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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