JOHN McLAUGHLIN | JACO PASTORIUS | TONY WILLIAMS — Trio Of Doom (1979-2007) RM | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Certainly the potential of a recording by this trio featuring guitarist John McLaughlin and drummer Tony Williams (both members of Lifetime with organist Larry Young) along with bassist Jaco Pastorius -- aka the Trio of Doom -- is enormous. This compilation contains a performance of the trio at the Havana Jam in 1979, a U.S. State Department-sponsored cultural tour by a large number of American musicians who played on the same stage as Cuban aces. The band rehearsed and had about 25 minutes on the stage. Five days after leaving Cuba, the band reconvened in a New York City studio and recut most of the tracks. The studio versions (cuts six, seven, and ten) were released on a pair of various-artists compilations from the Cuban concert. McLaughlin felt at the time that the live performances were unusable because of Pastorius' playing. He relates the details in brief in the liner notes by Bill Milkowski. What this means, of course, is that out of ten cuts here, seven have never been released before. That said, the sum total of all the music that the group cut together is a little less than 40 minutes. From this, the opening drum solo by Williams takes up nearly three, and 20 seconds is of an alternate take of the drummer's "Para Oriente." But this is not a dodgy rip simply assembled to make money from the stuff of myth. Well, it is designed to make money from myth, but there is some seriously intense music here.

For starters, Williams' drum solo that opens the album is to die for. There is no excess, no showing off -- only an intense orgy of rhythm. When McLaughlin and Pastorius join him, the crowd must have gone crazy because he shifts nonstop into the guitarist's composition "Dark Prince." While his solo is overdriven, distorted, and rangy, full of angles and twists and turns, Jaco's playing on the head, and in taking the tune out, is solid. Perhaps at the time this didn't seem up to snuff, but it's hard to hear that based on the disc. The entire band is engaged with focused attention, ascending scalar and harmonic peaks together for its six and a half minutes. It is followed by a beautiful ballad by Pastorius called "Continuum," which appeared on his self-titled solo debut for Columbia. It's a gorgeous and deeply melodic ballad, and the bassist's playing is intensely soulful and lyrical. McLaughlin's chord shadings and voicings are not only supportive, they bring weight and depth, as does the beautiful hi-hat work of Williams. (Speaking of which, on "Dark Prince" and elsewhere, it's obvious that Williams is the true inventor of the blastbeat, not some generic heavy metal drummer. To hear his incessant bass drum and chronic cymbal-and-snare workouts is inspiring.) "Are You the One, Are You the One?," written by McLaughlin, closes the live set, and it's a funky, kinetic, and knotty jam with Williams playing breaks as well as pummeling the toms to get the funk up out of the thing. Pastorius' groove is incessant, even when he is matching the guitarist note for contrapuntal note. That's the good news. The studio versions of these cuts may "sound" better technically -- mostly due to the amplification and balance given the drum kit -- but they lack the raw edginess of the live sides. Still, fans of the fusion era, and those interested in any of these personas, will be much edified by what is found here. If only there were more of it.  
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist:
1 Drum Improvisation   2:26
Tony Williams
2 Dark Prince 6:36
John McLaughlin
3 Continuum 5:11
Jaco Pastorius
4 Para Oriente 5:42
Tony Williams
5 Are You the One, Are You the One? 4:54
John McLaughlin
6 Dark Prince 4:08
John McLaughlin
7 Continuum 3:49
Jaco Pastorius
8 Para Oriente 1:05
Tony Williams
9 Para Oriente 0:20
Tony Williams
10 Para Oriente 5:28
Tony Williams
Credits
 Bass – Jaco Pastorius
 Drums – Tony Williams
 Guitar – John McLaughlin

