• The Chicken Jaco Pastorius

Pastorius in concert, 1986Background informationBirth nameJohn Francis Pastorius IIIBorn( 1951-12-01)December 1, 1951, U.S.DiedSeptember 21, 1987 (1987-09-21) (aged 35), U.S.Genres,Occupation(s)Musician, composer, producerInstrumentsYears active1966–1987Labels,Associated acts,WebsiteJohn Francis Anthony ' Jaco' Pastorius III (, December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987) was an American who was a member of from 1976 to 1981. He worked with and, and recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader. His bass playing employed, lyrical solos, bass, and innovative. As of 2017, he is the only electric bassist of seven bassists inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame, and has been lauded as one of the best electric bassists of all time.Pastorius suffered from drug addiction and mental health problems throughout his professional life, and despite his widespread acclaim had problems over the latter part of his life holding down jobs due to his unreliability. In frequent financial trouble, he was often homeless throughout the mid 1980s. In 1987, he got into a fight outside of a music club in and died as result of injuries sustained in the fight.

He was only 35 years old.After his death, his work continued to influence musicians, being elected to the in 1988. He was the subject of the 2014 documentary film. Contents.Biography Growing up in Fort Lauderdale John Francis Pastorius was born December 1, 1951, in, Pennsylvania. He was the oldest of three boys born to Stephanie, his mother, and Jack Pastorius, a charismatic singer and jazz drummer who spent much of his time on the road. His family moved to in Fort Lauderdale when he was eight.Pastorius' nickname, 'Jaco', became adopted, and was partially influenced by his love for sports as well as the umpire Jocko Conlan. In 1974, he began spelling it 'Jaco' after it was misspelled by his neighbor, pianist Alex Darqui.

His brother called him ' after the wild boy in because he was energetic and spent much of his time shirtless on the beach, climbing trees, running through the woods, and swimming in the ocean. He attended St. Clement's Catholic School in and was an altar boy at St.

Clement's Church. His name was Anthony, thus expanding his name to John Francis Anthony Pastorius. He was intensely competitive and excelled at baseball, basketball, and football.He played drums until he injured his wrist playing football when he was thirteen. The damage was severe enough to warrant and inhibited his ability to play the drums. Early career By 1968–1969, at the age of 17, Pastorius had begun to appreciate jazz and had saved enough money to buy an. Its deep, mellow tone appealed to him, though it strained his finances. He had difficulty maintaining the instrument, which he attributed to the humidity in Florida.

When he woke one day to find it had cracked, he traded it for a 1962.In his teens he played bass guitar for and the C.C. Pastorius on November 27, 1977In the early 1970s, Pastorius taught bass at the, where he befriended jazz guitarist, who was also on the faculty. With, Pastorius and Metheny recorded an album, later titled (, 1974). Pastorius then played on Metheny's debut album, (, 1976).

He recorded his debut solo album, (, 1976) with, Pat Metheny,. Weather Report Before recording his debut album, Pastorius attended a concert in Miami by the jazz fusion band. After the concert, he approached keyboardist, who led the band. As was his habit, he introduced himself by saying, 'I'm John Francis Pastorius III.

I'm the greatest bass player in the world.' Zawinul admired his brashness and asked for a demo tape.

After listening to the tape, Zawinul realized that Pastorius had considerable skill. They corresponded, and Pastorius sent Zawinul a rough mix of his solo album.After bassist left Weather Report, Zawinul asked Pastorius to join the band.

