Talk:Jaco Pastorius

Live in Italy

There's no reference to the "Live in italy" Recordings (Jazzpoint, 1986). I Believe it shuld be included, since it says "discography", not "selected discography", as well as any other records he could have made. Plus, the "live in Italy" is a great record.

Removed misattributation

"Another technique that Jaco supposedly used was to coat his fingertips in chicken grease or coating the strings in Vaseline, but close friends and musicians that worked with Jaco dispute this."

That one's been bugging me for a while now while I've been waiting for somebody else to fix it. This is a popular story that is told of Motown bass legend James Jamerson (he would eat fried check before playing never washing his hands in between) and somewhere along the lines it got attributed to Jaco. The only definitive source that hints that this is remotely true comes from his 2nd wife who says "every now and then he wouldn't wash [his fingers]", but this hardly classifies it as a 'technique'. If there is any source that can verify this as a technique that Jaco used then please cite.

Jaco says, in the "Modern Electric Bass" video, that he took the frets out of his bass himself, then filled the gaps with wood putty.

I've heard both stories too.

POV on Jaco's high regard

Guy's a legend in my book but this is exremely POV.

Almost every serious electric bass player considers Jaco a legend, to say the least-- is that so POV?

That's no POV--that's fact. He's a legend. You don't completely change the harmonic, rhythmic, and melodic language of an instrument (and don't forget the new standard for technical prowess on the bass), all while being an incredible composer and arranger, sensitive accompanist, constantly grooving bassist, and not become a legend. I'd sat you're right on in calling him a legend.

"He is considered by many to be the greatest electric bassist to have lived." That's borderline POV. At the very least, it is downright weasel language. Personally, I'm not willing to put him in my Top 5, but if that got put in the article, it would be deleted immediately. I'd be willing to let this stay if you could show me some well-researched/credible lists or polls that put him at the top, but for now, I'm going to remove it. Fishyfred 03:27, 25 April 2006 (UTC)

what happened??

Extremely poorly written and wrought with blatant inaccuracies and hearsay..terrible injustice to an incredible musician.

Part about being buried with his bass is untrue.

Marcus Miller

I deleted the part in which it was said that some consider MM to be a mere imitator of JP. There might be some people who think this, but i think it should be noted who these people are before reference is made to it. The fact that MM is primarily known for his slapping and that JP never used this technique harms the validity of this opinion. It has to stem from someone with a lot of proven knowledge about bassplaying to make this opinion a valuable one i'd say. Sure JP influenced MM, but influence doesn't make one an imitator. --Vunzmstr 15:59, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

A discography...

...would be helpful

Fretless bass guitar

Jaco Pastorius was not the first fretless bass player? Most of music magazines that I read from 1984 to 1994, reported that Pastorius invented the fretless bass guitar. I am asking because Wikipedia says that David Gilmour played fretless bass in several Pink Floyd's tracks in early 1970s.

Any Americans out there?? or this is just a brit crap and trap?Brian Wilson 15:11, 29 May 2006 (UTC)

What I've heard is that he wanted to play double bass, but his bass split all the time because of Philadelphia weather, so one day he came home drunk and took out his frets with a screwdriver. I don't know how real this is though. It's still a great story. Gnome

• Heh, nice story. Jaco told Guitar Player in 1984 that his fretless bass had the frets removed by its previous owner ... and also that he had to use wood filler and boat varnish to fix up the fretboard as a result. Renaissongsman 18:50, 6 June 2006 (UTC)

• I heard many years ago that Bill Wyman was the first, and in the following interview he claims he made a fretless c. 1959: [1]. His Wikipedia page also carries this claim. I have seen really old Stones footage where he was on fretless, though he was not playing in the post-Jaco flashy fretless style, of course!

Influences

I added Rocco Prestia. While they can be considered contemporaries, Rocco had the jump on Jaco by a few years, with a style and approach to the instrument that are probably among the most unique. When you listen to Jaco, you hear far more Rocco than you do Bob Marley, Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett. Thedukeofno 08:56, 7 June 2006 (UTC)