This s/t debut album by unparalleled electric bassist Jaco Pastorious is another level. The album opens with a rendition of Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee,” highlighting Pastorius’s virtuosic technique and innovative use of harmonics. Original compositions like “Continuum” and “Portrait of Tracy” further demonstrate his melodic sensibility and technical mastery. The track “Kuru/Speak Like a Child” features complex arrangements, blending jazz fusion with orchestral elements. Absolutely incredible on all levels.
My story about this one: My older brother gave me a copy of this record for my 16th birthday. He’s five years older than I and was a major influence on the kind of music I listened to until I was around 13. I should note he was a damn good guitarist, had a band, and turned me onto bands like The Kinks, UFO, Michael Schenker, Tom Petty, Van Halen, etc. However, at on point his interests switched on a dime from hard rock to jazz. He was so obsessed he literally stopped listening to rock music altogether and I was entirely confused and honestly kind of upset about it. In turn, I avoided jazz music and went further into rock, heavy metal, thrash metal and beyond… the noisier the better. When he gave me this, I didn’t know how to take it, but as a bass player, Jaco cannot be denied and I appreciated the sentiment. I love my brother and he still inspires me to this day. Anyway, I temporarily traded this LP with a friend at school for a week so we could copy each other’s albums to cassette. He gave me his copy of The Dukes Of Stratosfear’s 25 O’Clock on exchange. When the day came to trade back, I brought 25 O’Clock in and he claimed to have forgotten the my Jaco LP at home, no big deal, he’d bring it to school the next day. I never saw the guy again, ever. I think he moved, so I literally had no recourse. I always felt bad since it was a relatively recent gift from my brother and wondered if he noticed it missing from my collection back then (we both collected records). I did get it on CD a little later, but only recently landed this LP. As my tastes gradually drift into jazz all these years later, it’s good to have this special album back in my life.
1979 US repress on Epic. It’s been through some shit, but plays great!
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