Jaco Pastorius -

Jaco Pastorius (1951–1987) was an American bassist renown for his fretless style. He exploded onto the scene in 1976 with a star-backed solo album and guest appearances on titles by Joni Mitchell (Hejira) and Pat Metheny (Bright Size Life). That year, he joined Weather Report for a six-album stint.

Background

He was born John Francis “Jaco” Pastorius III on December 1, 1951, in Norristown, Pennsylvania; the first of three sons borne to Finnish–American Stephanie Catherine (née Haapala; 1925–2001) and German–American jazz drummer John Francis Pastorius Jr. (1922–2004). Their ancestor was Francis Daniel Pastorius (1651–1720), a German educator, poet, and statesman who founded Germantown, Pennsylvania, the first German settlement in the New World.

When John was eight, the family moved to the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area. He learned drums in emulation of his father, who passed on the nickname “Jacko” (acquired in the Navy). John removed the “k” and used Jaco as his public name.

Jaco first played drums but struggled with sticks after a 1965 hand injury, sustained from a football game. Despite this, he drummed for a time in Las Olas Brass, a soul cover band. When they found a more capable drummer, they lost their bassist. Jaco filled the slot with a newly acquired Fender Jazz bass.

Early Career

In 1968, Jaco self-recorded an 80-second cover of “The Chicken,” a Pee Wee Ellis composition. He sent the tape to harpist Alice Coltrane (the widow of recently deceased jazz legend John Coltrane), who encouraged the young hopeful. Jaco acquired a contrabass but its wooden frame proved vulnerable in Florida’s humid weather. Though he traded in the standup, its deep tones influenced his future fretless sound.

Jaco left Las Olas Brass for Woodchuck, an R&B trio that showcased his budding bass skills. After a subsequent stint in a cruise band, he spent five months (circa 1972) in Wayne Cochran & the C.C. Riders, a perennial show-band led by the flamboyant Talvin Wayne Cochran, a platinum-pompadoured fixture of Southern television. During his short Riders stint, Jaco learned notation and doubled as the group’s arranger.

Around this time, Jaco acquired a 1962 Fender Jazz bass and removed the frets with a butter knife, then filled the slots with plastic wood and coated the neck with epoxy. He named this instrument the Bass of Doom.

After the Riders, Jaco played for a time with the Peter Graves Orchestra and befriended DC-born hornist Ira Sullivan. They formed a jazz-funk combo and performed a set of Jaco originals, including an early version of the showpiece “Continuum.”

In 1974, Jaco demonstrated his bass technique (electric-simulated upright sounds) during a guest presentation at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. For one semester, he taught as an adjunct instructor at the University of Miami’s jazz department, headed by Bill Lee, the father of fellow jazz-funk bassist Will Lee. At UoM, Jaco befriended faculty member Pat Metheny, an emerging ECM guitarist. That June, Jaco and Pat held a session with pianist Paul Bley and drummer Bruce Ditmas.

In September 1975, Jaco impressed Bobby Colomby, the former Blood Sweat & Tears drummer who now worked as a talent scout for the jazz division of Epic Records, which signed Pastorius to a solo deal. Meanwhile, Jaco pitched his talents to Weather Report keyboardist Joe Zawinul. Floored by his demo tape, Zawinul kept him on standby.

Jaco

In 1976, Improvising Artists issued Jaco, joint-credited to Pastorius, Pat Metheny, Bruce Ditmas, and Paul Bley.

The album documents their June 16, 1974 quartet session at 29 Greene Street in New York City, where they performed three Paul Bley titles and material by Carla Bley and Annette Peacock.

“Vashkar” probes a loose opening path, with murky electric-piano and blunt accents around the lead line. “Donkey” jabs through a throbbing bass figure while Metheny threads distorted phrases through open space. “Vampira” swerves into talkative film cues, with Metheny’s line close against a duller Pastorius response. “Jaco” snaps through nasal low-end figures and high-wire guitar runs.

A1. “Vashkar” (9:55) – C. Bley
A2. “Poconos” (1:00) – P. Bley
A3. “Donkey” (6:28) – C. Bley

B1. “Vampira” (7:15) – P. Bley
B2. “Overtoned” (1:04) – C. Bley
B3. “Jaco” (3:45) – P. Bley
B4. “Batterie” (5:12) – C. Bley
B5. “King Korn” (0:29) – C. Bley
B6. “Blood” (1:28) – Peacock

Sessions occurred on June 16, 1974, at Blue Rock Studio in New York City with Paul Bley producing.

Jaco Pastorius

Jaco Pastorius released his self-titled debut solo album in April 1976 on Epic.