JACO PASTORIUS | PAT METHENY | PAUL BLEY | BRUCE DITMAS — Jaco (1974-1995) Unofficial Release | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although listeners often think of Jaco Pastorius' first solo album as 1976's Jaco on Epic, producer/keyboardist Paul Bley actually gave Pastorius his first official chance at professional recording two years earlier. Coincidentally titled Jaco (originally titled Pastorious/Metheny/Ditmas/Bley), this spontaneous set is also significant for being among guitarist Pat Metheny's first recordings; completing the quartet are Bley on electric piano and drummer Bruce Ditmas. The music consists of three songs by Bley, five from Carla Bley, and "Blood" by Annette Peacock. Pastorius sounds quite powerful, but Metheny's tone is kind of bizarre, very distorted, and not at all distinctive at this point. The recording quality is a bit shaky throughout the electronic set, and the group does not quite live up to its potential, but Pastorius shows that he was already an innovative player, making this an LP of historic interest. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Vashkar (Carla Bley) - 9:55
2 Poconos (Paul Bley) - 1:00
3 Donkey (Carla Bley) - 6:28
4 Vampira (Paul Bley) - 7:15
5 Overtoned (Carla Bley) - 1:04
6 Jaco (Paul Bley) - 3:45
7 Batterie (Carla Bley) - 5:12
8 King Korn (Carla Bley) - 0:29
9 Blood (Annette Peacock) - 1:28
Credits :
Jaco Pastorius - Bass Guitar
Pat Metheny - Guitar
Bruce Ditmas - Drums
Paul Bley - Electric Piano

WEATHER REPORT - Black Market (1976-2007) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The shifts in Weather Report's personnel come fast and furious now, with Narada Michael Walden and Chester Thompson as the drummers, Alex Acuna and Don Alias at the percussion table, and Alphonso Johnson giving way to the mighty, martyred Jaco Pastorius. It is interesting to hear Pastorius expanding the bass role only incrementally over what the more funk-oriented Johnson was doing at this early point -- that is, until "Barbary Coast," where suddenly Jaco leaps athletically forward into the spotlight. Joe Zawinul or just Zawinul, as he preferred to be billed -- contributed all of side one's compositions, mostly Third World-flavored workouts except for "Cannon Ball," a touching tribute to his ex-boss Cannonball Adderley (who had died the year before). Shorter, Pastorius, and Johnson split the remainder of the tracks, with Shorter now set in a long-limbed compositional mode for electric bands that would serve him into the 1990s. While it goes without saying that most Weather Report albums are transition albums, this diverse record is even more transient than most, paving the way for WR's most popular period while retaining the old sense of adventure. by Richard S. Ginell  
Tracklist:
1 Black Market 6:31
Written-By – J. Zawinul
2 Cannon Ball 4:36
Written-By – J. Zawinul
3 Gibraltar 7:47
Written-By – J. Zawinul
4 Elegant People 5:03
Written-By – W. Shorter
5 Three Clowns 3:22
Written-By – W. Shorter
6 Barbary Coast 3:07
Written-By – J. Pastorius
7 Herandnu 6:35
Written-By – A. Johnson
Credits:
Congas, Percussion – Arejandro Neciosup Acuna, Don Alias
Drums – Narada Michael Walden
Drums [Ludwig] – Chester Thompson
Electric Bass [Fender, Charles La Boe], Instruments [Qertu] – Alphonso Johnson
Electric Bass [Fender] – Jaco Pastorius
Saxophone [Selmer Tenor, Soprano], Lyricon [By Computone] – Wayne Shorter
Synthesizer [2 Arp 2600, Oberheim Polyphonic], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Grand Piano [Yamaha] – Joe Zawinul

