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Portrait of Jaco... in the News |
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More Press:
Bass Guitar UK, Jan/Feb 2004
Bass Player, Oct. 2003
Jazziz, Apr. 2003
Adlib, Apr. 2003
Bassics, Dec. 2002
Adlib, Sept. 2002
Jazz Magazine, July 2002
Guitar Club, Apr. 2002
JazzTimes, Apr. 2002
Vibrations, Mar. 2002
Bass Magazine, Mar. 2002
JazzTimes Preview
JazzTimes, Feb. 2002
Bass Player, Jan. 2002
Bass Player, Sept. 1997 |
| Adlib, September, 2002 |
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Jaco's music and presence had a huge impact in Japan and Adlib magazine has always held him in the highest regard. Editor-in-Chief of Adlib, Yoshio Matsushita, has continued this tradition with September's edition once again featuring Jaco on the cover, and this time highlighting 'Portrait Of Jaco'. Becoming a personal friend of Jaco's in 1978, Yoshio credits Jaco for changing his life for the better and credits him as a source of continued inspiraton.
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Yoshio's note:
Dear Friends, |
Once in a while I happened to say to myself, "Thank goodness I like music." It has already passed 30 years since I determined to work in the music field in my university days and was luckily engaged in editing a music magazine. That thought occurred to me only on special occasions in my experience of meeting lots of musicians and coming across various kinds of music since then. Above all, it was outstanding that I encountered with Jaco Pastorius.
In the summer of 1976, Jaco's first album "Jaco Pastorius" overthrew my concept about music from its bottom and altered it totally. First of all, I was overwhelmed to know the fact that such amazing music existed in the world. I thought the profound and broad music background, as well as the musicianship of hybrid perfection, was marvelously condensed in his music. At the same time, all the music that I had been listening to turned dim. I was so completely shocked by his appearance that I felt a gigantic lightning penetrated myself.
Naturally I got lumped with him all the time when he came to Japan for the first time as a member of Weather Report in June 1978. I sent all clippings of magazines and articles on which he was featured to the hotel on the night he arrived. Responding all my admiration and enthusiasm, he readily accepted my requests for not only an interview that was prolonged for 3 hours, but coverage of his bass clinic and photographing for magazine cover, which took for several days. |
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We went together to the jazz clubs Akasaka or Roppongi every night after the show in Tokyo, where Jaco played drums on the stage sometimes. One day he suddenly said that he wanted to play catch and we did it at the playground near the hotel neglecting his manager who was anxious about spraining his finger. Jaco was a real sportsman with such a cheerful and healthy mind in those days, as well as taking music positively. One night after the show, I saw him expressing utmost delight like a child by chance. He was asking around all the staff at the backstage how they felt about his performance, excited by pulling off a splendid bass solo. His concentration was especially fierce at the live stage. Richness of his diverse musicality widely opened outside, his unique sense of fashion and his unaffected personality were reflected in his performance. Weather Report became one of the most popular contemporary music groups, expanding the fan base by the enrollment of Jaco. He neither withdrew into himself |
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nor repeated the same thing in music, which brought the great creativity to him.
He realized his dream of playing with his own big band by forming Word of Mouth. It was the embodiment of the magnificent music ideal that only he could imagine. His popularity was at its peak in Japan, when he appeared with the Word of Mouth big band composed of 20 musicians on September 1982. Judging from the enormous number of audience at Budokan, Yokohama Stadium and every other venue, he possessed the power as a star like a rock singer at that time. It was one of impressive memories and the stunning pride for Jaco's admirers in Japan that those concerts were recorded live and later released as "Twins" album.
Since the day when Jaco died on September 21, 1987 in Florida from a physical beating, my life has changed.
From that day on, I have been listening to his music everyday. Jaco is besides me whenever and wherever I am. Every time I listen to him, I get spirited and encouraged with all the cells activated. The conversation about Jaco always becomes so lively when I talk with Sting or Marcus Miller. It is delightful that most of musicians I met so far talked of him as a best example of really creative people. |
Memories of Jaco exist only in his music for me. Though there are articles that cover miserable episodes in his later years, or dramatized biographies that overstate his tragedy, they mean nothing for me. It is a miracle that a musician of such a grand scale appeared in 20th century. I believe 20th century has produced one of important music styles because of the presence of Jaco. His greatness must be spoken only in terms of music. And his music is not yet brought to an end.
Incidentally I had the honor of writing liner notes of almost all Jaco's albums released in Japan. I also supervised several compilation albums of Jaco like "Jaco Pastorius Rare Collection" which included various tracks he played as a sideman, or "Jaco Songs" which focused on him as a composer. Firm market for Jaco supported by many devoted fans has been established in Japan. Therefore every album was well accepted and entered the hit chart, which is a supreme joy for me. |
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When I first met him, he wrote a simple message in my notebook, that was "Keep listening." It exactly means my life itself now. I intend to hand down all about Jaco to a new generation in various ways. That is my greatest pleasure and my expression of gratitude to him.
Yoshio Matsushita
Editor-in-chief, "ADLIB" Magazine |
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