait Of Tracy" continue the wonderful arrangement and musicianship of Bromberg and company. Jaco's first ever recorded song, funky "The Chicken" is superbly represented here as well. Bromberg adds some personal touches on his own-penned ballad "Tears". Perhaps the showcase of Bromberg's extraordinary musicianship is displayed on "Slang" as he taps and slaps with reckless abandon between fretted and fretless basses.

Jaco is looking down and is smiling on a job well done.....

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Listen to a master., April 11, 2008

By 

Michael Rytting "Salamanders" (Lehi, Utah, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jaco (Audio CD)

What incredible music, amazing performances, wonderful arrangements! As someone intimately familiar with Jaco's debut album through scores of listenings and as a musician of 35 years, I love this kind of project that presents the music of a genius [Jaco] by a master of the bass [Bromberg]. As for any comments about the music style, it's probably from the same person who would dismiss Mark O Connor and Vince Gill because it's "country", Robben Ford because it's "just blues" or John Mayer because it's "pop". I've found the people I love to discover music with love innovation, creativity and dedication to craft. Brian Bromberg is all that!