WEATHER REPORT – Heavy Weather (1977-2007) RM | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Weather Report's biggest-selling album is that ideal thing, a popular and artistic success -- and for the same reasons. For one thing, Joe Zawinul revealed an unexpectedly potent commercial streak for the first time since his Cannonball Adderley days, contributing what has become a perennial hit, "Birdland." Indeed, "Birdland" is a remarkable bit of record-making, a unified, ever-developing piece of music that evokes, without in any way imitating, a joyous evening on 52nd St. with a big band. The other factor is the full emergence of Jaco Pastorius as a co-leader; his dancing, staccato bass lifting itself out of the bass range as a third melodic voice, completely dominating his own ingenious "Teen Town" (where he also plays drums!). By now, Zawinul has become WR's de facto commander in the studio; his colorful synthesizers dictate the textures, his conceptions are carefully planned, with little of the freewheeling improvisation of only five years before. Wayne Shorter's saxophones are now reticent, if always eloquent, beams of light in Zawinul's general scheme while Alex Acuña shifts ably over to the drums and Manolo Badrena handles the percussion. Released just as the jazz-rock movement began to run out of steam, this landmark album proved that there was plenty of creative life left in the idiom. Richard S. Ginell 
Tracklist:
1 Birdland 5:59
Bass, Mandocello, Vocals – Jaco Pastorius
Composed By, Synthesizer [Oberheim Polyphonic, Arp 2600], Piano [Acoustic], Vocals, Melodica – Joe Zawinul
Drums – Alejandro "Alex" Acuña
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Tambourine – Manolo Badrena
2 A Remark You Made 6:52
Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Composed By, Electric Piano [Rhodes], Synthesizer [Arp 2600, Oberheim Polyphonic] – Joe Zawinul
Drums – Alejandro "Alex" Acuña
Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
3 Teen Town 2:53
Composed By, Drums, Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Congas – Manolo Badrena
Electric Piano [Rhodes], Synthesizer [Arp 2600, Oberheim Polyphonic], Melodica – Joe Zawinul
Soprano Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
4 Harlequin 4:00
Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Composed By, Soprano Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Drums – Alejandro "Alex" Acuña
Synthesizer [Arp 2600, Oberheim Polyphonic], Piano [Acoustic], Electric Piano [Rhodes] – Joe Zawinul
Vocals – Manolo Badrena
5 Rumba Mamá 2:12
Composed By [Co-composer], Congas, Tom Tom [Tom Toms] – Alejandro "Alex" Acuña
Composed By, Vocals, Timbales, Congas – Manolo Badrena
6 Palladíum 4:45
Bass, Steel Drums – Jaco Pastorius
Composed By, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Congas, Percussion – Manolo Badrena
Drums – Alejandro "Alex" Acuña
Synthesizer [Arp 2600], Electric Piano [Rhodes] – Joe Zawinul
7 The Juggler 5:05
Bass, Mandocello – Jaco Pastorius
Composed By, Electric Piano [Rhodes], Synthesizer [Arp 2600], Piano [Acoustic], Guitar, Tabla – Joe Zawinul
Drums, Handclaps – Alejandro "Alex" Acuña
Percussion – Manolo Badrena
Soprano Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
8 Havona 6:03
Composed By, Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Drums – Alejandro "Alex" Acuña
Piano [Acoustic], Synthesizer [Oberheim Polyphonic, Arp 2600] – Joe Zawinul
Soprano Saxophone – Wayne Shorter

WEATHER REPORT - Mr. Gone (1978-1991) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On Mr. Gone, Weather Report becomes merely a cover name for a Joe Zawinul/Jaco Pastorius jazz/rock/funk record production, with several guest drummers (Steve Gadd, Tony Williams, Peter Erskine), no resident percussionist, and Wayne Shorter as a still-potent solo saxophone threat. This album was denounced in its time as a sellout, probably on the reputation of Jaco's pulsating "River People," which is as close as WR ever came to outright disco. But there is lots of diversity and adventure here, as the creative core of the band uses the latest electronics to push out the boundaries of sound while maintaining tight control over structure. "The Pursuit of the Woman with the Feathered Hat" is quintessential Zawinul; the Third World-centered groove is everything, no chord changes to impede this rush of layered electronics, percussion, and voices. Shorter's spare "The Elders" flirts with the electronic avant-garde and he retrofits his Miles Davis-era "Pinocchio" in rapid-fire electro-acoustic garb. In other words, the multi-flavored WR stew continues to cook at a fine boil. by Richard S. Ginell

Tracklist:

1 The Pursuit Of The Woman With The Feathered Hat 5:00

Composed By, Arranged By – Zawinul

Vocals – Manolo Badrena

2 River People 4:49

Composed By, Arranged By – Jaco Pastorius

3 Young And Fine 6:54

Composed By, Arranged By – Josef Zawinul

Drums – Steve Gadd

4 The Elders 4:20

Arranged By – Josef Zawinul

Composed By – Wayne Shorter

5 Mr. Gone 5:20

Composed By, Arranged By – Josef Zawinul

Drums – Tony Williams

6 Punk Jazz 5:07

Composed By, Arranged By – Jaco Pastorius

Drums – Tony Williams

7 Pinocchio 2:25

Composed By, Arranged By – Wayne Shorter

8 And Then 3:20

Composed By, Arranged By – Josef Zawinul

Drums – Steve Gadd

Lyrics By – Sam Guest

Vocals – Deniece Williams, Maurice White

Credits:

Bass, Drums – Jaco Pastorius

Drums – Peter Erskine (tracks: 1,3,7)