Pastorius interacts here with Sam & Dave, the Brecker Brothers, percussionist Don Alias, keyboardist Herbie Hancock, drummer Lenny White, trumpeter Ron Tooley, steelpanists Othello Molineaux and Leroy Williams, saxophonists Wayne Shorter and David Sanborn, and arranger Michael Gibbs.

“Donna Lee” darts through a knotty theme in a fretless bass-and-congas duet. “Come On, Come Over” locks Sam & Dave’s vocal line to horn-charged replies and a repeating low figure. “Continuum” glows through an atmospheric lead line in rounded sustain. “Kuru/Speak Like a Child” coils quick low-register figures around Hancock’s piano replies and the string arrangement.

“Portrait of Tracy” ripples through natural harmonics and chordal arpeggio shapes. “Opus Pocus” dances through steel-pan figures and Shorter’s soprano line. “Okonkole Y Trompa” settles into Alias’s Santería-rooted hand pattern beneath Peter Gordon’s French-horn meditation. “(Used to Be a) Cha-Cha” charges through a quick Latin-leaning pattern with Laws and Hancock in the front line. “Forgotten Love” closes on Hancock’s piano inside a compact orchestral miniature.

A1. “Donna Lee” (2:27) – Davis
A2. “Come On, Come Over” (3:54) – Pastorius, Herzog
A3. “Continuum” (4:33) – Pastorius
A4. “Kuru / Speak Like a Child” (7:43) – Pastorius, Hancock

B1. “Portrait of Tracy” (2:22) – Pastorius
B2. “Opus Pocus” (5:30) – Pastorius
B3. “Okonkolé y Trompa” (4:25) – Pastorius, Alias
B4. “(Used to Be a) Cha-Cha” (8:57) – Pastorius
B5. “Forgotten Love” (2:14) – Pastorius

Pastorius recorded Jaco Pastorius in October 1975 at Camp Colomby Studios and Columbia Recording Studios C&B in New York City with Bobby Colomby producing.

Trilogue-Live!

In 1977, MPS Records issued Trilogue-Live!, which documents Jaco’s trio gig with Alphonse Mouzon and headline German trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff.

The album captures their 1976 Berlin Jazz Days performance in a trombone–bass–drums trio format. Mangelsdorff supplies the brass lead, Pastorius occupies the harmonic and bass-register space, and Mouzon drives the set through tom accents and cymbal pattern shifts.

“Trilogue” sketches an abstract opening into a bass-drawn line that Mangelsdorff and Mouzon answer. “Zores Mores” braids knotty figures around quick handwork and oblique trombone replies. “Foreign Fun” tilts from circus-like turns into shadowed ensemble lines. “Accidental Meeting” rubs abstract phrases against firm line endings. “Ant Steps on an Elephant’s Toe” bubbles through low-slung figures, then pivots into a quicker second-half chase.

A1. “Trilogue” (6:13)
A2. “Zores Mores” (8:12)
A3. “Foreign Fun” (7:31)

B1. “Accidental Meeting” (8:50)
B2. “Ant Steps on an Elephant’s Toe” (11:20)

The trio recorded Trilogue-Live! at the Berliner Jazztage on November 6, 1976. The album appeared on MPS with cover photography that shows the three players in performance.

Weather Report and Sideman Work, 1976–1981

Pastorius joined Weather Report in 1976 and appeared on six Columbia albums: Black Market, Heavy Weather, Mr. Gone, 8:30, Night Passage, and Weather Report. His first Weather Report pieces appeared on Black Market, where “Barbary Coast” introduced his credited presence beside Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Alphonso Johnson, Chester Thompson, Narada Michael Walden, Don Alias, and Alex Acuña.

Heavy Weather lists Pastorius as co-leader and includes his contribution “Teen Town,” which foregrounds his fretless bass with an overdubbed rhythm track. During his Weather Report tenure, he also wrote “Havona,” “Punk Jazz,” “River People,” “Slang,” and “Three Views of a Secret.”

Meanwhile, Pastorius played on 1976–80 albums by Pat Metheny (Bright Size Life), Joni Mitchell (Hejira, Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter, Mingus), Ian Hunter (All American Alien Boy), Al Di Meola (Land of the Midnight Sun), Airto Moreira (I’m Fine, How Are You?), Herbie Hancock (Sunlight, Mr. Hands), and Michel Colombier (Michel Colombier).

Word of Mouth

Jaco Pastorius released his second solo studio album, Word of Mouth, in July 1981 on Warner Bros.

The album presents the Word of Mouth large ensemble across Pastorius originals, adaptations, and two short Beatles and Bach pieces. The personnel includes Hancock, Shorter, Michael Brecker, Tom Scott, Hubert Laws, Toots Thielemans, Don Alias, Peter Erskine, Jack DeJohnette, Othello Molineaux, Leroy Williams, and the voices of John and Mary Pastorius.

