A Bit Of Jazz
With Jaco Pastorious
Jaco Pastorius has been credited with changing the way the electric bass
was played, and his individual style is on display in his first album
as a band leader.
Jaco Pastorius opens with a stripped-down take on Charlie Parker's 'Donna Lee',
showcasing Pastorius' frenetic bass playing and forays into the higher
register, backed by the congas of Don Alias. The track acts as an
introduction to the aspects of Pastorius' playing which set him apart
from the bassists which had come before him.
'Come On, Come Over' reunites the soul duo Sam & Dave on
a funky dance track. The horn section, featuring heavyweight players
Michael Brecker and David Sanborn, blasts the track into life, with
Pastorius throwing a funky bass line which would not have been out of
place on the concurrent work of James Brown or any of the P-Funk groups.
Aided by the clavinet work of Herbie Hancock, the track is full of
energy and dynamicism, and establishes from the first two tracks that Jaco Pastorius is a record of diverging styles.
The first cut solely penned by Pastorius, 'Continuum' uses
an atmospheric, high register bass line, which shifts tempo and
dominates the track. The focus is so much on the bass, that the Fender
Rhodes work of Hancock and Alex Darqui, plus the understated rhythm work
of Lenny White on drums and Don Alias on bells simply provide a gentle
accompaniment, and add only the occasional flourish to the track
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