Jaco Pastorius Big Band "Word of Mouth Revisited" (Heads Up International)
By Abel Folgar
Thursday. Apr 14, 11:28 AM
A fitting tribute to the last great innovator of the bass.

Jaco Pastorius’ contributions to the world of jazz and the fretless electric bass will resonate for years to come. That he was the last great innovator of the instrument is undeniable. His tour of duty as a musician took him all over the globe and tenured him with the greats. On the anniversary of his untimely and brutal beating death in Ft. Lauderdale (Sept. 21, 1987), Heads Up International comprised a venerable who’s who of electric bass in the fitting tribute, Word of Mouth Revisited.

Long time Pastorius associate Peter Graves conducts an all-star cast of musicians (Billy Ross, Mike Brignola, Jason Carder, Dana Teboe, Michael Levine, Mark Griffith, Craig Gosnell, et al) with sit-ins by contemporary bass greats Victor Bailey, Richard Bona, Jeff Carswell, Jimmy Haslip, Christian McBride, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, Gerald Veasley, and David Pastorius.

The 13 tracks on the disc are interwoven with sporadic, somber quips from Jaco’s performances. The sides come from Pastorius projects like Weather Report and the Word Of Mouth Big Band. Pastorius standards like “Havona,” “Teen Town,” and “Continuum” maintain the Jaco ethic through the expert handling of Graves: the bass is a featured instrument, but so casual in synch that it does not overshadow the instruments and rhythm it supports. The experience of the featured bassists allows for this not being sacrificed.

Another player in the Jaco army is Larry Warrilow, who lends assistance in the arrangements of some Pastorius tunes as well as three covers. Here’s where I have a slight problem with the disc. Herbie Hancock’s “Wiggle Waggle” is put through the R&B backdrop of Jaco’s playing and Wayne Shorter’s “Elegant People” is given a harder edged delivery, the way Jaco played it (since it was one of his faves). The problem lies in the inclusion of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly,” a song that I absolutely despise. To his credit, Pastorius’ arrangement keeps the track in an ethereal realm… that I personally dislike it is, of course, another story.

A real treat on the disc (actually, two treats) is the layering of Mr. Pastorius’ bass track into “Wiggle Waggle” from a live recording in Sanibel. Graves conducts the band around the track for the aforementioned R&B effect. The second treat is Jaco’s nephew, David Pastorius, playing bass with uncle’s panache in “Opus Pocus.” For the on-liners out there, his official site (link below) is solid with an equally fitting tribute to the master in essay form by his daughter, Mary.
www.jacopastorius.com
www.headsup.com

Abel Folgar

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