INSTA OF BASS
  • Basses
  • FX-Pedals
  • Amps
  • Accessories
  • The Lowdown
  • Videos
  • News
  • Shop
INSTA OF BASS
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Home The Lowdown

Top 5 Jaco Pastorius Bass Lines

by Insta of Bass
February 2, 2023
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Bass players and musicians of many genres revere Jaco Pastorius as a musical god. For the uninitiated, Jaco Pastorius’ virtuoso bass lines and technique transformed the sound and capabilities of what was previously thought to be a background instrument into a fully independent soloistic feature of any ensemble. His fearless work with Weather Report and Joni Mitchell catapulted him to fame.

Jaco Pastorius
Legacy Recordings, Slang East West LLC

Sadly, after his late-Seventies peak, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982 and soon became addicted to drinking and narcotics. By 1987, he was virtually homeless, dying following a battle with a bouncer at a Santana show when he’d sneaked onstage before being kicked out and eventually beaten to death.

A tragic end for a man dubbed “probably the most influential and ground-breaking electric bassist in history” in his mid-thirties. At least his imperial music has survived for us to remember the true pioneer of the fusion jazz movement. With this list, we tried to compile some of his most famous bass lines of all time in no particular order. Let’s dive into it.

ADVERTISEMENT

1. Soul Intro / The Chicken

The first song on our list is a Jaco Pastorius classic. It might not be the most technically or harmonically challenging tune on this list, but it is a song that almost every bassist will learn at one point in their careers. It’s a terrific place to start, a strolling, strutting work of jazz funk that’s cerebral when written down yet spiritual when played. Pastorius’ bass guitar is a show in laid-back jam mode, and it appears simple.

2. Weather Report - Punk Jazz

Weather Report’s Mr.Gone was panned in some circles for “selling out,” i.e., being somewhat listenable to the non-musician public. Nevertheless, it quickly became gold. Pastorius wrote Punk Jazz, a 5-minute bass race in which he doesn’t hide his light beneath a bushel. I’m not sure where the “punk” bit comes in, but it’s nothing if not unique. Its blazing-fast bass solo showcases his unique playing style on the fretless bass. Something that was not common at that time in the seventies.

3. Joni Mitchell - Coyote

1976 was a productive year for the 24-year-old wonder kid. His “discovery” by Joni, as the brilliant singer-songwriter counter-intuitively “went jazz,” introduced him to an entirely new audience. His softly stunning performances on her CDs were nothing short of revolutionary.

ADVERTISEMENT

While it didn’t sell well initially, Hejira is now widely regarded as one of the decade’s pinnacles. Pastorius only appeared on half of the songs. Still, the opening Coyote established a new sort of “Joni Mitchell sound” in which her free-form compositions were given breath by his hard-to-ignore but easy-to-love lines, which were as touching as her literate lyrics.

4. Jaco Pastorius - Donna Lee

This song is a Miles Davis cover from Pastorius’ solo debut record, produced by Bobby Colomby of Blood Sweat & Tears. While the album had guests ranging from Sam & Dave to Narada Michael Walden and the Brecker brothers, this opener featured only Don Alias’ congas as accompaniment.

Quite the glorious exhibition for his one-of-a-kind talent. “Astounding in that it was played with hornlike phrasing previously unknown to the bass guitar – not to mention that it’s just about the hippest opener to a debut album in the history of recorded music,” commented Pat Metheny.

ADVERTISEMENT

5. Weather Report - Teen Town

Listening to Teen Town at full speed, you realize how big of a genius Jaco is. Only Jaco can easily pull off this bass line while maintaining that classic Jaco smirk on live performances.

Sure, anyone can play it, just as Eddie Van Halen’s Eruption, but Pastorious inhabits it, bursting all about it with his ’62 Fender Jazz – the bass of doom – and forever transforming the way we look at the bass guitar. Pastorius’s fretless, unbound, and imaginative playing marks a paradigm shift for the instrument.

To learn some of these songs, check out this fantastic transcription book and watch his legendary bass instruction video here.

ShareTweet
ADVERTISEMENT

RelatedPosts

changing strings is the first part of a bass guitar setup

Master the Basics: Step-by-Step Bass Guitar Setup Guide

December 30, 2024

If you’ve never set up your bass before, don’t worry—it’s not as complicated...

5 Beginner Bass Lines

Unlock Your Groove: Mastering 5 Beginner Bass Lines!

December 28, 2023

So, you've decided to delve into the realm of bass guitar playing? Congratulations,...

Bass Players

Top 5 Richest Bass Players Of All Time

August 31, 2022

Bass players might not be the first to spring to mind when you...

Maple Bass Guitar Fretboard

Mastering the Bass Guitar Fretboard: A Beginner’s Guide

January 20, 2025

If you’ve been playing bass for years but still struggle with fretboard navigation,...

Motown Bass Player James Jamerson

5 Motown Songs That Will Change Your Life

December 23, 2020

Berry Gordy founded Motown Records in the late '50s in Detroit. This record...

Muscle Shoals Studio

The Top 10 Greatest Songs Ever Recorded in Muscle Shoals

January 2, 2025

Let me paint you a picture: a big-name rock star rolls into Muscle...

Join the Party

Loading
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Accessories
  • Amps
  • Basses
  • FX-Pedals
  • News
  • The Lowdown
  • Videos
Everything Bass, All in One Place

© 2025 Insta of Bass. All Rights Reserved. | Get in touch: contact [at] instaofbass [dot] com

No Result
View All Result
  • Accessories
  • Amps
  • Basses
  • FX-Pedals
  • News
  • The Lowdown
  • Videos

© 2025 Insta of Bass. All Rights Reserved. | Get in touch: contact [at] instaofbass [dot] com

This website uses cookies. By continuing, you consent to their use. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.