I 4 one got MUCH respect 4 the brotha but I just CAN'T FEEL his (bass lines). Sure he was the bass player in The Sly the Stone family THAT IS SOMETHING and yes R-E-S-P-E-C-T is what he gets 4 that, but I just feel that the whole 'The greatest bass player on the WORLD' is waaayyy too overrated. He sho nuff can't move a sistah like Louise Johnson do, I even find Patrice Rushen BETTA than him.

I know that someone here will pop on my face(As always ) and try 2 make me feel MIGHTY BAD about this. My only reply 4 'em is (GOOD LUCK!).

Holla

Harlepolis said:

Well... he is actually credited for being the originator of the "slap" bass style... and that goes a LONG way toward making him historically significant in the music world.

you're not the only one.

larry is a very nice, talented and accomplished man and i really, really wish he and tina would go away.
far far away.

please. that technique has been used in tribes for years.
not that original, when viewed 'historically'

IceNine said:

I've never known him to be given the title the greatest bass player in the world.

Jaco Pastorius, on the other hand, gave it to himself.

Supernova said:

And I seconded it!!!

John Francis Pastorius WAS the greatest bass player EVER!

Supernova said:

I also didn't know that till I read that Prince/Larry King interview's transcript. Some ARTICLES from the RAVE era adress him as 'TGBITW'.

Larry is a pioneer. He has a technique that has been copied and improved upon by many other players.

There are people who feel that seeing Victor Wooten play shows just how much better other bass players are and how far bass playing technique has progressed.

Larry didn't CREATE nothing! Man, folks have been playing bass, sax, guitar, FLUTE efor christ sake rhythmically for MANY MANY MANYYY years!

All Larry did was boast and brag about it to make folks THINK he was the originator.

God man, go listen to ANY Jazz artist from before Larry's time...

F*ck man, listen to Emmit Otter's Juggband or something from the backwoods of Arkansas and you'll find the same sh*t and WAY before Larry Grahams time!

TheMEssage said:

WOW CHILL MAN I am not feeling any love here. You made yo point WE RESPECT IT but DAYMN ain't no need 4 high blood pressure now!! Fuck his BASS SLAPs, yo health come 1st.

IceNine said:

I live in South Florida where Jaco lived.
I've met his son and wife a few times. Very nice people.

I've talked with many of the local music store owners that have been here a while and they have loads of Jaco stories.

The funniest is from Peaches (record store). They say Jaco used to come in the store and take his albums like they really belonged to him and hand them out to customers saying: Hi! I'm Jaco Pastorius, the Greatest Bass player in the world! Here. Have my album.

The store owners had a hard time with him all the time. He'd also come in and just take his records and walk out the door like he didn't have to pay for them.

One other time Jaco comes in the local "Ace Music" (before Mars bought out all Ace stores) and begins to practice to himself.

The store owner had an appointment with a local church pastor for some sound equipment and saw him walking to the front door of the store.

The store owner tells Jaco: "Now Mr. Pastorious, please behave youself, there is a good customer of mine coming in and he's a preacher." Jaco replied: "I'll be cool."

In walked the preacher and Jaco screams out "I'm the greatest bass player in the world!"

Without missing a beat, the preacher responded: "And you must be Jaco Pastorius!"

Jaco quickly got quiet and just hung his head and mingled through the store. They talked for a little while but the store owner didn't know what was said between them.

(The preacher told the store owner later that he knew who Jaco was and wanted to do that for a long time as well as tell him about the Lord.)

I hear from a lot of people down here that Jaco was quite the character.

yamomma said:

This is waayy 2 funny yet VERY SAD !

The guitarist from sly & the family stone actually invented the slap bass technique. Larry copied it & it took to the bass more than guitar.

He is a pioneer & a very solid bass player (one of few who can keep a 16th slap rhythm going all night) but to say hes the best is a bit much.

There are loads of top bass players out there like Jaco, Marcus Miller, Mark King, Victor Wooten, & the likes who can show larry a thing or two.

I would say Victor Wooten could hold that title today!

Now He can Funk and then some!

He is deffinately more diversified in styles and techniques.

I'd be supprised if Rhonda didn't fear for her job at the celebration.

Then again Victor probably wouldn't fit in with the NPG because he does a lot more than just 4/4. And might get board.

I say this because that's what most Jazz musicians say about P's music. They never say he's bad, just confined to strait fat back.

Speaking of which, who worte James Brown's bass lines??? Call me bluff tho,,,!

thecloud9mission said:

Barring, of course the fact that my hero and the greatest bass player that has ever lived (Jaco Pastorius) is dead... you are right.

There was a PBS special a while back about the history of music and they had a long segment about Larry. Lots of people said they got their inspiration from him including Bootsi Collins.

Harlepolis said:

Bootsy was a bad man...

Jaco's son looks just like him now that he's all grown.

IceNine said:

You mean BOOTSY COLLINS??

IceNine said:

Well I meant 'out there' as in you can hear their music.

U play Bass Ice?

I hear he has his own band now and is quite good.

Not sure which son, I think he has two.

yamomma said:

I have heard MANY funny Jaco stories... I studied with Steve Bailey for a while and he had a bunch of stories. I have known other musicians who knew Jaco and they all have funny stuff to say. Jaco was a crazy guy... at the end LITERALLY crazy... and was amazing.

Have you read the book "Jaco: The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius: 'the World's Greatest Bass Player" by Bill Milkowski? Great book...

Harlepolis said:

Ahhh... the name is Bootsy, baby!


He is STILL a bad MF to this day. Bootsy is great.

IceNine said:

How did he passed away??

Referring to the death of the great JACO PASTORIUS,

Harlepolis said:

He was beaten to death.

IceNine said:



No I haven't but my studio partner (Frank Axtell) has it on the shelf and quotes it so much I feel I don't have to read it!

I will eventually but first I want to read the Miles Davis book he has.

IceNine said:

This is what makes him relevant and this is what idiots wwho dont know music miss on Larry G. If you play funk bass the way it is played now, you are using something that Larry pioneered. Prince is smart enough to know this.

Harlepolis said:


From what I was told, he took Lithium because he suffered from Manic Depression and got a little "kooky" sometimes.

Anyway, he was going into a club one night and was stoped by the bouncer. (Jaco could look a little scruffy and was known to not bathe at times) Jaco insisted on entering the club shouting: "Do you know who I am? I'm the greatest bass player in the world! I'm F'n Jaco Pastorius!" and began to get physical with the bouncer. The bouncer punched him in the nose and a fragment hit his brain and he died.

Seems kinda messed up, huh? Just one punch from what I heard and that was because Jaco first threw punches at the bouncer.

IceNine, Did I get it right?
[This message was edited Wed Jul 24 15:53:11 PDT 2002 by yamomma]

The family does his website still.

http://www.jacop.net/