Jaco Pastorius

The Essential Jaco Pastorius

In the 1970s, jazz was moving in a new direction, catapulted into a new space by Miles Davis’ iconic Bitches Brew. While the term “fusion jazz” has been tossed around, it seems like the subgenre was something altogether different. Few artists give a face to fusion like Jaco Pastorius, whose unique fretless bass style became a necessary component of many of fusion’s foremost artists. Jaco’s solo debut and his final work are well-represented here, as is his stellar work with Weather Report. Even when working with artists such as Joni Mitchell, Pat Metheny and Michel Colombier, Jaco stole the show. Now gone for nearly 20 years, his sound is still fresh today. 5 stars