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Jaco Pastorius

Jaco Pastorius

Born: 1st December 1951, Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA

Died: 21st September 1987, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA

Nationality: American

John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III was an American jazz bassist, composer and producer. He recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader and was a member of the jazz fusion group Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. He also collaborated with numerous artists, most notably with Pat Metheny and Joni Mitchell.

His bass playing frequently stylized funk, and employed lyrical solos, bass chords, and innovative use of harmonics. As of 2017, he was the only of seven bassists inducted into the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame to have been known for his work on the electric bass, and he has been lauded as among the best bassists of all time.

Pastorius suffered from drug addiction and mental health issues and, despite his widespread acclaim, over the latter part of his life he had problems holding down jobs due to his unreliability. In frequent financial difficulties, he was often homeless in the mid-1980s.

Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaco_Pastorius

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Further Reading: Jaco Pastorius

  • The Black Saint and the Singer Lady, or When Joni Went Jazz

    24th Jun 2024by Barney Whittaker

    A new boxed set contains Mitchell's masterworks from the late 1970s, a period that saw the singer embrace jazz influences and collaborate with legendary musicians like Jaco Pastorius, Wayne Shorter and Charles Mingus, resulting in transformative recordings such as Hejira and the live album Shadows and Light.

    Jazz Artist Anthologies

  • Trio of Doom

    24th Sep 2020by Joshua Lee

    Jaco Pastorius, Tony Williams and John McLaughlin's incredibly short-lived collaboration, Trio of Doom, was almost too good to be true. The sole commercial recording of this trio of amazing musicians makes for both a great listen and an intriguing snapshot of a week in each player's lives.

    Jazz Classic Recordings

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