Jaco Pastorius' interesting influence
Mackenzie
Graham, John Entwistle, James Jamerson are a couple of my many
favorite bass guitarists.
Anyway to the point, I am currently listening to Joni Mitchell's
"Hejira" album and have read up on Pastorius' life and musicial
influences and one of them was Paul McCartney. Considering the
comments his critics have made about his tendency to overplay, I find
it interesting that he would consider McCartney an influence.
The Arranger
But McCartney was certainly, along with Jamerson adn Boosty Collins
with James Brown, one of the most "active" bass players in pop music
in the early 1960s. I really can't see how anyone who delved into pop
music of that period wouldn't see those two as of singular interest.
McCartney's interest in using the bass as a melodic instrument would
also resonate with a jazz player's -- Jimmy Blanton, who dies very
young, started that rend in earnest with the Ellington band in the
early 1940s, and players such as Oscar Pettiford and Paul Chambers and
even Slam Stewart moved things forward in the '40s and '50s
respectively. But the two main figures in "liberating" the bass for
the obligatory walking were Charles Mingus and Scott LaFaro, who was
with Bill Evans' trio.
So bass playing in both jazz and pop were moving much in the same
direction during these periods - away from a purely rhythmic and root-
playing function, and more to melodic and independent lines. Francis
Rocco Prestia with Tower of Power was another leader in the "bass
liberation" movement, along with those you mention.
I know I seem to be pushing jazz here a lot, but if you really dig
bass playing, you have to check out Mingus. Try Haitian Fight Song for
starters, from Mingus Ah Um. It's also called IIBS on the Mingus
Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus album, for royalty purposes. It's acoustic
bass, but it's as driving as anything you've ever heard.
The Arranger
Mackenzie
Thanks Arranger, I'll listen to it.
I have in my collection right now are "Songs for my father", "Angolian
Cry" by the Johnny Dyani Quartet, "Notes from Underground" (my first
jazz fusion record) and "Sweetnighter" by Weather Report.
abe slaney
The first 8 measures of Jaki Byard's piano solo in IIBS is probably
the hook that got me listening to the rest of that album 30 years ago
or so (note to Arranger: I first heard it in Beverly!), and by
extension, to jazz in general. My painting teacher at the time was a
Mingus/Monk fanatic and made every attempt to win over his hopelessly
philistine students. He had partial success with me. I don't think
he'd approve of my bagpiping, though!
My favorite Mingus track these days is "Self-Portrait in Three
Colors".
crazytimes
> But McCartney was certainly, along with Jamerson adn Boosty Collins
> with James Brown, one of the most "active" bass players in pop music
> in the early 1960s.
Bootsy was born in 1951 and didn't join James Brown until 1970... JB
had a lot of great bass players throughout the 60s, but it wasn't
Bootsy...
F Parella
Yeah, Pastorius often cited McCartney as a source, and I was surprised
by it at first too. I agree with Pastorius's critics, though, that he
did tend to overplay. (There's a PBS documentary on Joni Mitchell
that comes on occasionally. Jaco's playing with her was hit-and-miss,
IMO; some of it was inspired; on other occasions he got in the way and
was a distraction from the song). Also, while Jaco's first solo album
is often spectacular, his later ones were often dreadful. He just
wasn't that good at writing songs, even fusion.
I love Flea's role in the RHCPs. He's unfailingly inventive and
busier than the average player, but he's tasteful, especially on their
last three records. He's managed to find that middle ground.
The Arranger
> On Oct 24, 5:17 pm, The Arranger <recur...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > On Oct 24, 4:54 pm, Mackenzie <jade_...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > I know I seem to be pushing jazz here a lot, but if you really dig
> > bass playing, you have to check out Mingus. Try Haitian Fight Song for
> > starters, from Mingus Ah Um. It's also called IIBS on the Mingus
> > Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus album, for royalty purposes. It's acoustic
> > bass, but it's as driving as anything you've ever heard.
>
> The first 8 measures of Jaki Byard's piano solo in IIBS is probably
> the hook that got me listening to the rest of that album 30 years ago
> or so (note to Arranger: I first heard it in Beverly!),
At Sandy's Jazz Revival I take it. I saw Dexter Gordon, Zoot SIms,
Earl Hines, Jo Jones, Sweets Edison and a bucnh of othe rpeople there
as a high schooler. I must have mentioned I'm from the North Shore at
some point? You've got a good memory!