Pastorius made his band debut on the album (, 1976), in which he shared the bass chair with Johnson. Pastorius was fully established as sole band bass player for the recording of (Columbia, 1977), which contained the Grammy-nominated hit '.During his time with Weather Report, Pastorius began abusing alcohol and illegal drugs, which exacerbated existing mental problems and led to erratic behavior. He left Weather Report in 1982 due to clashes with tour commitments for his other projects, plus a growing dissatisfaction with Zawinul's synthesized and orchestrated approach to the band's music. Word of Mouth. Pastorius in New York City with behind him, left, March 1986Warner Bros. Signed Pastorius to a favorable contract in the late 1970s based on his groundbreaking skill and his star quality, which they hoped would lead to large sales. He used this contract to set up his Word of Mouth big band which consisted of on trumpet, on tuba, and on reeds, on harmonica, and on drums, and on percussion.

This was the group that recorded his second solo album, (, 1981).In 1982, Pastorius toured with Word of Mouth as a 21-piece big band. While in Japan, to the alarm of his band members, he shaved his head, painted his face black, and threw his bass guitar into. He was diagnosed with in late 1982 after the tour. Pastorius had shown signs of bipolar disorder before his diagnosis, but these signs were dismissed as eccentricities, character flaws, and by Pastorius himself as a normal part of his freewheeling personality.Despite attention in the press, Word of Mouth sold poorly. Was unimpressed by the demo tapes from Holiday for Pans. Pastorius released a third album, Invitation (1983), a live recording from the Word of Mouth tour of Japan.

As alcohol and drug problems dominated his life, he had trouble finding work, finding people who would tolerate his shenanigans, and he wound up homeless. In 1985, while filming an instructional video, Pastorius told the interviewer, that although he had been praised often for his ability, he wished that someone would give him a job. Death Pastorius developed a self-destructive habit of provoking bar fights and allowing himself to be beaten up. After sneaking onstage at a concert at the in on September 11, 1987 and being ejected from the premises, he made his way to the Midnight Bottle Club in. After reportedly kicking in a glass door, having been refused entrance to the club, he was in a violent confrontation with Luc Havan, the club's manager who was a martial arts expert.

Pastorius was hospitalized for multiple facial fractures and injuries to his right eye and left arm, and fell into a coma. There were encouraging signs that he would come out of the coma and recover, but they soon faded. A brain hemorrhage a few days later led to brain death. He was taken off life support and died on September 21, 1987 at the age of 35 at in Fort Lauderdale.Luc Havan faced a charge of second-degree murder.

He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to twenty-two months in prison and five years' probation. After serving four months in prison, he was paroled for good behavior. Stage presence and bass techniques.

Sample from ' with extensive use of harmonics.Problems playing this file? See.Until about 1970, most jazz musicians played the acoustic, upright bass, also known as the. With the exception of the bass players in the trios Bill Evans led, bassists remained in the background with the drummer, forming the rhythm section, while the saxophonist, trumpeter, or vocalist handled the melody and led the band.

Pastorius had other ideas for the bass player. He played an electric bass from which he had removed the frets. He played fast and loud, sang, and did flips.

He spread powder on the stage so he could dance like. He joked around and talked to the crowd. A self-described Florida beach bum, he often went barefoot and shirtless. He was tall, lean, and strong, and for someone who played sports the nickname 'Jocko' fit.

His thumbs were and his fingers were long and thin.After being taught about, he added them to his technique and repertoire. Natural, also known as open string harmonics, are played by lightly touching the string at a fret without pressing it to the fretboard, resulting in a note that rings somewhat like a bell. Artificial harmonics, also called false harmonics, involve lightly touching a string with one finger, then using another finger to play the note, simultaneously playing and stopping the note. An often cited example is the introduction to 'Birdland'.He was noted for virtuosic bass lines which combined rhythms, inspired by the likes of, with R&B to create 16th-note funk lines syncopated with. He played these with a floating thumb technique on the right hand, anchoring on the bridge pickup while playing on the E and A strings and muting the E string with his thumb while playing on higher strings.

