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INTRODI.]CTION

"I ain't just wigglin' my jingers... This is the real deal!"

Few people in the history of music have single-handedlytransformed the way an instrument is played; virtuosi are strewn acrosscenturies, and tales of their superhumanperformances stir our imagination.Fewer still are performerswho createa mannerof playing so original that it forces us to seethe instrumentanew. With techniquethat exceededthe limits of physical enduranceand musical- ity that attainedoceanic depths, Jaco Pastoriuscreated a style of playing that reinventedthe electric bass.This is not to say that others haven't advancedthe instrument and contributedto its evolution, it's iust that Jaco starteda revolution.

"Where I come from, nobody cares what style of music you play. Everybody down there just lives."

Born into a musical family, Jacowas exposedto music from the day he was born. Gifted with absolutepitch and immensehands, Jaco's musical future seemedinevitable. He lacked a formal music education,instead Jaco was bombardedby the rich cultural climate Florida had to offer, void of any musical prejudices.This allowed him to develophis own unique approachto music and the bassguitar without being pressuredto play any one kind of music. He beganto developan undergroundrep- utation during his teen years while honing his playing technique,gigging regionally, and paying his dues.By the time he releasedhis d6but LP and joined WeatherReport, the Pastoriusrevolution gar- nereda worldwide audience,and Jacoquickly ascendedto the self-ordainedrank of "World's Greatest Bassist." Despite the fact that most of us, including myself, never met Jaco, it's interesting how we 'Jaco'-as almost always refer to him as if he's been a lifelong friend of ours. In someways, he has. Anyone who has had such a tremendousimpact on our lives as musiciansbecomes something much more than just a collection of CDs, pictures, and videos; he becomespart of that indescribabletran- scendencewe experiencewhile listening to and playing music. Anyone who sharesor contributesto this senseof wonder inevitablv becomesa Dartof it.

"All you'vegot to d.ois keepyour earsopen. Most of my musical knowledgecomes front playing expertence."

We areon the cuspof thefirst generationof bassistsbom afterJaco's untimely death in 1987, soit's only appropriatethat a seriesofbooks documenting Jaco's work arefinally beginningto appear. This bookchronicles Jaco's improvisational development, and as we'll see,many of theconcepts utilized in his first few recordingsserve as a modelfor therest of his recordedoutput. By takinga clos- er look at theseconcepts, we may betterunderstand Jaco's musical mind anddiscover why his playing wasso revolutionary. To accommodatethis, each transcription is accompaniedby a brief analysis that discussessalient structural features. In slowmotion, we candissect, divide, and combine every characteristic ofJaco's musical lan- guage,except the mostimportant: the intangible,ineffable, larger{han-life aura that surroundedhim andeverything he did. In otherwords, you can't separatethe musicfrom the man.But the musiche has left us revealsthe most intimate details of his musical genius,transporting us directly to the momentof their creation,providing intimate contactwith his astonishingmusicianship and creativity. TheexcerptsinthisbookSpantheentiretyofJaco.s'.ott]cia|..recordingcafeer(thoserecofd- ingsheknewweregoingtonereleased)'includinglandmarksolosfromhis'l976solod6but'through WeatherReport,totheBrianMelvinTrio.ThetranscriptionsportrayJacoasamultifacetedperformer andcomposer,drawingoninRu"n"".rangingfromJimiHendrixtolgorStravinsky,manifestedin purringfretlessmelodiestot-eedback-drivenharmonics.Theinclusionoftablatureinthiscollection servesonlyaSapointofref.erence;itisimpossibletosaywithanycertaintywhichfingeringJaco usedwhenplayingthesepieces.However,extensivevideodocumentation-includinghisinstruc- tionalvideo,andconcertswrthJoniMitchell'theWordofMouthBand'andWeatherReport-were utilized to coordinatefingering in specific cases' music' we help to ensurethe preservationof By studying, discussirig,and performing Jaco's today-even those in their teens-are ripping his legacy.Because of tti, onJ'pe.ron, many b-assists glittering harmonics, and deep, fingerstyle funk rhrolgh Donna trr, pluyrng li[itning+ast iotos, itt"v whisper a silent "thank you" to Jaco Pastorius' ;;;;;t eachtime ttt"v Oo, SeanMalone Eugene,Oregon September2001 DONNA LEE By Charlie Parker

The first track from Jaco's 1976 d6but solo CD, Jaco Pastorius,was the "track heard'round the world." Jacochose the bebop classicDonna Lee in duet with percussionistDon Alias. Despitethe claim made by Miles Davis that he, rather than Charlie Parker,composed this tune, there is no con- clusive proof; however,there is some anecdotalevidence that supportsthis claim. In the late 1940s, Gil Evans was planning to make an arrangementof the tune and approachedDavis for the music. Also, a common reason for recording altemate takes during Davis' time with Charlie Parker was becauseof missednotes on Davis' part. However,this was not the case whenDonna Lee was recorded, which either indicatesthat Davis spentsome extra time on it, or supportsthe notion that he composedit. Nonetheless,history has favored Charlie Parker as the composer. As if performing the finger-twisting melody on bass was not enough,Jaco proceedsto solo through three chorusesof the form. No one had dared to play music such as this on electric bass, much lesswith such astonishingmusicality. Jaco's producer, Bobby Colomby, indicatedthat the track was finished in one or two takes,which suggestsJaco had most-if not all-of his solo worked out beforehand. Donna Lee has a 32-bar form basedon the changesIo Back HomeAgain in Indiana. After the statementof the tune, Jaco arpeggiatesan Ab major triad, leading into his first solo chorus. In mea- sures35 and 36, Jaco substitutesan E7*9 over the BF7chord with an open E string and harmonicsfor the notesG$, D, and G. Soon afterward,he spansalmost the entire bassneck with a whole-half diminished scalebased on Bt, then substitutesD7 over the AF harmony in measure40-a tritone substitu- tion he frequently used. Measure 47 contains the first occulrence of what would become a Pastorius trademark: eighth-notetriplets in four-note groups,outlining descendingseventh-chord arpeggios. The effect is polyrhythmic-the feeling of two separatepulses within the bar that don't sharean equal division. It feels as if something is slowing down (the harmonic rhythm) and at the same time, something is speedingup (the eighth-notetriplets are faster than the regular eighths.)As we will see,Jaco utilizes this sametechnique (including groupingsof five) in many of his solos. Jacobegins the secondchorus in measure65 with a phrasethat resemblesthe original melody and endsit by emphasizingthe upper extensionsof the Bi7 chord: Ab, C, El, and G. Though the rhythmic drive remains consistent,this chorus has a more "searching" quality to it and contains shorter, more compact statements.Jaco extendsthe Eb7chord in measures79-80, adding the #9th,clustered in a group of harmonicsthat includesthe major 7th, minor 7th, and major 3rd of the chord. The final chorus is a statementof the melody in E major, preparedby a seriesof ii-V-I pro- gressions.Jaco startsoff with a pattem consisting of an arpeggiatedminor seventhchord beginning with the 5th on the downbeats,approached by a 19 and *9. Beat three always has the 3rd of the dom- inant seventh,followed by the il9.This modulating sequenceyields underlying stepwisemotion that gives the impressionof a compoundmelody-two melodic lines in one.

