Customer Reviews

Punk Jazz: The Jaco Pastorius Anthology

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This anthology is long over due. Jaco Pastorious was and still is the greatest electric bass player these ears have ever heard. Bold, soulful, melodic and full of pure talent - he is the benchmark for modern bass players and his arranging skills cannot be overlooked in the big band arena. As a total musician, Jaco Pastorious was a Genius. He left us way too soon. Upfront, this anthology is a welcomed addition to my music collection. I have managed to purchase most of his recordings, including the imported "Twins" Japanese concert that was only partially released on the U.S. "Invitation" album. Jaco had a long list of valuable guest roles on other artists recordings that are well represented here.

From the very start, Jaco had massive groove and technique. Listen to the bass lines on "I can Dig It Baby" - his signature sound is well defined on that 1974 track. His horn arranging skills are already in full bloom on the 1968 version of "The Chicken" - wow! The first disc is full of suprises that might have escaped many Jaco fans - if not captured here on Anthology. The beautiful "Midwestern Nights Dream" with Pat Metheny, was my first exposue to Jaco and his sound has been with me ever since. "Foreign Fun" is a lovely open-rump that allows Jaco, Mouzon and Mangelsdorff to stretch out and improvise within a tight groove. "Nativity" and "Las Olas" captures Jaco in the Airto and Flora Purim camp - laying down that fat Florida bass sound that only Pastorious could produce. The two Michel Colombier tracks "Sunday" and "Layas" are classic late 70's fusion workouts - bold, brassy and fun. The two Joni Mitchell tracks capture some of Jaco's most vibrant playing from the 1979 "Mingus" period. Exceptional contributions by Jaco always added a breath of fresh air to other artists' sound. For Joni, Jaco was a soulmate. They blended well together and made music magic on three Joni recordings. You can see this band live on the brilliant "Shadows and Light" DVD being released June 24th. Jaco is in top form during that concert and is part of a super group that includes Michael Brecker and Pat Metheny. Jaco fans should not miss that one.

Disc Two focuses on Jaco's solo recordings including the 1981 "Word of Mouth" and the incomplete "Holiday For Twins" and the 1982 Japanese concert "Twins". This disc captured the essence of a masterful musician in full bloom. No matter the musical combinations, be it big band, trio or septet - Jaco made it work. His bass sound and tone were so unique that you would never mistaken him for another musician. He was an exception and gifted writer, arranger and bassist - and the 11 tracks captured here are jewels.

What is suprising here is there is only one track represented from his career defining landmark 1976 "Jaco Pastorious" recording. The one track "Continuum" is a masterpiece. When you look at the track selection of Anthology, it is a glaring omission not to have an additional two or three tracks from Jaco's first solo release. So where is the third disc? Hopefully it will follow in a year or two and also include other side roles Jaco played with Al Dimeola, Randy Bernsen and Brian Melvin's Nightfood. I would also suggest a couple of tracks from Joni Mitchell's "Hejira" and "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" recordings. If you don't have these two, Jaco is upfront and awesome in Joni's band.

I am very pleased with the release of this perspective of Jaco's career - I am just left wanting more. His music will live forever. Thanks Rhino for pulling this double disc together. Now let's get cracking on volume II. Enjoy!!

I appreciate the inclusion of the stuff Jaco did "in his bedroom," etc, but this compilation relies MUCH too heavily on the "Word Of Mouth" material (but didn't even include "Crisis," though), and gives 2..."examples" of what Jaco did with (ARGH) Joni Mitchell. Only "Birdland" by Weather Report is included, and, hey, WHERE is "A Remark You Made?" And WHERE is "Donna Lee," the track with just Jaco and conga player Don Alias, that absolutely terrified every other bass player in the world in 1976? And if Rhino is, really, trying to "touch all the bases," WHY wasn't "All American Alien Boy," by Ian Hunter included? That song that has the GREATEST bass guitar solo in the history of rock and roll, courtesy of Jaco.
While the liner notes were a bit "what we've heard before," they were still well written. I wish I could say the same about whoever was responsible for the "captions" on the pictures, though. On an "alternate version" of that pic that included the five members of Weather Report at their most prolific - Alex Acuna is identified as Airto Moreira and Manalo Badreana is identifed as Peter Erskine. Unforgiveable. Still...I appreciate the inclusion of "Foreign Fun," the song Jaco did with drummer Alphonse Mouzon and trombone (!) player Albert Manglesdorff, Jaco's "Amerika,' and the inclusion of guitarist Mike Stern's "Mood Swings," a track Jaco cut when, frankly, he was disintegrating. Nevertheless, the man was never poorer that perfect, and with drummer Steve Jordan as his rhythm section mate, the track was an wonderful "almost farewell, folks."

Missing alot of good stuff on here, where is Portrait of Tracy??? Donna Lee?? 6-4 Jam????
This is an Okay overall image, but your missing alot and this is a horrible album to base your view on Jaco on. Get his self titled solo album.

Who writes the product descriptions? Jaco's last, never-released, often-bootlegged album is called Holiday for Pans, not Holiday for Paris! Pans meaning the steel pan drums which he liked to arrange for (his pal Othello Molineaux is a worldclass pans player). Jaco composed and arranged for Holiday on Pans, but didn't play a note (the bass parts are abortion-faux Jaco later tracked in by someone else), so the suits wouldn't put it out. Only one song, Good Morning Anya, was ever released officially (here). But based on that evidence, who wouldn't want to hear the rest of the record? This is the great lost album of jazz. Holiday for Pans.

An excellent collection Of Jaco Pastorius' music and performances.
I did not know much about him but this has helped me to hear his unique
talents.

A terrific compilation of Jaco's work over the years. A must have for all Jaco Pastorius fans.

While I do think a compilation of Jaco's complete works is well over-due, I think this cd could have been better. As soon as this disc came out I rushed out to buy it. I do enjoy the few tracks that were previously unreleased, I felt this was a poor rehash of all of his material.
The first disc is quite good, I felt the second disc is pretty uninpired. I have both his first album and Word Of Mouth already, and to be honest I do not need another copy of WOM, which is basically what the second disc is. Usually Rhino is really good at finding interesting alternate takes and such to put on these rereleases they are famous for. I just found this one fell short.

This is awesome, it`s worth alone in the remastered WOM tracks. Any Jaco fans will be pleased!! Jaco is the PunkJazz GOD!!!

It's Jaco; what more can I say? Live or studio, the sound is excellent, and the chops are clean and impressive. Primo.

This 2 disc record is a testament to the genius of Jaco. It spreads over his career nicely and includes some important pieces as well as unreleased gems. Jaco's sublime bass permeates the music and makes you yearn for more. One can only wish that he were still here with us, but at least we have his incredible musical legacy.