Keyboards – Joe Zawinul

Saxophone – Wayne Shorter

WEATHER REPORT - 8:30 (1979-1994) RM / FLAC (tracks), lossless

Weather Report is generally regarded as the greatest jazz fusion band of all time, with the biggest jazz hit ("Birdland") from the best jazz fusion album (1977's Heavy Weather). But the group's studio mastery sometimes overshadows the fact that it was also a live juggernaut -- so don't overlook the outstanding live and studio album from 1979, 8:30. This was a rare quartet version of Weather Report, with co-leaders in keyboardist Joe Zawinul and saxophonist Wayne Shorter. The bassist was the inimitable Jaco Pastorius, the drummer a young Peter Erskine. Pastorius is otherworldly on early gems like "Black Market," the breakneck "Teen Town," and his solo showcase, "Slang" (in which he quotes Jimi Hendrix's "Third Stone from the Sun"). Shorter is most involved on the CD's slower pieces like "A Remark You Made," "In a Silent Way," and his own solo piece, "Thanks for the Memory"; Zawinul and Erskine shine on the swinging version of "Birdland" and roller coaster ride of the "Badia/Boogie Woogie Waltz" medley. Four studio tracks (composing what was side four of the original album version) close 8:30 with a flourish -- and some surprises. Pastorius duets on drums with Zawinul on the brief title track, then plays double drums with Erskine (as Erich Zawinul plays percussion) on the playful "Brown Street." Zawinul then throws a curve with "The Orphan," dueting with Shorter as ten members of the West Los Angeles Christian Academy Children's Choir chant harmonies. The saxophonist gets in the last word, though, with his burning composition "Sightseeing" -- on which he plays unison lines with Zawinul over Pastorius' rare walking bassline and Erskine's most aggressive drumming. A future jazz standard ending one of this band's standard-setting CDs. by Bill Meredith  
Tracklist:
1 Black Market 9:47
Written-By – J. Zawinul
2 Teen Town 6:03
Written-By – J. Pastorius
3 A Remark You Made 8:01
Written-By – J. Zawinul
4 Slang 4:45
Written-By – J. Pastorius
5 In A Silent Way 2:52
Written-By – J. Zawinul
6 Birdland 6:58
Written-By – J. Zawinul
7 Thanks For The Memory 3:33
Written-By – L. Robin, R. Rainger
8 Badia/Boogie Woogie Waltz Medley 9:28
Written-By – J. Zawinul
9 8:30 2:36
Written-By – J. Zawinul
10 Brown Street 8:34
Written-By – J. Zawinul, W. Shorter
11 The Orphan 3:16
Vocals – Ten Members Of The West Los Angeles Christian Academy Children's Choir
Written-By – J. Zawinul
12 Sightseeing 5:35
Written-By – W. Shorter
Créditos
Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Drums – Jaco Pastorius (tracks: 9, 10), Peter Erskine (tracks: 1 to 8, 11, 12)
Keyboards, Synthesizer – Joe Zawinul
Percussion – Erich Zawinul, Peter Erskine
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter

WEATHER REPORT - Night Passage (1980-1991) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

All things being relative, this is Weather Report's straightahead album, where the elaborate production layers of the late-'70s gave way to sparer textures and more unadorned solo improvisation in the jazz tradition, electric instruments and all. The flaw of this album is the shortage of really memorable compositions; it is more of a vehicle for the virtuosic feats of what is considered by some to be the classic WR lineup -- Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, Robert Thomas, Jr. and Peter Erskine. For Erskine, this is is first full studio album and he amply demonstrates his terrific sense of forward drive unique among the other superb drummers in WR annals. "Port of Entry" is a tour de force for Jaco, who knocks off several of those unbelievably slippery, pointed runs that have made him a posthumous legend. There is also a tremendously fun retro trip to Duke Ellington's "Rockin' in Rhythm," everybody swinging their heads and hands off. by Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist:
1 Night Passage 6:30
Written-By – J. Zawinul
2 Dream Clock 6:26
Written-By – J. Zawinul
3 Port Of Entry 5:09
Written-By – W. Shorter
4 Forlorn 3:55
Written-By – J. Zawinul
5 Rockin' In Rhythm 3:02
Written-By – D. Ellington, H. Carney, I. Mills
6 Fast City 6:17
Written-By – J. Zawinul
7 Three Views Of A Secret 5:50
Written-By – J. Pastorius
8 Madagascar 10:56
Written-By – J. Zawinul
Credits:
Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Drums – Peter Erskine
Drums [Hand Drums] – Robert Thomas, Jr.
Keyboards – Zawinul
Saxophone [Saxophones] – Wayne Shorter