Cm7 o'b*htb BbmT Ebl Gf m7 c#1 Ff,m7 B] t,r L 1 4tq 1

If everythingwere spelledin a theoreticallystrict way, the sequencewould end up resolving to the chordFb. However, in orderto makethings more readable, I switchedto G#m7insteadof Abm7. settingup a iii-VI-ii-V-I progressionin E,.

Copyright@ 1947(Renewed 1975) Atlantic Music Corp. All Rightsfor the World excludingthe U.S.Controlled and Admrnisteredby ScreenGems-EMl Music Inc. InternationalCopyright Secured All RightsReserved At the point whereG#m7 occurs, Jaco breaks the pattern.If he hadcontinued the sequence,it would havelooked like this:

b?a-, F IFI

This would have maintainedthe continuousstepwise descent on beats I and 3. The slight changeJaco made adds variety to a line that, despite the inclusion of colorful altered tones, would soundlike a predictablesequence. Finally, the stylized statementof the tune in E major climaxeswith an extendedchromatic run, ending with a harmonic-ladenE6/9 chord. Jaco'sperforman ce of Donna Lee revealseach ofthe melodic, rhythmic, and harmonicdevices that we will seein all ofhis recordedoutput. Thesedevices include rhythmic displacement(triplets in groupingsof four and five), arpeggiosof seventhchords connectedby step,harmonics to bolster the harmony,highly accuraterhythmic phrasing,utilization of the entire bassneck, double stops,empha- sis of upperextensions (gths, I lths, and l3ths), and gracefulmelodicism. With this one track.Jaco Pastoriussingle-handedly forced us to seethe bassguitar in a new light and createda new standard for the virtaoso bassist.

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12 CONTINTJT]M By Jaco Pastorius

For most of the selectionsin this book, Jaco is soloing as a sidemanin the context of some- one else'scomposition, within a group setting.In the caseof "Continuum,"we havethe bestof all possibleworlds: Jaco is the composer,the pieceis writtenessentially for solobass, and he is the only soloist.The deep,rich, chorusedtones come from double-trackinghis bass,reportedly finished in two takes.The compositionalcontour is straightforwardand traditional: l) Statementof the melody, pre- senting the form and harmonic content; 2) Improvisation over the form that gradually builds in tension; and 3) Releasingthe tension with the recap of the melody. It's a tried-and-truestatement of musical structurethat reachesto new heights within the genreof electric bass. The word "continuum" is defined as "a link between two things, or a continuous seriesof things, that blend into each other so gradually and seamlesslythat it is impossibleto say where one becomesthe next" (Webster'sAbridged Dictionary, 1999). This definition accuratelydescribes the melody of this piece, as the listener is often unawareof when the first statementends and the next one begins; they seemto elide one anotherin a continuousloop. The melody of "Continuum" has become an anthem for bassistsof all skill levels. It repre- sentsan archetypicalmodel of compositionfor bass,complete with fundamentaldrones, shimmering harmonics,purring fretless melodies,and chordal double-stops.The AAB form beginswith a low E and harmonics on c*, Ff, and B. Jaco is accompaniedby keys and light cymbal work, providing unobtrusiveharmonic and rhythmic supportfor his solo. The first solo beginswith a narrow range and hints at the original melody. Rather thanjump- ing out of the gate with ablazing solo, Jacoonce again beginsto developand vary the melodic material that's already been presented.The pulse of the solo is basedon the quarter note, though a great deal of the phrasing involves quarter-noteand eighth-note triplets. Becauseof this, sixteenth-note runs such as the one in measures59-60 sounddramatic in contrast.Another one of theseruns, found in measures71-73, featuresflve-note groupingsof sixteenthnotes that further manipulatethe pulse. Measure 8l marks the beginning of a dramatic build featuring Wes MontgomeryJike octave phrasing with quarter-notetriplets. This section is a brilliant example of Jaco's unique improvisational style. over the ,46/9 chord in measure87, he emphasizesE, cil, and G#.over the cmaj7 in measure 88, he emphasizesB, D, and G, and over the E6l9 in measure89, he choosesC*, G*, Fil, and Ail. As with poetry,where fewer, more meaningful words are chosen,Jaco gets the most out of the handful of noteshe choosesto expressthe harmony.The end of this sectionis cappedwith a smoothglis- sandoto an emphaticlow E, and before you can catch your breath,Jaco is off and running again with a sixteenth-noteascent to high B. This is answeredwith an arpeggiatedretum to low E, effortlessly covering a two and one-half octaverange. Measure I 1I beginsthe recapof the melody that is played almost note-for-noteas the beginning, with a few subtle changesin phrasing,ending as peacefully as it began on an E6l9 chord. As with "Donna Lee" and "Portrait of Tracy," "Continuum" has earnedits place in the basscanon and continuesto inspire and challengebassists today. EI | =ll2 E!