Examples include 'Come On, Come Over' from the album Jaco Pastorius and 'The Chicken' from The Birthday Concert.Equipment Bass of Doom Pastorius played a 1962 that he called the Bass of Doom. When he was 21, Jaco acquired the bass with its frets removed, or removed them himself (his recollections varied over the years), and sealed the fretboard with epoxy resin.One anecdote, as recounted by Allyn Robinson in an interview with Robert Sturrken on his 'Nightlife and Music with the Maestro' program on WYLK Lake 94, claimed Jaco removed the frets only four hours before a gig with.In 1986 the bass was repaired by luthiers Kevin Kaufman and Jim Hamilton, after it had been broken into many pieces. After the repair Pastorius recorded a session with, then the bass was stolen from a park bench in Manhattan in 1986. It was found in a guitar shop in 2006, but the shop owner refused to give it up. The Pastorius family enlisted lawyers to help but nearly went bankrupt in 2010., bass guitarist for, considered Jaco Pastorius to be one of his heroes, and he felt that the family ought to have the bass. Trujillo helped pay to have it returned to them.Fender began offering a fretless version of their standard Jazz Bass in the mid 1980s, and in 1999 began offering the 'Fender Jaco Pastorius Jazz Bass' in their Artist series, and Custom Shop series.

These instruments were modelled on the Bass of Doom, with the Custom Shop version featuring a fretboard sealed with epoxy resin. In the 2000s Fender's budget brand offered the 'Squier Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz Bass' which was also reminiscent of Jaco's instrument. Amplification and effects Pastorius used the 'Variamp' EQ (equalization) controls on his two Acoustic 360 (made by the of Van Nuys, California) to boost the midrange frequencies, thus accentuating the natural growling tone of his fretless passive Fender Jazz Bass and string combination.

He also controlled his tone color with a rackmount MXR unit that fed a second Acoustic amp rig.During the final three years of his life he used Hartke cabinets because of the character of aluminum speaker cones (as opposed to paper speaker cones). These provided a bright, clear sound. He typically used the delay in a -like mode, providing a shimmering stereo doubling effect. He often used the control built into the Acoustic 360.

For the bass solo 'Slang/Third Stone From the Sun' on 's live album (1979), Pastorius used the MXR digital delay to layer and a chordal figure and then soloed over it; the same technique, with a looped bass riff, can be heard during his solo on the Joni Mitchell concert video.Guest appearances Pastorius appeared as a guest on many albums by other artists, including of, on in 1976. He can be heard on 's album I'm Fine, How Are You? His signature sound is prominent on 's Everyday Everynight (1978), on which he played the bass melody for a composition entitled 'The Hope', and performed bass and vocals on one of his own compositions, entitled 'Las Olas'.

Other recordings included Joni Mitchell's and ’s Land of the Midnight Sun, both released in 1976. Near the end of his career, he worked often with guitarist, guitarist, and drummer Brian Melvin.Awards and honors Pastorius received two Grammy Award nominations in 1977 for his self-titled debut album: one for and one for ('Donna Lee'). In 1978, he received a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Performance by a Soloist for his work on Weather Report's album Heavy Weather.magazine gave him second place on a list of the one hundred greatest bass players of all time, behind. After his death in 1987, he was voted, by readers of magazine, to its, joining bassists, and.Many musicians have composed songs in his honour, such as Pat Metheny's 'Jaco' on the album (1978) and 'Mr.

Pastorius' by on 's album. Others who have dedicated compositions to him include, and the.On December 2, 2007, the day after his birthday, a concert called '20th Anniversary Tribute to Jaco Pastorius' was held at in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with performances by the Jaco Pastorius Big Band and appearances by Randy Brecker, Peter Erskine, Pastorius's sons John and Julius Pastorius, Pastorius's daughter Mary Pastorius, and Dana Paul. Almost twenty years after his death, Fender released the Jaco Pastorius Jazz Bass, a fretless instrument in its Artist Series.He has been called 'arguably the most important and ground-breaking electric bassist in history' and 'perhaps the most influential electric bassist today'.William C.