PAT METHENY - Bright Size Life (1976) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Pat Metheny's debut studio album is a good one, a trio date that finds him already laying down the distinctively cottony, slightly withdrawn tone and asymmetrical phrasing that would serve him well through most of the swerves in direction ahead. His original material, all of it lovely, bears the bracing air of his Midwestern upbringing, with titles like "Missouri Uncompromised," "Midwestern Nights Dream," and "Omaha Celebration." There is also a sole harbinger of radical matters way down the road with the inclusion of a loose-jointed treatment of Ornette Coleman's "Round Trip/Broadway Blues," proving that Song X did not come from totally out of the blue. Besides being Metheny's debut, this LP also features one of the earliest recordings of Jaco Pastorius, a fully formed, well-matched contrapuntal force on electric bass, though content to leave the spotlight mostly to Metheny. Bob Moses, who like Metheny played in the Gary Burton Quintet at the time, is the drummer, and he can mix it up, too. by Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist:
1 Bright Size Life 4:43
2 Sirabhorn 5:25
3 Unity Village 3:38
4 Missouri Uncompromised 4:19
5 Midwestern Nights Dream 5:58
6 Unquity Road 3:33
7 Omaha Celebration 4:16
8 Round Trip/Broadway Blues 4:58
Credits:
Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Drums – Bob Moses
Guitar, Bass – Pat Metheny
Producer – Manfred Eicher

JACO PASTORIUS - Jaco Pastorius (1976-2000) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It's impossible to hear Jaco Pastorious' debut album today as it sounded when it was first released in 1976. The opening track -- his transcription for fretless electric bass of the bebop standard "Donna Lee" -- was a manifesto of virtuosity; the next track, the funk-soul celebration "Come On, Come Over" was a poke in the eye to jazz snobs and a love letter to the R&B greats of the previous decade (two of whom, Sam & Dave, sing on that track); "Continuum" was a spacey, chorus-drenched look forward to the years he was about to spend playing with Weather Report. The program continues like that for three-quarters of an hour, each track heading off in a different direction -- each one a masterpiece that would have been a proud achievement for any musician. What made Jaco so exceptional was that he was responsible for all of them, and this was his debut album. Beyond his phenomenal bass technique and his surprisingly mature compositional chops (he was 24 when this album was released), there was the breathtaking audacity of his arrangements: "Okonkole Y Trompa" is scored for electric bass, French horn, and percussion, and "Speak Like a Child," which Pastorious composed in collaboration with pianist Herbie Hancock, features a string arrangement by Pastorious that merits serious attention in its own right. For a man with this sort of kaleidoscopic creativity to remain sane was perhaps too much to ask; his gradual descent into madness and eventual tragic death are now a familiar story, one which makes the bright promise of this glorious debut album all the more bittersweet. (This remastered reissue adds two tracks to the original program: alternate takes of "(Used to Be a) Cha Cha" and "6/4 Jam"). by Rick Anderson  
Tracklist:
1 Donna Lee 2:28
2 Come On, Come Over 3:52
Vocals – David Prater, Sam Moore
3 Continuum 4:33
4 Kuru/Speak Like A Child 7:42
5 Portrait Of Tracy 2:22
6 Opus Pocus 5:29
7 Okonkole Y Trompa 4:25
8 (Used To Be A) Cha-Cha 8:57
9 Forgotten Love 2:14
10 (Used To Be A) Cha-Cha (Alternate Take - Previously Unreleased) 8:49
11 6/4 Jam (Alternate Take - Previously Unreleased) 7:45
Credits:
Alto Saxophone – David Sanborn
Baritone Saxophone – Howard Johnson
Bass Trombone – Peter Graves
Cabasa [Afuche], Bells, Bongos, Congas, Bata [Okonkolo Lya], Percussion – Don Alias
Cello – Alan Shulman, Beverly Lauridsen, Charles McCracken, Kermit Moore
Concertmaster, Violin – David Nadien
Conductor [Strings] – Michael Gibbs
Double Bass – Homer Mensch, Richard Davis
Drums – Bobby Economou, Lenny White, Narada Michael Walden
Electric Bass, Arranged By [String Arrangement] – Jaco Pastorius
Electric Piano, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Alex Darqui
Flute, Piccolo Flute – Hubert Laws
French Horn – Peter Gordon
Liner Notes [CD] – Pat Metheny
Liner Notes [Original] – Herbie Hancock
Piano [Acoustic], Clavinet, Keyboards, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Herbie Hancock
Soprano Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Steel Drums – Leroy Williams, Othello Molineaux
Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker
Trumpet – Randy Brecker, Ron Tooley
Viola – Al Brown, Manny Vardi, Julian Barber, Selwart Clarke
Violin – Arnold Black, Harold Kohon, Harry Cykman, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, Matthew Raimondi, Max Pollikoff, Paul Gershman