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20 PORTRAITOF TRACY By Jaco Pastorius

The naturalby-product of a vibratingstring is the overtone.serie.s, a collection of pitchesthat soundsimultaneously with the fundamental.As a stringvibrates. it continuesto divideinto sections- first in half, thenthirds, quarters etc. At eachof thosedivisions rs a harmonicnctde, where a chime- like tonecan be producedwhen a fingeris lightly placedover that spot and ttre string is plucked.Most commonly,harmonics are usedto tune the instrumentat the seventhand fifth frets, but Jaco heard more than that, and composedthe harmonicsmasterpiece Portrait oJ'Tract,. The introductionis a cascadingmotif of harmonicsfound over the third, fourth, and fifth frets, containingmost of the pitch materialfound in the entirepiece. The B sectionintroduces the main themeand features a techniqueoften used by cellistsand violinists to achieve.flageolet notes. In order to createthe Dfi harmonicin measure4, the first finger is placedon the note B, secondfret on the A string,and the fourth is placedabove the sixth fret. With this technique,the first finger is analogous to the nut, andthe fourth finger analogousto the fourth fret. The relationshipis no differentthan playing the fourth fret on an openstring-like usinga moveablecapo. This sectionalso features a chord Jacooften used:tr 7#9with Epas the bassnote and G, Gb,and Dbplayed as harmonics. The C sectionserves as the bridge,producing a descendingchromatic bass line from Gf to E, augmentedby three-noteharmonic clusters. The D sectionis a lilting 514,featuring two distinct parts:a chromaticbass line (C-B-Bb),with complementaryharmonics that fill out the restof the harmony.The fourth fingerplays the bassline, andthe harmonicsare played with the first, second,and third fingers.The right-handthumb strikesthe E string'while fingers I and 2 pluck the harmonics. The harmonicson A and D are doubledon the D and G stringsat the fifth and seventhfrets, respectively.This requiresquite a stretchand some coordination, but theend result is a lush,chorused sound with two independentparts. This sectionis repeatedwith increasinglydissonant harmony, generated on the fourth and third frets. It servesas a nice contrastand preparesthe return of the main motif. The endof this sectioncontains two chords:one built on Bb,the otheron F, with harmonicsbased on the first and secondfrets. It's difficult to get thesenotes to sound;they requirea lighter touch for the harmonicsand a little heaviertouch for the bassnotes since they arein first position. The main motif eventuallyreturns and offers a tonal relief to the dissonantharmony that pre- cededit. Thereis a shortpause on the E 719,followed by an EmajTil 1.This chordis playedwith the sameflageolel techniquefound in the main motif. The first finger of the left hand holds the notesE, B, and Ff on the ninth fret, while the fourth finger lies gently acrossthe thirteenthfret on the G, D, andA strings.The low E is plucked,and then the threeharmonics above create the Gf, D#,and A# to completethe EmajT#lI chord.This final chord was doubledwith an overdub,creating a shimmering choruseffect. "Portraitof Tracy" is not only a revelationof the musicaluse of harmonics,,but is a brilliant exampleof compositionfor the solobass guitar and a testamentto how muchone personcan get out of one instrument.It is much more thanjust a clevercombination of harmonicsand frettednotes; it illustratesthe entiregamut of timbral possibilitiesfor the electricbass via a tightly-packed,highly- organrzedstructure and an organicmelodic framework.

CopyrightO 1976 PastoriusMusic All RightsReserved Used by Permission 21 E = ) 80 (slight rubato) xCmajT GmajT SoloBass ljma------l

- - -l f Harm. let rittg let ring throug,hout

* Chord symbols reflect implied harmonl' ** A1l upstemmed notes are harmtlnte . Pitches sound two octaves higher t:..: written except where indicated ar @

Emaj9 Cmaj9 CmajT GmajT EmajT Ebtfr9

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Harmonics are locatedapprox. 3/8" past 2nd fret ** Harmonics are locateddirectly over 2nd fr.'t

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Harnronicsare producccl by' barring the c)thfict of theC. D andA stringwith theinde x finger. thenplaving the harmonics on the l3th fict of thesarne strings.

