Punk Jazz: The Jaco Pastorius Anthology

Editorial Reviews Amazon.com Bassist Jaco Pastorius was the Jimi Hendrix of jazz. Before he left this world in 1987, he virtually created the fretless bass with an unorthodox playing style that turned that instrument into a highly tuned, electrified African talking drum. This long-overdue, two-CD compilation details the incredible, but incomplete arc of this artist's genius that encompassed the R&B, Caribbean, fusion, and jazz-rock idioms. Jaco-heads will revel in these legendary sides that made Pastorius famous. There's his solo rendition of Bach's "Chromatic Fantasy," his dreamy improvisations on "Midwestern Nights" with Pat Metheny, and, of course, the 1976 Weather Report megahit, "Birdland." There are also a few unreleased tracks including an early home recording of "The Chicken" and a live version of "Okonkole Y Trompa." Pastorius's sideman work with Joni Mitchell, which features a wicked take on Charles Mingus's "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," is also included. But Pastorius's own compositions steal the show: the West Indian-riffed big band number "Liberty City," and his expansive and exotic tone poem "John and Mary." This set will blow your mind and break your heart. --Eugene Holley, Jr. Product Description Over two dozen tracks and two hours of jazz bass brilliance from Jaco Pastorius, his first career-spanning collection! This collection captures his work with Weather Report ( Birdland ), Pat Metheny, Airto, Flora Purim and Joni Mitchell ( The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines ), plus rare solo sides like his 1968 home demo The Chicken and 1982's Good Morning Annya from the never-finished, oft-bootlegged studio album Holiday for Paris . Larger than life!