“Crisis” convulses over a fast repeating bass pattern while layered soloists crowd the top line. “Three Views of a Secret” unfolds a triple-meter line through Thielemans’s harmonica and calm-to-dramatic orchestral passages. “Liberty City” strides through a jaunty large-ensemble chart with Hancock’s piano in the front line.

“Chromatic Fantasy” races through a high-speed low-register figure before the orchestra enters in sharp blocks. “Blackbird” glides on shared lead phrases between Pastorius and Thielemans. “John and Mary” whispers through children’s voices over piano chords, then opens into a steel-pan-led theme and a later orchestral passage.

A1. “Crisis” (5:21) – Pastorius
A2. “Three Views of a Secret” (6:05) – Pastorius
A3. “Liberty City” (11:57) – Pastorius

B1. “Chromatic Fantasy” (3:01) – Bach
B2. “Blackbird” (2:48) – Lennon–McCartney
B3. “Word of Mouth” (3:53) – Pastorius
B4. “John and Mary” (10:52) – Pastorius

Pastorius recorded Word of Mouth during 1980 and 1981 with himself producing. Initial Warner copies omitted musician credits; later copies restored the album’s personnel.

Invitation

Jaco Pastorius released Invitation in December 1983 on Warner Bros.

The album documents the Word of Mouth Band during its September 1982 Japanese tour. The concert lineup includes trumpeter Randy Brecker, saxophonist Bob Mintzer, harmonica player Toots Thielemans, drummer Peter Erskine, percussionists Othello Molineaux and Don Alias, and a large brass-and-reed section. The program combines Pastorius material with standards, soul repertoire, and a short traditional closing piece.

“Amerika” isolates Pastorius in a resonant solo with harmonic flashes. “Soul Intro/The Chicken” starts with a slow solo, then snaps into a rousing band entry. “Continuum” sustains an unaccompanied lead line before the theme comes into focus.

“Sophisticated Lady” glows around Thielemans’s lead over brass-led ensemble lines. “Reza/Giant Steps/Reza” turns the central theme over to steel pans at speed, then returns to the outer section. “Fannie Mae” shouts through the album’s only vocal passage. “Eleven” compresses the large ensemble into a brief, tightly arranged close.

A1. “Invitation” (6:57) – Kaper
A2. “Amerika” (1:09) – Traditional
A3. “Soul Intro / The Chicken” (6:49) – Pastorius, Ellis
A4. “Continuum” (4:28) – Pastorius
A5. “Liberty City” (4:35) – Pastorius

B1. “Sophisticated Lady” (5:17) – Ellington, Mills, Parish
B2. “Reza / Giant Steps / Reza (Reprise)” (10:23) – Pastorius, Coltrane
B3. “Fannie Mae” (2:38) – Brown, Lewis, Robinson
B4. “Eleven” (0:49) – Davis, Evans

The source concerts occurred between September 1 and September 4, 1982, in Tokyo, Osaka, and Yokohama. Warner compiled the single-LP American issue from the larger Japanese Twins I & II release.

Stuttgart Aria

Biréli Lagrène and Jaco Pastorius released Stuttgart Aria in 1986 on Jazzpoint Records.

The album pairs Pastorius with guitarist Lagrène, drummer Peter Lübke, percussionist Serge Bringolf, keyboardist Vladislav Sendecki, and bassist-synthesist Ján Jankeje. The program includes Pastorius concert pieces, two title improvisations, and the Henry Mancini–Johnny Mercer standard “The Days of Wine and Roses.”

“Stuttgart Aria I” chants over a long-riffed base while Lagrène extends the guitar line around Pastorius’s vocal. “Jaco Reggae” locks chordal and scalar bass figures against knotty guitar chords. “Teresa” darkens around a sorrowful low line. “The Days of Wine and Roses” glides through exchanged harmonics and chromatic turns.

A1. “American Boy” (4:40)
A2. “Donna Lee” (4:40)
A3. “Stuttgart Aria I” (7:36)
A4. “Jaco Reggae” (5:58)

B1. “The Chicken” (5:47) – Ellis
B2. “Teresa” (8:51)
B3. “Stuttgart Aria II” (10:04)
B4. “The Days of Wine and Roses” (6:26) – Mancini, Mercer

Pastorius recorded the album in March 1986 at Melody-Tonstudio in Stuttgart with engineer Manfred Deppe. Tonstudio Bauer in Ludwigsburg handled the mastering.

Jazz Street

In 1989, Timeless Records issued Jazz Street, a 1986 collaborative album by Jaco Pastorius and drummer Brian Melvin.