23 (usEDTO BE,A)CHA CHA By Jaco Pastorius

The most prominent featuresof Jaco's solo from his composition "(Used To Be a) Cha-Cha" are precise rhythmic articulation and the use of almost the entire range of the bass.Jaco's senseof time was legendary,and this solo showsus why. The basic pulse of this tune is felt in 2, with the solo subdividedin eighth notes and occasionalquarter-note triplets. Each and every note is articulatedso cleanly and preciselythat there is no questionabout the intention of every pitch. This is anotherfacet of the Pastoriusrevolution: highly energizedlines with crystal-clear execution spanning the entire bassneck. Jacohad a knack for emphasizingmodal scaledegrees, creating tremendous tonal color in his basslines and especiallyhis solos.Throughout the minor-seventhchords found in this tune, Jacomost often usesthe Dorian mode,being sureto emphasizethe raised6th scaledegree as he did in measures 1,4, 13,and so on. Measurel3 featuresan ascendingarpeggio ofB half-diminished,then a Cl andE that resolveto D and A-all over a D minor seventhchord. In this short span,he maximizesthe color of the Dorian mode, along with the tensionofthe leadingtone and supertonic,framing the tonic pitch. In measure20, Jacobegins hinting at the melody of the tune, highlighting the extensionsof the harmony: the l3th, bgth,il5th, and $9th.The phrasingis tight and compact,and there isn't a wast- ed note. In measure37, Jaco plays one of his trademark lines, phrasing eighth notes in five-note groups.The pattem ceasesin measure39 where he changesto a four-note grouping, with the beginning of each phraseon the last half of beats 2 and 4, creating a syncopatedeffect. This descending line-syncopated pentatonicfills groupedin fours-is omnipresentin Jaco'ssolos. In measure57, Jacoplays a four-notepattern of F*-D-B-A which is transposedalmost entire- ly up a whole step to G*-E-C-G*, framing the arrival of the pitch G in measure58-all over Dm7. Someof the pitchesare outsidethe given harmony,but the organizationof the phrasinggives the feeling that the dissonancewill resolve at some point, adding tension by creating a goal of the directed motion. At the end of measure60, Jaco plays a motif consistingof two eighth notes and one quarter note that he sequencesthrough measure63, displacing it rhythmically. This sort of motivic development provides a unifying quality to the solo, as if each line seemsrelated to previous statements, growing out of one central idea. By measure89, Jaco beginsto restatethe melody of the tune as the chordal accompanimentbecomes tacit. This preparesa tremendousrun from low Gb to high Db, consisting of fourths separatedby a whole step in three different octaves' Most of the solos on Jaco'sfirst album sharesimilar qualities: strong rhythmic drive, pristine articulation,colorful modal and chromaticpitch choice,harmonics, pattern-based pentatonic runs, and useof the entire bassrange. In addition, all of the improvisation seemsto havebenefited from a great deal of forethoughtand planning, whereaslater recordingsbegin to reveal a more "searching" quality, suggestingthat more was left up for grabsduring the recordingprocess. What they all havein common is an unprecedentedvirtuosity and sensitivity that transcendthe instrument.This was not mere- ly a bassist'ssolo album; it was the voice of a tremendousmusician and composerwho happenedto play bass.From this point on, the electric basswould never be the same. Basssolo J=las Dm7 Cm7 A13b9

'1976 CopyrightO PastoriusMusic 24 All RightsReserved Used by Permission I l**r,tll _a_l^^------o.'

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28 BRIGHT SIZELIFE By Pat Metheny

Jaco'ssolo from thetitle trackof PatMetheny's debut album. Bright SizeLfe, featuresa great dealof motivic unity anddevelopment, as well assome beautiful legato phrasing. Jaco enters his solo by playing a fragmentof the openingtheme-a seriesof 5thsbeginning on Ff, continuingon B, E, andD-and introducesa quarter-notetriplet figurethat he refersto consistentlythroughout the solo. The first few phrasesare restrainedand focusedon chord tones.By measure14, Iaco steersaway from the triplet quarternotes, favoring eighth notesand a few quarternotes. In measure20, a four-notemotif is sequencedtwice, setting up an eighth-notetriplet run from low B to high G. The remainderof this chorus'through measure 33, is lessrhythmically strict than the openingtwo-thirds of the solo.There is a more"searching" quality to it, with looserphrasing and a greatervariety of rhythm,including the returnof the quarter-notetriplet figure in measure2T.The syncopatedeighth notes in measures30 and3l preparea restatementof thetheme that began the solo. The secondchorus sees even more rhythmic freedom,punctuated with somevirtuosic runs. Jacois still playing very much insidethe harmony,subtly passingthrough chord tonesso that the chord progressionremains clear. Measures40 and 4l feature an amazingsixteenth-note run that essentiallyis an arpeggioof a Bb major triad combinedwith a lower-neighborpattern one semitone beneatheach chord tone: Bt-A, D-C#, F-E, etc.The climaxof therun is a high G overa Gmaj7chord that is quickly arpeggiateddownward to facilitatea returnto the middleregister of the instrument. In measure47, Jacoextends the local harmony(D/C) with harmonicson Fil and B, addinga :llth and major 7th. He gracefullyends the phrasewith a low B and G, contrastingthe high ringing harmonics.Soon afterward,in measure50, Jacoadds another trademark lick: slurreddouble stops. He impliesan A7 over the G/A chordby playing a high G and C#,which he planesdownward to F and B to accommodatethe F/G chord.As the solobegins to wind down,Jaco returns to the quarter- note triplet figure in measures58-60, playedin groupsof two and thus creatinga hemiola.In this case,he createsthe feelingof two within a compoundgrouping. The solo endswith the samefigure that beganthe tune andhis solo. Onequality of greatimprovisers is their ability to createand release tension via a contourthat beginsslowly, gradually builds in intensity,and thenreleases into the next solo or recapof the tune. It's similarto telling a story;elements are presented one-by-one and expanded,building energy and excitementuntil a climacticpoint is reached.Jaco's solo in "Bright SizeLife" increasinglyexpands the tune'sharmonic and rhythmic boundaries, but they arenever completely abandoned. The listener alwaysretains a senseof form and melody,and key harmonicchanges are supportedby subtleartic- ulationof chordtones.

) = rce Evenly (N.c.) GmajT BbmajTb-s/A

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CopyrightO 1975 Pat Meth MusicCorp. All RightsReserved Used by Permission 29 BbmajT N.C.(G/A) GmajT ----t -___r 1- 3 r_- J