JACO PASTORIUS - Word of Mouth (1981) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Bassist Jaco Pastorius' Word of Mouth orchestra was an unfulfilled dream, a worthy concept that did not last long enough to live up to its potential. Its debut album was released without a listing of the personnel, so here it is: Wayne Shorter, Michael Brecker, and Tom Scott on reeds, trumpeter Chuck Findley, the easily recognizable Toots Thielemans on harmonica, Howard Johnson on tuba, drummers Jack DeJohnette and Peter Erskine, and percussionist Don Alias. The music ranges from the Beatles' "Blackbird" and some Bach to Jaco originals that cover straight-ahead jazz, Coltrane-ish vamps, and fusion. Next to the bassist/leader, Thielemans emerges as the main voice. by Scott Yanow

Tracklist:

1. Crisis  – 5:21

2. Three Views of a Secret – 6:05

3. Liberty City – 11:57

4. Chromatic Fantasy (Johann Sebastian Bach) – 3:01

5, Blackbird (Lennon–McCartney) – 2:48

6. Word of Mouth – 3:53

7. John and Mary – 10:52

Credits:

Herbie Hancock: Keyboards, Synthesizers, Piano

Wayne Shorter, Michael Brecker, Tom Scott: Saxophone

Toots Thielemans: Harmonica

Chuck Findley: Trumpet

John Clark: French horn

Howard Johnson: Tuba

Don Alias, Robert Thomas Jr.: : Percussion

Peter Erskine, Jack DeJohnette: Drums

Jaco Pastorius: Electric bass, acoustic bass,

organ, piano, synthesizers, autoharp, percussion,

vocals, drums on "Word Of Mouth"

Paul Horn-Muller: Steel pans

Othello Molineaux: Steel pan

John F. Pastorius IV: vocal on John and Mary

Michael Gibbs: Hanging out

JACO PASTORIUS - Invitation (1983-2004) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Electric bassist Jaco Pastorius' Word of Mouth big band made two recordings for Warner Bros. during its short life, of which is this is the superior one. The large ensemble (five trumpets including Randy Brecker, five reeds with solo space for Bobby Mintzer on tenor and soprano, four trombones, two French horns, Toots Thielemans on harmonica, drummer Peter Erskine, percussionist Don Alias, and Othello on steel drum) performs a variety of superior material. Although Pastorius takes his share of solo space, and the sound of a big band backing a bass soloist is rather unusual, he does not excessively dominate the music. Pastorius contributed some of the pieces (most notably "Liberty City"), is showcased on "Amerika," and also plays such tunes as "Invitation," "The Chicken," "Sophisticated Lady," "Giant Steps," and Gil Evans' "Eleven." by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Invitation 6:58
Written-By – Bronislaw Kaper
2 Amerika 1:10
Arranged By, Adapted By – Jaco Pastorius
Written-By – Traditional
3 Soul Intro / The Chicken 6:49
Written-By [Soul Intro] – Jaco Pastorius
Written-By [The Chicken] – Alfred James Ellis
4 Continuum 4:29
Written-By – Jaco Pastorius
5 Liberty City 4:35
Written-By – Jaco Pastorius
6 Sophisticated Lady 5:18
Written-By – Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Mitchell Parish
7 Reza / Giant Steps / Reza (Reprise) 10:23
Written-By [Giant Steps] – John Coltrane
Written-By [Reza (Reprise)] – Jaco Pastorius
Written-By [Reza] – Jaco Pastorius
8 Fannie Mae 2:39
Written-By – Buster Brown, Clarence Lewis, Morgan Robinson
9 Eleven 0:50
Written-By – Gil Evans, Miles Davis
Credits:
Arranged By – Bobby Mintzer (tracks: 1), Jaco Pastorius (tracks: 2 to 9)
Baritone Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute [Alto] – Randy Emerick
Bass [Uncredited] – Jaco Pastorius
Bass Trombone – Bill Reichenbach, Peter Graves
Conductor [Co-Conductor] – Peter Graves
French Horn – Brad Warnaar, Peter Gordon
Harmonica – Jean "Toots" Thielemans
Producer – Jaco Pastorius
Soloist, Drums, Timpani, Gong – Peter Erskine
Soloist, Percussion – Don Alias
Soloist, Steel Drums – Othello Molineaux
Soloist, Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Bobby Mintzer
Soloist, Trumpet – Jon Faddis (tracks: 7), Randy Brecker
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Piccolo Flute – Alex Foster
Tenor Saxophone, Oboe, English Horn – Paul McCandless
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute [Alto] – Mario Cruz
Trombone – Wayne Andre
Trombone, Tuba – David Bargeron
Trumpet – Elmer Brown, Forrest Buchtel, Ron Tooley