Banfield, director of Africana Studies, Music and Society at, described Pastorius as one of the few original American virtuosos who defined a musical movement, in addition to Jimi Hendrix,. Discography. Harrison, Angus (March 6, 2015). Retrieved January 14, 2016.

Retrieved September 22, 2018. March 31, 2011.

Retrieved September 22, 2018. Johnson, David. Retrieved March 30, 2019. ^ Milkowski, Bill (1995).

Jaco: The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius, 'The World's Greatest Bass Player'. San Francisco: Miller Freeman. Bob Bobbing (2007), Jaco and the upright bass; Jaco Pastorius official website biography.

^. Guitar World. August 28, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2017. Yanow, Scott. Retrieved May 31, 2017. Ginell, Richard S.

Retrieved May 31, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2017. ^ Trjullo, Robert (Producer) (2015). Los Angeles: Slang East/West. Flynn. Tom Moon 1987. Yanow, Scott.

Retrieved June 1, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2018. Milkowski 2005. Grayson, 2003. ^ Stanton, Scott (2003).

New York: Pocket Books. Stratton, Jeff (November 30, 2006). New Times Broward-Palm Beach. Retrieved July 19, 2011. Krause, Renee (September 16, 1987). Sun Sentinel.

Retrieved February 15, 2014. Zimmerman, Lee (December 1, 2011). New Times Broward-Palm Beach. Retrieved June 12, 2017. Stix, John (2000).

Cherry Lane Music Company. Retrieved June 26, 2017. Atheros model ar5b125 driver.

Retrieved June 20, 2017. Duffy, Mike (June 21, 2010). Retrieved June 20, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2018. Johnson, Kevin (May 31, 2010). Retrieved June 11, 2017.

Bradman, E.E. (January 15, 2016). Retrieved June 11, 2017. Bacon, Tony; Moorhouse, Barry. The bass book: a complete illustrated history of bass guitars. Hal Leonard Corporation, second edition.

Retrieved October 4, 2019. Archived from on July 23, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2011., Awards and Shows, retrieved July 1, 2013., Awards and Shows, retrieved July 1, 2013. February 24, 2017.

Retrieved June 11, 2017., DownBeat, retrieved July 1, 2013. Metheny, Pat (2000). Pat Metheny Song Book (Songbook ed.).

Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp. P. 439. Belew, Adrian; Di Meloa, Al; Fripp, Robert; McLaughlin, John (1986).

Casabona, Helen (ed.). New directions in modern guitar. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard. Starr, Eric; Starr, Nelson (2008).

Everything Bass Guitar Book. Holbrook, MA: F+W Media. Banfield, William C. Cultural codes: Makings of a Black Music Philosophy. Lanham: Scarecrow Press. P. 161.References.

Retrieved June 27, 2007. Retrieved March 4, 2008. United Press (September 22, 1987). Retrieved June 4, 2009. Moon, Tom (September 20, 1987). Miami Herald.

Retrieved June 4, 2009. Cole, George (2005).

Michigan: University of Michigan Press. Currin, Grayson (August 6, 2003). Retrieved June 3, 2009. Metheny, Pat (2000). Liner Notes to Jaco's eponymous debut album.

Archived from on March 5, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2009. Miller, Marcus (2002). Archived from on March 5, 2009. Retrieved June 19, 2009. Milkowsi, Bill (1984). 'Bass Revolutionary: Jaco Pastorius Interview'.

Guitar Player (August 1984). Prasad, Anil (1997).

Archived from on June 15, 2009. Retrieved June 11, 2009. Rosen, Steve (1978). Archived from on September 23, 2009. Retrieved June 12, 2009. Salloum, I.M.; Thase, M.E. 'Impact of substance abuse on the course and treatment of bipolar disorder'.

Bipolar Disorders. 2 (3 Pt 2): 269–80.External links.

The Chicken Jaco Pastorius

– official site. at. family site.Wikimedia Commons has media related to.Wikiquote has quotations related to.