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32 HAVONA By Jaco Pastorius

WeatherReport's Heavy Weatherwas groundbreakingin the newly emerging genreof jazz- rock. The genericterm "fusion," often usedto describethe music of WeatherReport and severalother groupsfrom the 1970s,does the music a disserviceby lumping it all together,as if it all soundedthe sameand had the sameaudience. Jaco contributedtwo compositionsIo Heavy Weather:the chops- driven "Teen Town" and the Latin-influenced "Havona." Both compositions showcaseJaco's bass playing, but it is the latter that documentshis maturity as a composer. Each phraseof Jaco's solo is clear-cut and complete;each was constructedin the studio and reportedly punchedin one-at-a-time.Present is Jaco'sincredible commandof the instrument,as well as his melodic and motivic fluency. Part of his "sound" includes an approachto note choice that emphasizeseither modal degreesor upper extensionsof the harmony,while de-emphasizingthe local tonic pitch. Jaco'sphrasing is proprietary and innovative;it was articulatedfrom a bassist'spoint of vie% but it servesas a model for any instrumentalist. The first two statementsof Jaco'ssolo are relatedmotivically, the secondbeing a variation of the first. Measures5 and 6 feature an unexpectedquote from the opening motif in Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, transposeddown one half step from the original. Jaco was always eagefto wear 'A his influenceson his sleeveand to practicethe motto attributedto Stravinsky: good musicianbor- rows, a greatmusician steals."By measure12, Jaco summonsan old stand-by:descending scalar pat- tems groupedin fours and fives. B minor pentatonicruns fill out the end of the first chorus,and Jaco decidesto remain tacit for the large arpeggiothat he had previously played in unison with the piano. The beginning of the secondchorus contains one of the most interesting lines (measures23 and 24) ofthe entire solo.The harmonyis Cmaj7, and Jacotouches upon the pitch C primarily in metrically weak positions.He emphasizescolorful scaledegrees such as the raised4th, the 6th, the major ?th, and the 9th. It has the effect of sounding "in," but without the constraintsthat tertian chords imply. By measure29, the solo hasbuilt a considerableamount of momentum,phrased almost entire- ly in sixteenthnotes. The contour of Jaco's line is very wide-from low G to high A in measure29, to low Dl in measure30, back up to high G in measure31, then down to low G# at the start of measure 33. It is here that he may be quoting the first phrasefrom Pat Metheny's Bright SizeLife (tans- posedup one whole step). Jacogracefully exits the solo with two barsofcontinuous triplets, creatinga slowing effect on the forward motion. This culminates in the dotted-eighth/sixteenthfigure layered with 5ths and octavesin measures37 and 39, respectively.Jaco plays a unison run with the piano in measure42, heralding the transition back to the top of the form. A beautifully crafted tune combined with a high- poweredbass line and a virtuosic solo make "Havona" a potent exampleof Jaco'simposing skill and full-compassmusicianship.

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CopyrightO 1976 HaapalaMusic All RiohtsReserved Used bv Permission 33 34 f/f/fAA aA,t

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36 PI.]NKJAZZ By Jaco Pastorius

The solosin this collection come in severalshapes and sizes,from sublime melodicism to distorted harmonics.Most of the solos have a harmonic foundation as well as a senseof boundary,even if they are unaccompanied;no matter how far "out" Jaco goes,there is still some semblanceof "in." The solos from "Punk Jazz" and "Port of Entry," however, are two archetypicalexamples of when Jaco was, simply put, ripping. "Punk Jazz" is Jaco's own composition, found on the WeatherReport album Mn Gone. The title comes from the term Jaco used to describehis own music. (He claimed he was using the term 'punk' long before it becameassociated with the movementthat yielded bandssuch as The Sex Pistols and The Clash.)An interestingfeature of this solo is that it containsfew of the patternsand licks Jaco often relied upon; instead,he employs bebop-like lines combined with a rock-like feel-truly "punk 147.7. There is no specific harmonic progressionduring the opening bass cadenza,but there are extendedpassages where key areascan be discerned.There are two large sectionsthat comprise this tune: groups of 33 and 34 measures,respectively, divided by a loud and highly reverberateddrum accent.The most striking featuresof Jaco's playing are the speedand accuracy.The notes are clear and distinct, covering the rangeof low E through high D. At times, lengthy runs are facilitated by the use of the open G string, providing a meansto shift position. The downsideof this is that the timbre of the open string seemsto jump out-a twangy anomaly amidst warmly fingered notes.Be that as it may, it does nothing to detractfrom this ear-dazzlingsolo. Measures63-64 contain what might be a transposedquote from John Coltrane's"Giant Steps." Each phrase,separated on either side by rests,has its own syntax and vocabulary.For example, measures34 through 40 are primarily tetrachordsconnected by intermittent stepwisemotion. It is a lengthy phraseand one of the most sequential-one motivic idea, or subject, commentedupon many times with slight variation. Think of it as a conversationin which the speakermakes a concept or idea clearerby use of analogy-it's basically the samething, jusl presentedin a variety of ways. We understandthe core or the essenceof the idea as it is preservedfrom statementto statementvia the contour, interval choice, and rhythm. Measures45-48 contain a shorter phrasefeaturing larger intervalsthat ascendand altematelydescend-a kind of crest and trough that provides a senseofbal- ance. These kinds of organizational features subconsciouslycontribute to our perception of the phrase'smeaning; rather than being perceivedsimply as a collection of random pitches,Jaco's solo conveysa palpabledegree of intent and purpose. A transcription such as this offers a glimpse into the creative mind of an improviser at the moment of expression.By playing this piece,we put ourselvesin Jaco'splace and experiencea musical vocabularyvastly different than our own. Perhapsthe most interestingaspect of studying this solo is decipheringJaco's choice of notes. If it was truly improvised, why were thesenotes chosenover others?What was Jacotrying to communicate?Proper answers to thesequestions far exceedthe scope of this book, but serveas a point of departurefor further study and dissemination.

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CopyrightO 1976 HaapalaMusic All RightsReserved Used by Permission 37 T^AA'. A'.AA'