> and by
> extension, to jazz in general. My painting teacher at the time was a
> Mingus/Monk fanatic and made every attempt to win over his hopelessly
> philistine students. He had partial success with me. I don't think
> he'd approve of my bagpiping, though!
Did you ever hear of Rufus Harley?
> My favorite Mingus track these days is "Self-Portrait in Three
> Colors".
Another great one.
The Arranger
abe slaney
<d3e3ac6f-67bf-48d2...@u75g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
The Arranger <recu...@gmail.com> wrote:
> At Sandy's Jazz Revival I take it. I saw Dexter Gordon, Zoot SIms,
> Earl Hines, Jo Jones, Sweets Edison and a bucnh of othe rpeople there
> as a high schooler. I must have mentioned I'm from the North Shore at
> some point? You've got a good memory!
I do remember Sandy's and saw some great bands there, but no, I actually
first heard Mingus on a record being played at the art school. I know
the North Shore pretty well - that was my stomping ground while I was at
school (late '70s).
> > and by
> > extension, to jazz in general. My painting teacher at the time was a
> > Mingus/Monk fanatic and made every attempt to win over his hopelessly
> > philistine students. He had partial success with me. I don't think
> > he'd approve of my bagpiping, though!
>
> Did you ever hear of Rufus Harley?
Oh yeah, he's (was) kind of infamous among pipers. I had his record
"Bagpipe Blues" back around high school, which was one of our favorite
(unintentional) comedy records. Just dreadful as a piper, but an
interesting guy and I guess not a bad sax player as well.
The Arranger
> In article
> <d3e3ac6f-67bf-48d2-a50d-085cd2a4d...@u75g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
My college roommate was a piper (I don't know how many Jewish
bagpipers there are, but he was one), and I bought him a Harley record
at the old Mystery Train Records in Cambridge. My memory is that the
liner notes said Rufus was holding down a janitorial job in
Philadelphia while waiitng for the jazz bagpipe fad to explode.
Were you at Montserrat? I graduated from Salem High in 1979, before
going to school "in town."
The Arranger
BLACKPOOLJIMMY
Often drunk...Jaco suffered from bipolar disease and pissed many of
his bandmates off with his crazy antics. Had did some fine playing in
Weather Report.... when he could.
He died in 1987 from a physical beating sustained from a doorman while
trying to gain entry into the Midnight Club in Fort Lauderdale at age
35.
Jaco Pastories (The Best Bassist)
Jaco was a bass innovator on the fretless bass, his sense of rythym
his advanced knowlege or harmony not to mention his arranging and
composing...
bestuff.com/stuff/jaco-pastories
F Parella
> On Oct 24, 3:54 pm, Mackenzie <jade_...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > I really enjoy bassists. Jack Bruce, Flea, John Paul Jones, Larry
> > Graham, John Entwistle, James Jamerson are a couple of my many
> > favorite bass guitarists.
>
> > Anyway to the point, I am currently listening to Joni Mitchell's
> > "Hejira" album and have read up on Pastorius' life and musicial
> > influences and one of them was Paul McCartney. Considering the
> > comments his critics have made about his tendency to overplay, I find
> > it interesting that he would consider McCartney an influence.
>
> Often drunk...Jaco suffered from bipolar disease and pissed many of
> his bandmates off with his crazy antics. Had did some fine playing in
> Weather Report.... when he could.
>
> He died in 1987 from a physical beating sustained from a doorman while
> trying to gain entry into the Midnight Club in Fort Lauderdale at age
> 35.
Jaco was pretty messed up starting in the early 80s, when he got
heavily into coke and alcohol. He had a lot of weird meltdowns, some
of them onstage.
abe slaney
> Were you at Montserrat? I graduated from Salem High in 1979, before
> going to school "in town."
Yes, I was. They still try to hit me up for money about twice a month
even though I haven't given them a penny in almost 30 years of
begging! It was a good school at that time, though - they were
Mavericks®, then. I had a girlfriend in Salem who lived practically
next door to the Witch Museum - I guess that should have been a
warning! I left Montserrat in 1980, moved to NYC three months before
Lennon's murder. Strange days.
The Arranger
My alma mater has had no more success with me, and I have absolutely
no guilt about it, given the size of its endowment and my meager
earnings. I like to think of it as the Tom Jones on the Charles.
The Arranger