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02/09/2016

The rise and fall of Jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius told in documentary ‘Jaco’

By RUBEN MOSQUEDA // A documentary tells you everything you always wanted to know about the great bassist.

Robert Trujillo the monster bassist known for his work with Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne’s band and now Metallica; set out to produce a film on the late great jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius. Trujillo shares in the film how Pastorius influenced him; clearly explaining where Trujillo learned to create those ‘grooves’ that he is most famous for.

It’s been six years in the making but Trujillo who served as producer along with directors by Paul Marchand and Stephen Kijak completed the film and unleashed it at various film festivals across the world to rave reviews.

The DVD and Blu Ray was issued at the tail end of November just in time for ‘Record Store Day’ and the holiday season. The film simply titled Jaco chronicles the brief but unusual life of the great American musician and songwriter. ‘Jaco’ is a comprehensive view at Jaco’s life history from his start in music--self taught I might add; to his work with Ian Hunter, Joni Mitchell, Weather Report to his solo work.

The film features testimonials by the likes of Geddy Lee of RUSH, Sting, Flea, Bootsy Collins, Carlos Santana, Joni Mitchell, just to name a few; who praise Pastorius’ talent. Jaco’s life took an unfortunate turn when he found himself homeless; he isolated himself from his loved ones and his fellow musicians. He struggled with mental illness. His unaddressed mental illness ultimately contributed to his death.
You don’t have to be a fan of his work to truly enjoy this spectacular documentary on the life of Jaco Pastorius. We’ve heard the name, we’ve heard some of our favorite musicians speak about his music in the highest regard. It’s an excellent educational piece that’s worth every moment you invest in watching it.

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