38 39 40 SLANG By Jaco Pastorius

A featureof every WeatherReport concertwas a solo perfbrmanceby eachof the musicians. ,.Slang" is a live recording of what many thousandsof fans heardJaco play during his years of tour- ing. Most, if not all of you, are familiar with the classicjoke: "bewareof when the drums stop-bcss solo!" And that joke isn't unfounded, so the idea of a solo electric bassperformance was less than appealingto most. What could possibly be played on solo electric bassthat could be consideredactu- al music and keepthe audience'sattention for more than five minutes?It tums out that there is plen- ty to say and quite a show to see. Enter Jaco Pastorius-part Sid Vicious, part Jimi Hendrix, part Charlie Parker,and part Wilson Pickett. The order of eventsbecame standardized in a Pastoriusbass solo: somehigh-register melodic work, often including a variety of musical quotes,followed by a repeatingbass loop over which Jacooften quotesJimi Hendrix, then a feedback-drivenexplosion of distortedharmonics, capped off with somemore melodic work, and for good measure,a hearty back-flip off of his amplifrer onto his bass."Slang" would silenceall doubtersand add anotherchapter to the Pastoriusrevolution. Jacobegins "slang" with a melody startingon low F and interspersesharmonics, which sound out somefavorite Pastoriuschords: E7t9, Bm7, and Bbl3. He then takesoff with someblazing, albeit rough, chromatic lines that are part blues and part bebop.This section ends with a diminished seventh arpeggioand somephrasing that is reminiscentof his work on "Donna Lee'" The next sectionof the solo is consideredto be an innovation on Jaco'spart, though anecdo- tal evidencesupports that Jaco got the idea from Alphonso Johnson.Jaco slapshis bassstrings with an open palm over the pickup while engaginga delay pedal that has the ability to repeat infinitely . This provides the tempo for Jaco's layered,three-part motif that createsthe harmonic and rhythmic foundation over which he'll solo. The motif consistsessentially of the extensionsof an E9 chord (B-D-Fil) and includestheir upper neighbors(C*-E-G{) as well. Once he establishesall of the lay- ering, he hits the "repeat" function and becomesa one-man-band.He equalizesthe tone of the loop, preparingthe next sectionof his solo. Jacoplays a handful of licks in the upper register,mixing legato and staccatostatements with the low E string. Most of the lines are mainly pentatonicand/or bluesy in a funk setting.At this point' he engagesthe distortion pedal and flies into a rendition of the Jimi Hendrix classic "Third Stone from the Sun." The audienceusually respondswith shock and amazement,which ushersthem into a new level of engagementwith the solo. The Hendrix section of the solo winds down with a large, deliberateslide down the bassneck, and Jaco returns to a clean tone, referring back to the melodic material he presentedearlier. The final sectionis announcedby disengagingthe bassloop and playing a Cmaj9 chord with harmonicsand a low C. Jacothen quotesthe first phrasefrom his composition"Portrait of Tracy" and slides deftly into a quote from "The Sound of Music." After his trademarkEb7*9 chord, a distorted low A soundsfor a few seconds,followed by a crash on a distorted low E. This is the point where Jacohas undoubtedlyjumped off his amplifier, generatinga roar of applausefrom the audience If we standback and inventory the contentsof "slang," we get funk, bebop,Jimi Hendrix, and a dash of Julie Andrews, all combined with the showmanshipthat's part James Brown and part Bamum's Circus. The playing itself is enough to convince any listener of Jaco's enormousskill and talent, but combine that with the stagepresence and the aura that surroundedhim, and it's easy to understandwhy Jacobecame larger than life. A point that is often overlookedwith Jacois that it was- n't only his playing ability that madehim a virtuoso, it was also the virtuosity of his creativity and an innate ability and desireto entenain.In other words, "slang" worked becauseJaco made it work.

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47 PORTOF ENTRY By Wayne Shorter

The song "Port of Entry," composedby Wayne Shorter,is found on WeatherReport's Nigftt Passage.The song structurecan be divided into three main sections:a slow opening sectioncontain- ing the main melody,a double-timebass and percussionsolo, then a recapof the melody over the double+ime feel; a small tag capsthe piece.Jaco, using false harmonics,doubles the first presentationof the melody and follows it with a deep but sparsegroove in C major, which leads to the bass solo. Harmonically, Jaco's solo straysfrom C major but remainslargely pentatonic.The rhythmic accuracy and clarity of the pitches,combined with a slightly distortedtone, adds a senseof urgency to the performanceand is one of the finest examplesof Jaco's monsEoustechnical ability. The first two statementsare almost exact transpositionsof eachother: the secondstatement a perfectfourth lower than the first. After a short lick in A minor (measure6), Jacofollows with the first of many pentatonic runs. The phrasing includes groups of four notes sequencedon the pitches G-C-A-G. In measure18, Jaco introducesa motif of arpeggiatedseventh chords, which descendin whole-stepincrements. The first three statementsare metrically separatedby an eighth-noterest, after which Jaco compressesthe motif to occur every quarter note. The first set of descendingseventh chordsincludes Dm7, Gm7, andBm7. The secondset, in measure20, consistsof Dm7, C7, Cm7, and Bm7. This sequenceis interestingbecause instead of simply planing the shapeof the seventhchord downward, Jaco shifted from C7 to Cm7, then on to Bm7. The chords aren't relatedby key, and the subtle adjustmentenhances an otherwisepredictable sequence. Measure26 featuresanother lengthy pentatonicrun, though this time Jacoplays groupingsof five notes that createsa polyrhythm betweenthe bass and drums. By accentingevery fifth note, the tempo appearsto be slower, which gives the illusion that somethingis slowing down despitethe fact the sixteenth notes are played at the same tempo. Supporting this effect is the fact that pentatonic scalesconsist offive notes,so eachstatement has a senseof completenessto it, reinforcing the arrival of eachnew "beat." Only a performer with the most precisesense of meter can pull this off, otherwise it soundslike a conflict in the rhythm section. A new melodic grouping, consistingof a descending3rds followed by two consecutive2nds, sequencedby an ascendingsecond, occurs in measure32. The building tension of the continuous ascentis finally releasedin measures34 and 35, ending with anotherone of Jaco's trademarklicks: parallel 3rds descendingby step.The goal of this motion is the pitch A, which Jacoholds for one and a half measures,preparing the arrival of the third large sectionof the tune. At the end of Jaco's solo, the listener is expectingchange, and Jaco'sclimax is a meansof backing out from all of the energy, so that the transition feels smooth and natural. If nothing else,Jaco's perfoffnance on "Port of Entry" raisesthe bar for technicalachievement on the bassguitar but it's much more than that. Providing a senseof unity and cohesionin a solo is a challengefor any improviser,especially when there is no supportingharmony. Part and parcel to a senseof cohesionis the ability to enter and exit from a solo so that it appearsto be part of some larger structure,notjust a chanceto "wiggle your fingers." Jaco achievesall of thesethings, while simul- taneouslyinfusing his very unique brand of musicianshipand creativity.