The album comes from their San Francisco session with saxophonist Rick Smith, pianist Jon Davis, guitarist Paul Mousavi, and percussionist-synthesist Bill Keaney. The program mixes Davis originals with Joe Henderson’s “Out of the Night,” John Coltrane’s “Miles Mode,” and the extended Melvin/Pastorius title piece. Bassist Keith Jones guests on “May Day.”

“No Slack” skips through clipped bass licks and bright riff turns. “Jazz Street” flicks similar low-line figures through an upbeat title piece. “Wedding Waltz” lingers on Jon Davis’s bluesy piano. “Out of the Night” pours Pastorius’s fluid soloing across an extended lead passage. “Drums of Yadzarah” taps offbeat percussion against a synth layer.

A1. “No Slack” (2:47)
A2. “Jazz Street” (3:55)
A3. “Miles Mode” (5:07)
A4. “May Day” (6:35)

B1. “Wedding Waltz” (6:23)
B2. “Out of the Night” (6:28)
B3. “Drums of Yadzarah” (8:11)

Heavy ’n Jazz

In 1992, Jazzpoint issued Heavy ’n Jazz, a compilation of Jaco’s 1986 European trio recordings.

The album draws from March 1986 Italian and Stuttgart recordings with guitarist Biréli Lagrène and drummers Thomas Böröcz or Serge Bringolf. Most tracks came from December 1986 concert material in Rimini, where the trio covered Oliver Nelson, Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, and Francis Scott Key beside Pastorius pieces.

“Broadway Blues” snarls through a distorted bass solo, then accelerates into a fast trio jam and a later drum solo. “Bluma/Smoke on the Water” hands the opening to a mellow guitar lead before the group enters the familiar riff. “Purple Haze/Third Stone from the Sun/Teen Town” splinters from a bass-only opening into shifting group sections and a faster hard-edged close.

“Star-Spangled Banner” roars as a noisy solo statement. “Reza” returns distorted figures after a mid-track drum break. “Honestly” ranges through a mostly unaccompanied bass solo. “Invitation” turns through multiple changes with harder-edged guitar sections. “Jaco Reggae” brightens from mellow studio passages into a later rock-and-roll section.

1. “Broadway Blues” (12:42) – Nelson
2. “Bluma” (3:50)
3. “Smoke on the Water” (3:00) – Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice
4. “The Medley / Purple Haze” (7:00) – Hendrix
5. “The Medley / Third Stone from the Sun” (2:48) – Hendrix
6. “The Medley / Teen Town” (8:00) – Pastorius
7. “The Star-Spangled Banner” (5:02) – Key, Smith
8. “Reza” (5:39) – Pastorius
9. “Honestly” (6:28)
10. “Invitation” (7:49) – Kaper
11. “Jaco Reggae” (5:57)

Death

Pastorius spent his final years amid unstable work, housing, and health circumstances. On September 11, 1987, security removed him from a Santana concert at Sunrise Musical Theater in Sunrise, Florida. During the early hours of September 12, he reached the Midnight Bottle Club in Wilton Manors, where staff refused him entry.

A confrontation with club manager Luc Havan left Pastorius with head and facial injuries. Broward General Medical Center treated him in a coma after the assault. Pastorius died there on September 21, 1987, at age thirty-five.

Authorities first charged Havan with second-degree murder. Havan later pleaded guilty to manslaughter under a plea agreement and received a prison term with probation.

Legacy and the Live In Releases

Pastorius left a compact official catalog and a larger posthumous discography drawn from club, festival, broadcast, and tour recordings. His recorded identity rests on fretless intonation, high-register harmonics, clipped sixteenth-note attacks, chordal bass figures, and small-to-large ensemble arrangement.

Big World Music opened the Live in New York City series with Volume One: Punk Jazz in 1990. The disc documents a circa November 1985 New York City lineup with trumpeter-percussionist Jerry Gonzalez, saxophonists Alex Foster and Butch Thomas, pianist Michael Gerber, synthesist Delmar Brown, guitarist Hiram Bullock, and drummer Kenwood Dennard. The program includes “Donna Lee,” “Dania,” “Teen Town,” “The Chicken,” “Invitation,” “Punk Jazz,” and “Liberty City.”

Live in New York City Volume Two: Trio followed in 1991. The disc reduces the setting to Pastorius with Bullock and Dennard, then places “Continuum” and “Three Views of a Secret” beside covers of “Wipe Out,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” “Dear Prudence,” “Ode to Billie Joe,” and “Cissy Strut.”

The early Live In titles also include Italian 1986 material with Lagrène and drummer Thomas Böröcz. Those recordings preserve Pastorius’s final European trio phase through “Teen Town,” “Fannie Mae,” “Continuum,” “Black Market,” and “Satin Doll.”

Discography: