Stunning 1976 Debut Album from Jaco! Expertly Mastered by Bernie Grundman from the Original Analog Master Tapes & Pressed on 180 Gram 45rpm Audiophile Double Vinyl at RTI!Numbered Deluxe Laminated Gatefold Jackets! Only 2500 Numbered Limited Edition Copies Worldwide!
One of TONEAudio Magazine's 2012 Best Audiophile Pressings!
From Jaco's debut to his work with Word of Mouth, he single-handedly reinvented the electric bass forever. In 1976, the music world changed forever with the release of Jaco Pastorius. The nine-selection album begins with a cover of Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee".
"Original Recordings Group, in keeping with the care lavished on their reissues, does it again with this one... The 180-gram, RTI-pressed, dead-flat vinyl is kept in heavy static-free sleeves. I detected nary a pop or click on any of the four sides. Spinning at 45rpm, the LPs' dynamic range was as wide as IÂ’ve heard, and the temptation to "turn it up" was hard to resist. I yielded and cranked the music to levels I donÂ’t normally listen. Not once was there any indication of distortion, compression or other ugliness in the Bernie Grundman mastering. Transients were outstanding, exhibiting plenty of jump factor." - Guy Lemcoe, theaudiobeat.com, 4/5 Music, 4.5/5 Sound
"Bernie Grundman takes the production helm here and fully utilizes his lifetime of jazz-related experience to give this masterpiece the attention it deserves. PastoriusÂ’ bass is finely depicted, his parts effortlessly gliding through the soundstage. HancockÂ’s piano soars, liberated from the sonic grunge of the original. My speakers can barely contain this record! Note: To naysayers claiming todayÂ’s remasters lack the vitality of the original recordings, grab this record now and await pleasant discoveries." - TONEAudio, No. 46, May 2012
Jaco's playing style was noteworthy for containing intricate solos in the higher register and for the "singing" quality he achieved on the fretless bass. His innovations also included the use of harmonics. Pastorius ignited the jazz fusion band Weather Report and propelled them into super-group status. Apart from his career with Weather Report, Jaco Pastorius had two Grammy Award nominations for his self-titled debut album. He won the readers' poll for induction into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1988, one of only four bassists to be so honored (the others being Charles Mingus, Milt Hinton, and Ray Brown), and the only electric bassist to receive this distinction.
In 1975, Pastorius was introduced to Blood, Sweat & Tears drummer Bobby Colomby, who had been given the green light by CBS Records to find "new talent" for their jazz division. Pastorius' first album, produced by Colomby was the eponymous Jaco Pastorius (1976), a breakthrough album for the electric bass. Many consider this to be the finest bass album ever recorded; when it exploded onto the jazz scene it was widely praised by critics. The album also boasted a lineup of heavyweights in the jazz community at the time—essentially a stellar backup band—including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, David Sanborn, Lenny White, Don Alias, and Michael Brecker among others. Even legendary R&B singers Sam & Dave reunited to appear on the track "Come On, Come Over".
During the course of his musical career, Pastorius played on dozens of recording sessions for other musicians, both in and out of jazz circles. Some of his most notable are four highly regarded albums with acclaimed singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell: Hejira (1976), Don Juan's Reckless Daughter (1977), Mingus (1979) and the live album Shadows and Light (1980).
Joni Mitchell searched long and hard for a bass player that didn't exist... until Jaco. Hejira was arguably Mitchell's most experimental album due to her ongoing collaborations with legendary jazz virtuoso bass guitarist Jaco Pastorius on several songs.
Pastorius was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1988, one of only four bassists to be so honored (and the only electric bass guitarist).
"Jaco is a phenomenon. He is able to make sounds on the bass that are a total surprise to the sensibilities. Not only single notes, but chords, harmonics, and all sorts of nuances with the color of the instrument that when combined and translated through Jaco make for some of the best music that I've heard in a long time. Of course, it's not the technique that makes the music; it's the sensitivity of the musician and his ability to be able to fuse his life with the rhythm of the times. This is the essence of music. On this record Jaco captures some of that rhythm." - Herbie Hancock
"Spinning Jaco Pastorius at 45RPM rules... Bernie Grundman takes the production helm here and fully utilizes his lifetime of jazz-related experience to give this masterpiece the attention it deserves. PastoriusÂ’ bass is finely depicted, his parts effortlessly gliding through the soundstage. HancockÂ’s piano soars, liberated from the sonic grunge of the original. My speakers can barely contain this record! Note: To naysayers claiming todayÂ’s remasters lack the vitality of the original recordings, grab this record now and await pleasant discoveries." - Jeff Dorgay, TONEAudio Magazine, No. 52, January 2013
Features:
• Numbered Deluxe Laminated Double Gatefold Jackets
• Only 2500 Numbered Limited Edition Copies Worldwide!
• Audiophile 180g, 45rpm Vinyl
• Double LP
• Pressed at RTI
• Mastered by Bernie Grundman from the Original Analog Master Tapes!
• One of TONEAudio Magazine's 2012 Best Audiophile Pressings
Musicians:
Jaco Pastorious, electric bass
Don Alias, congas
Herbie Hancock, clavinet, fender rhodes electric piano (2-4,6,8,9)
David Sanborn, alto saxophone (2)
Randy Brecker, trumpet (2)
Michael Brecker, tenor saxophone (2)
Selections:
LP1 - Side A
1. Donna Lee
2. Come On, Come Over
3. Continuum
LP1 - Side B:
1. Kuru / Speak Like a Child
2. Portrait of Tracy
LP2 - Side C:
1. Opus Pocus
2. Okonkole Y Trompa
LP2 - Side D:
1. (Used to Be A) Cha-Cha
2. Forgotten Love