Fast, = 174 (N.C.)

CopyrightO 1981ISKA MUSIC All RightsAdministered by IRVINGMUSIC, INC 48 All RightsReserved Used by Permission

s0 51 CHROMATICFANTASY Ananged by Jaco Pastorius

On the afternoonof July 28, 1750,Johann Sebastian Bach lay dying; having dictatedhis final piece to his son-inlaw Altnikol, he beganto hear the first whispersof eternity.With his passing,we would mark the end ofthe Baroqueera and inherit a musical legacythat attainedgalactic dimensions. Arguably the greatestarchitect of music, Bach crafted a body of work of such unimaginableintellec- tual depth and universal beauty that it defies the rigors of time and remains a source of perpetual inspiration.Jaco, like thousandsif not millions of others,found inspiration in Bach's music and doc- umentedit with his recording of the "Chromatic Fantasy." The two qualities of Bach's music that contribute most to its universality and longevity are a focus on processand its own intemal logic. As a result, his music can be renderedon almost any musical instrument without suffering any aestheticloss; the focus is on the notes and structure,not the instrument. The PaganiniCaprices lose somethingwhen not played on violin, just as the Chopin Etudessuffer when not played on piano; their aestheticdelivery dependsheavily upon the instruments for which they're written. So it was only natural for Jacoto record a compositionby Bach on electric bass-but we usually find bassistschoosing from the Six Suitesfor Cello, certainly not the imposing "Chromatic Fantasy." The late Canadianpianist Glenn Gould, consideredthe foremost interpreterof Bach's works for keyboard,commented that the "Fantasy" is "...our best glimpse at Bach the improvrser versus Bach the organizer."A fantasy,or phantasia, is an instrumental work whose form and inspiration come solely from the one who composedit. They are usually very free and highly improvisational, but do retain a more or less recognizablesectional form. The entirety of the "Fantasy" is actually much larger than what we find on Jaco's secondsolo recording, Word of Mouth. He only performs the first large sectionof the piece, as the rest is almost completely unplayableon the bassguitar. Jaco'stouch is very light throughoutin order to accommodatethe dramatic shifting required of the piece. In addition, he changedthe register of a few notes in order to keep it within reachable spaceon the bassguitar. It's an enormouslychallenging piece to tackle, but a tremendousgift awaits thosewho make their way through it. This rendition addsto the growing list of remarkablefeats Jaco performedon the instrument,and it is a heartfelt tribute to who was perhapsthe greatestmusician of all time.

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AMERIKA By Jaco Pastorius

Jaco'sthird solo albumwas a live recordingof his Word of Mouth Band and wasreleased as a doubleLP in Japancalled TwinsI & II, referringto the birth of his twin boys.In the United States, the albumwas packaged as a singleLP underthe nameInvitatio,zr. Both versionscontain Jaco's solo 'America bass affangementof the Beautiful." As "Portrait of Tracy" and "Continuum" showcase 'Amerika" Jaco'sgifts as a composerfor solobass, is an exampleof his boundlessimagination as an affanger.The resultis a remarkable,cantabile rendition of an otherwiseunremarkable folk tune. Perhapsthe most striking featureof this performanceis the sensitivityof Jaco'stouch. The gentleglissandi, slurs, and legatoruns defy the innateawkwardness of the electricbass. The first phraseis decoratedby harmonicson G#,D, and F#over the chordEl . The additionof harmonicsis an integralpart of the texture,buffeted against the low E,and A strings,with the main melody per- formed predominantlyin the middle range.The voice-leadingat the end of the first phraseincludes a chromaticascent in the bass,implying the harmonicprogression A-F+7 lA#-EIB-C+, via a subtle contrapuntalsecond voice. The endof the secondphrase, measure 15, contains a secondarydominant 9th chordthat leads to the arrivalof E major.Here, Jaco uses his right handto hammeron the bassnote B on the E string, as his left hand holds the three-notechord D#-A-C#. The run in measurel7 is a highly decorated approachto the pitch C#in measure18, executed with flawlesstechnique. Jaco alters the articulation of the melody in measures21-24 by way of falseharmonics-placing the thumb of the right hand halfway betweenthe fretted note and the bridge, then plucking behind it with the right-handindex finger.In measure25,, the bassnote A is followed by Gf, which could be consideredthe 3rd of El (theV chord in A), and is then followed by an Ebl#9chord that resolvesto the subdominant,D major. So beneaththe activemelody, there is a descendingbass line A-E (implied)-Eb-D.A reductionof the voice-leadine would look like this:

The final phraseof the melodyis accompaniedby yet anotherchromatic bass line, ascending in half steps,implying a circleof fifths progression:D-B71D|"-E-C#7lEI, resolving to Ffm. Jacofol- lows this gentle,poignant statement with the subdominant,D major,and endsthe piecewith a rapid 'America one-octavescale in A. This movingrendition of the Beautiful"would becomeone of Jaco's hallmarksand is yet anotherexample of the rangeof expressionsolo electricbass has to offer.