JACO PASTORIUS - Curtain Call (1986) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Dubbed "the last live American performance of Jaco Pastorius" (liner notes), the posthumously released Curtain Call is the most refreshing of Pastorius' post-big-band live recordings. Sparked by superb sound quality and enthusiastic, energetic performances, the CD features the only available live recordings by Pastorius of "John and Mary," Herbie Hancock's "Speak Like a Child," and Miles Davis' "So What!," plus the often recorded favorites "Invitation," "Continuum," and "Teen Town." The refreshing aspect, aside from some rarely recorded live material, is the personnel and the absence of guitar. Brian "Whitey" Melvin (drums) and Jon Davis (keys) recorded with Pastorius on three of Melvin's studio dates, but never live. Pastorius is at his most lucid in years thanks to Melvin's spiritual guidance, and Davis and Melvin seem to be playing expressly for Pastorius here. Without having to compete with a guitarist, a rejuvenated Pastorius has center stage, start to finish, his prominence and clarity reaching new heights on the final three compositions, "Mercy, Mercy," "So What!" and "Teen Town." Truly awesome. by David Ross Smith
Tracklist:
1 Speak Like A Child/Invitation 13:57
2 Donna Lee 3:34
3 Solo Medley: Blackbird/Okonkorey Trompa/Continuum/Portrait Of Tracy 5:31
4 John And Mary 6:09
5 Mercy, Mercy 9:39
6 So What!/Teen Town 13:51
Credits:
Drums – Brian Melvin
Electric Bass – Jaco Pastorius
Keyboards – Jon Davis

ALBERT MANGELSDORFF | JACO PASTORIUS | ALPHONSE MOUZON – Trilogue Live! (1976-2000) RM | Most Perfect Sound Edition – 26 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For those of you looking for some funky, chunky Jaco Pastorius jams, this isn't the place. For those looking for extremely free playing where Mangelsdorff's trombone runs wild and chaotic, this isn't it either. For the fusion freaks entranced by Alphonse Mouzon's skittering drum work that stops and starts on a sliver of light, best look elsewhere. For the rest who are seeking great jazz in any configuration, this just might be your ticket. Trilogue Live! was recorded at The Berlin Jazz Days in 1976 and originally issued on LP while Pastorius was at the height of his tenure with Weather Report. Playing an all-Mangelsdorff selection, this trio

delivers an inspired performance that relies on timing, virtuosity, and a little humor for its bread and butter. The title track is the opener, and its slight abstraction is quickly replaced by Pastorius suggesting the frame of the melody to his counterparts, who pick it up and glide. On "Zores Mores," knotty little post-bop lines are woven into an easy framework of Mouzon's dancing hands and a solid yet very flexible interplay between the trombonist and Pastorius' ever-inquisitive basslines. The shimmering tension between the trio's members is all heat on "Accidental Meeting," the closest piece to pure abstraction here, but Mangelsdorff insists on, at the very least, the articulation of jazz formalism. "Foreign Fun" starts out like surreal circus music, but quickly walks the razor's edge between Weather Report's more adventurous material and noirish jazz. The set closes with the groaning humor of "Ant Steps on Elephant's Toe," a bumping, bubbling, dub-style cut that features Mangelsdorff blowing fully out of the blues and Pastorius playing the very best Aston Barrett he can. The dub effect gives way to funk about halfway through, and Mouzon becomes animated, doubling and tripling his cohorts in a joyful dance of curiosity and discovery. This cut is street-tough, plenty nasty, and leaves the audience -- and listeners too, no doubt -- begging for more.
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Tracklist + Credits :