The name of Jaco Pastorius carries a long running groove with many fans, particularly progressive jazz fans. From his early days with Wayne Cochran's CC Riders to his groundbreaking tenure with Weather Report to his solo outings, Jaco's name is spoken with a reverence reserved only for the greats.

By and large, Jaco's body of work is representative of all that the bass guitar could generate given the forward thinking talent of it's wielder. Jaco became an extension, or it should be said, the bass guitar became an extension of Jaco. With this hybrid spirit, the bar would forever be raised - very high - for those who aspired to become something other than a plucker of heavy strings.

One complete listen to Warner Bros/Rhino's 2CD anthology, "Punk Jazz", will immediately reveal this extraordinary talent, one that is not so easily replaced; one that makes his absence that much more felt. Jaco Pastorius's descent into substance abuse and perhaps a 'too broad' experimental attitude with fusion set into motion a story with no happy ending. Losing a recording contract and ending up out in the streets is never a fit ending. Eventually, Jaco died, beaten by a bouncer in a club who couldn't control his anger or his martial arts skills.

"Punk Jazz" visits all the corners of Jaco's musical progression. From very early home recordings to collaborations, The Jaco Pastorius Anthology provides a broad overview, although not a complete one, to the music that is as celebrated as the man.

This collection contains 28 tracks. There is the very recognizeable "Birdland" from Weather Report's immensely popular "Heavy Weather". There are tracks from his collaborations and involvements with Airto, with Flora Purim, and with Joni Mitchell who referred to Jaco as "a great spirit with beautiful animal wisdom". There are live tracks that reveal an immediate sense of command. Such a command that is turned on at whim is a rare commodity. But Jaco possessed it and he did so with a oneness that can never be taught.

Unfortunately, there is not a vast body of work that one could so easily refer to. This set dips into his solo work with Epic so very briefly but pulls out an arguably representative piece from his Jaco Pastorius with "Continuum". From his Warner's release, Word of Mouth, are six tracks from an album that contained seven. As a treat, Warner/Rhino includes a track from his rejected album, Holiday For Pans. The song, "Good Morning Anya" and others from the poorly released album were rejected by Warner due to an erratic approach and declining sales. The included track reveals strength without substance much like a prodigy without direction.

Additionally, his 'hired hand' work with Joni Mitchell yields "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" from her Mingus LP and a live cut of "The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines". The other session work pieces round out this fine collection.

This set also supplies a live version of "Amerika", his contribution to address racism in America. Whatever Jaco Pastorius did, he did it to the best of his ability often boasting that he was the greatest bass player in the world. But he also stated that "it ain't braggin' if you can back it up". And back it up was what he did. There are few who dispute his greatness. Fewer who deny him his place amongst the elevated demigods of musicians. But wherever you place him, his work stands among the finest. This set reveals the shades of that in an all too brief moment.

This anthology includes a spectacularly produced 32 page booklet insert. With a glossy finish, this booklet provides photos, 2 essays, and track listings with extensive credits spread out over 6 pages. There are some great photos here including the mesmerizing front page black and white portrait of Jaco. All in all, this is a set to add to your progressive library. If you're a jazz fan, particularly of fusion jazz, this set reveals the man behind the bass. If you enjoy great music, this set will provide you a ransom sampling of progression in inimitable 70s style.

Search Tour Database by: Artist City Venue

Jaco Pastorius

Punk Jazz
The Jaco Pastorius Anthology

Released: April 18, 2003
Origination Year: 2003
Time:
Disc One - 1:17:08
Disc Two - 1:19:45
Tracks: 28
Produced by: Barry Benson, Ricky Schultz, & Nick Sahakian
Engineered by: N/A
Remastered by: Steve Pokorny & Dan Hersch at DigiPrep
Style: Studio/Live/Compilation
Format: CD
Enhancement: Remastered
Label: Rhino Records
Website:
www.jacopastorius.com

The Chicken (Home Rec)
Amelia (Live 1972: Wayne Cochran's CC Riders)
I Can Dig It Baby -(Little Beaver)
Batterie -(Jaco/Pat Metheny/Bruce Ditmas/ Paul Bley)
Continuum
Midwestern Nights Dream - Pat Metheny
Foreign Fun (Live 1976: Trilogue)
Birdland (Weather Report)
Nativity (Airto)
Las Olas (Flora Purim)
Sunday (Michel Colombier)
Layas (Michel Colombier)
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (Joni Mitchell)
The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines (Live 1979: Joni Mitchell)
Punk Jazz (Live 1981)

3 Views of a Secret
Liberty City
Chromatic Fantasy
Blackbird
Word of Mouth
John and Mary
Good Morning Anya
Invititation (Live 1982)
Soul Intro/ The Chicken (Live 1982)
Amerika (Live 1982)
Okonkole'y Trompa (Live 1982)
Mood Swings (Mike Stern)
Out of the Night (Brian Melvin Trio)