The Word Is Out

Jaco Pastorius | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 28, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Heads Up
• ASIN: B000EGDB5Q
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,020 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This sequel to the 2003 tribute Word of Mouth Revisited showcases the compositions and arrangements of the legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius. It features Pastorius-influenced bassists, including Victor Wooten, Mark Egan, Gerald Veasley, and Marcus Miller, with a number of Pastorius' ex-sidemen, from trumpeters Randy Brecker and steel drummer Othello Molineaux to drummer Peter Erskine. Peter Graves--a bandmate of the flashy bassist when they both lived in Florida--leads this big band and sticks close to Pastorius' original conceptions, as evidenced by the Latin-tinged "Las Olas," guest-starring the Cuban bass giant Israel "Cachao" Lopez. The stirring rendition of "Kuru/Speak Like a Child" is propelled by Jimmy Haslip's bullet-like basslines, while Richard Bona's African-born, low-end frequencies are heard on the Beatles' chestnut "Blackbird." The anthemic closer "Reza" includes a sizzling Pastorius-sampled solo. Despite his "Hendrixian" life and tragic death, this CD focuses on the truly enduring gifts of this fallen star. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Word of Mouth Redux - Can We Have it Live?, July 2, 2008

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Michael H. Ricereto "clarinet1969" (Philly, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Word Is Out (Audio CD)

This Jaco Pastorius Big Band recording is very much a straight-up homage to the Greatest Electric Bassist and his incredible contribution to modern jazz. If you are a fan of Jaco's music and sound, this is almost essential. I am a deep fan of Jaco, Weather Report and all the rest, so to come across this was a nice surprise.

I only rate this record three stars though - what is that all about you ask? Well, in essence, I find this homage to be a little too close to the original recordings by the WoM band, and Weather Report, etc. If you already own Jaco's first solo album, the Word of Mouth record, and perhaps the Invitation record, you have heard the same arrangements already. In the spirit of revival big bands (think Mingus Big Band) the idea is to keep the music alive. For this to happen, it's probably best to hear a band like this live. Some of these selections are so similar to the originals ("Reza", "Kuru/Speak Like a Child", "Three Views of a Secret") that it becomes a bit redundant next to Jaco's original catalog. The record starts out with a bang, but for me loses steam as it chugs towards the end.

Ah, the first few songs. For being a fairly manic Jaco fan, I had never heard either "Dania", "Las Olas" or "Good Morning Anya" before. I thought this would be a good time to jump in. Well, the first two are astounding - you would be well advised to buy this for those two songs alone (or the mp3's, thank you Amazon). These tunes are huge, with fantastic bass playing, horns, rich arrangements, everything. Metheny's "Sirabhorn" has a lovely solo by Mike Stern (it's got to be him - I know the sound), and the arrangement breathes new life into a fabulous little piece of music. I start to lose interest around "Cannonball", song 5. This is not superior to Weather Report's original, and I pity the sax player who had to fill Wayne's shoes on this one (I bought the MP3's so I got no liner notes, natch).

Things really start falling off for me at "Kuru/Speak Like a Child". This is so much like the original - with a fantastic bass pulse that kills it (just like Jaco did) - but I wonder, why just remake this song? Yes, this bassist is amazing, all the soloists are fantastic. It is just too close in concept to the original to get excited about.

The next selection, "Three Views of a Secret", really falls apart. This is a lovely song by Jaco - a very special and well-composed piece. The intro is quite pretty, played on - what is it - a 5-string bass? Lovely. However, once the band kicks in, this arrangement makes me cringe. I don't know who the soprano player is, but oh how do I despise this tone? This is so close to smooth jazz it makes me uncomfortable. There are many interesting arrangements of this fine song, but this one falls very short of the mark.

The next tune, "Blackbird" and then "Good Morning Anya" feature this same reedy, soporific soprano sound. You can just skip "Blackbird" - it's nowhere near the original on WoM and just keeps going and going with the main melody that you want to strangle this horn player. Keep in mind most people associate soprano with smooth jazz these days, but it is not necessarily so. For example, Wayne Shorter's "Alegria" was released the same year as this record. Listen to Wayne on soprano and you will forget WJAZ, Kenny G and all that on the spot.

Remember - under all of this music is a killer bass line executed with precision... but the original is still the one to listen to. The second part of this tune, the "Word of Mouth" part comes far short of Jaco's original fuzz-bass conception.

"Good Morning Anya" is a pretty little tune, but again, that soprano player. It's just too darn close to smooth jazz for me. In the end it just makes me want to seek out an original arrangement, if one exists (I am actually not sure - on the Birthday Album perhaps?).

It ends with "River People" and "Reza". Again, these are so close to the originals, that I am a little disappointed. The bass playing, horn playing, everything is fine, but just not breaking any new ground.

If this band plays live somewhere near me, I would see them in an instant. This recording shows the talent in this band is world-class (mostly), and perhaps the best way to appreciate it is live. If you are interested in the MP3 download, my highlights are the first 4 tunes, and from there at your discretion.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars JACOs SONIC STAMP, April 19, 2008

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K. Prousalis "papillon" (drama GREECE) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Word Is Out (Audio CD)

A very good tribute to jaco pastorius compositions by big names of jazz like peter erskine , arturo sandoval ,mike stern ,victor wooten ,richard bona ,jimmy haslip etc .OK do not expect the same sonic stamp jaco left behind him but all the artists here are trying really honestly and hard to attribute his spirit and playing as faithfully as they can .

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Multichannel recording??, January 20, 2007

By 

Ron T. Jones "R Jones, First Reflection Audio... (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Word Is Out (Audio CD)

Can any owner of this disc confirm if it is an SACD (multichannel recording)? Widescreen review magazine reviewed an SACD version of this disc, and I cannot determine if this version is a CD or SACD. Thanks.