Jaco Pastorius

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Opening up with a defiantly eclectic one-two punch of bebop and classic soul, fretless bass guitar innovator Jaco Pastorius made it plain, for anyone who cared to listen to this self-titled 1976 debut, that he rejected all labels and aesthetic hierarchies. Bursting on the scene like a fiery comet, and departing just as quickly, Pastorius became the most influential bassist of his generation. He startled contemporary listeners, who failed to comprehend how any bassist could articulate the equestrian melodic highways and syncopated byways of "Donna Lee" with such casual abandon, let alone with that tone. Pastorius also revealed considerable gifts as a composer and arranger. On "Kuru/Speak Like a Child," his sophisticated string charts and harmonies lent gravity and motion to the supercharged rhythmic vamps. And with his poignant ballad "Portrait of Tracy," Pastorius displayed a stunning, unconventional approach to the bass guitar as a solo instrument, demonstrating a singular command of chords, glissandos, and harmonics that transcended all expectations of the capabilities of the instrument. Some 20 years later, these sounds remain fresh, vibrant and exploratory. --Chip Stern

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