CopyrightO 1984 MowgliPublishing 54 All RightsReserved Used by Permission Tempo Rubato *A

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56 DAYSOFWINE AND ROSES Lyric by Johnny Mercer Music by Henry Mancini

In the summer of 1986, Jaco traveled to the West Coast to play some club dateswith drum- mer Brian Melvin, with whom he made contacta few yearsprior. Togetherthey made severalrecord- ings, including what was to be Jaco's lasl-Standards Zone. Pianist Jon Davis joined Pastoriusand Melvin for a CD comprisedof well-known jazz standards,such as Tadd Dameron's"If You Could See Me Now," and Henry Mancini's "Days of Wine and Roses."This is the first time Jaco was f'eatured in a trio setting, and his playing is hardly reminiscentof the youthful abandonfound in his first trio recording, Bright SizeLife.Instead, the performancesare more subduedand restrained,perhaps the result of a lifetime's worth of experiencesduring the interveningten years. Jaco solos through two chorusesof the form, predominantly supporting the harmony b1 including chord tones.The first chorusconsists mainly of eighth-notephrasing, while the secondchorus is a mixture of eighths,triplets, and sixteenth-noteruns. In addition, the secondchorus is more fragmentary,with shortenedphrases and little motivic development. In the first chorus,measure 13 featuresa dotted-quarter/eighth-notefigure descendingb1'half step,alternately covering the 7th and 3rd of Em7b5,Aib9, Dm'l , G7. The phrasecontinues with a B' for the Gm7 chord, but a short pausebefore it breaksup the predictability of the sequence.Jaco add: a b9 over the C7 chord, plays through the tumaround, and extendsthe Eb7 chord in measure l8 b1 adding the 9th (F) and I lth (At). From measure7 through measure24, there is very little breathing room, creatinga continuousflow of melodic ideas.In measure24, Jacoutilizes the often-usedtriplets phrasedin groupsof five. Despitehis frequentuse of this device,the effect is no lessdramatic. As the tumaroundapproaches, Jaco wears his influenceson his sleeveand tagsthe ending with a figure from the Jimi Hendrix song "The Wind Cries Mary"-though he decoratesit with a root-5th-gth pattern. The secondchorus begins with an F major pentatonicfill, followed by three measuresthat contain only a few staccatoeighth notes.Measure 38 featuresa rather indeterminatesixteenth-note run that partly destabilizesthe pulse,but it is soon re-establishedin measures40-43. In measure.{5. Jacoplays a descendingarpeggio mixing eighth notesand eighth-notetriplets that he sequencesdo$ n one half stepin the following measure.Measures 47-51 seemthe leastorganized, as Jaco stabsin and out of the harmony until measure52. At measure58, he beginswinding down the solo by using larger note values,primarily playing the root notes of the harmony.In measure63, he once again plal s the Hendrix tag, preparingthe retum of the melody.

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60 CONCLUSION A consistentquality of the solos late in Jaco'scareer is that they start out rather strong,begin to wandera bit, and then consistmainly of pattemsand licks that Jaco usedall the time. Comparethe style and techniqueof the "Days of Wine and Roses" solo with that of "(Used To Be a) Cha Cha" or "Donna Lee." Even during his years with WeatherReport, his solo basswork seemedto plateaucon- ceptually,though it never weakenedphysically. This is somethingJaco himself commentedon, stat- ing in a 1983 interview "I'm still using the same[stuft] that I playedeight years ago."Throughout his entire career,his impeccablesense of time and rapid-fire chopsremained, but as the yearswent by, he relied more and more on ideasfrom the past.This is not a criticism per se-rathe1 it's a commentary on an interestingproperty ofprodigy and innovation; after the initial flash ofcreation, innovatorshave the tendencyto orbit aroundtheir primary contribution. In Jaco'scase, his initial offering revolution- ized every aspectof the instrument,which took the audienceseveral years to apprehend.Once the world caughtup with him, and bassistsall over were copping his style, he was assimilatedinto a glob- al musical lexicon and no longer receivedthe credit for his innovations.This, combined with manic depressionand addiction, affected Jaco's ability to further develop his craft. Despite the manifold number of storiesthat perpetuatethe Pastoriusmythology, it's his music that illuminates the brilliance of his legacy.While many can empathize,to somedegree, with Jaco when he was at his worst, few if any can compare with him when he was at his best. It is precisely tftis aspect of his legacy that deservesour undivided attention,not the sordid details of a man suffering from illness. There is a tremendousbody of work that Jaco left us that has yet to be thoroughly dissemi- nated.Despite the worldwide availability of his recordings,there is much more to learn abouthis com- positional developmentas well as his stylistic developmentas a collaborator-as both sidemanand alranger.Hopefully now, more and more of Jaco's work will begin to surfaceand becomeavailable for study, so that we can further understandthe tremendousgift he left us and passit on to the next generationof bassists,composers, and humanity.

61 ABOTJTTHE AUTHOR

SeanMalone is a bassistand composer who hasperformed and recorded with musicianssuch as Bill Bruford, SteveHackett, Trey Gunn, SteveMorse, Mike Portnoy,Reeves Gabrels, John Myung. and Mike Keneally.Sean has appearedon over 50 recordingsand has performedthroughout Europe andNorth America.His latestCD, GordianKnot - Emergent,rs availableworldwide from The Laser's Edge(www.lasercd.com). Sean's website can be found at www.seanmalone.net. In addition,Sean has a Ph.D. in Music Theory from the Universityof Oregon,where his researchinterests included music cognition,absolute pitch, and SchenkerianAnalysis. He has pub- lishedand presentedhis researchon the late Canadianpianist Glenn Gould at music theoryconfer- encesin Canadaand the U.S. Seanis alsothe authorof theDictionary of BassGrooves (Hal Leonard). SELECTDISCOGRAPHY:

SeanMalone Cortlandt AudiolmageRecords SeanMalone Gordian Knot Sensory SeanMalone Gordictn Knot - Emergent Sensory Cynic Focus RoadRunnerRecords VariousArtists WorkingMan - A Tributeto Rush Magna CartaRecords VariousArtists Guitars That Rule the World vol. 2 Metal Blade Records VariousArtists BassTalkvol. 5 Hotwire Records ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Thanks to: Everyoneat Hal Leonard,Yoko Miyama for the patience,Carl Woideck for the facts,Ampeg, DR Strings,and SteveHoek at SeratoSoftware for use of theirplug-in for ProTools@ 'n "Pitch Time" (www.serato.com).