10 Memorable Quotes By The Legendary Bassist Jaco Pastorius

Victor Rouă0 comment

Jaco Pastorius was one of the most significant musicians of the 20th century. A self-taught virtuoso, Jaco Pastorius revolutionised the way electric bass guitar sounded back during the mid- and late 1970s and well throughout the 1980s. A great musical genius, Jaco Pastorius joined the legendary jazz fusion band Weather Report in 1976 and was also interested in as well as influenced by the rather mysterious esoteric Urantia Book. The song Havona on Weather Report’s most commercially-successful studio album entitled Heavy Weather which was released in 1977 is a direct reference to a universe described in the aforementioned book. Throughout his amazing musical career he also collaborated with other great artists such as, but not limited to, Joni Mitchell (see also the Shadows and Light concert in this particular regard), Pat Metheny, or ‘Mahavishnu’ John McLaughlin of Mahavishnu Orchestra. In his own words, before the jazz fusion pioneer and legendary frontman Joe Zawinul, he described himself as the best bassist in the world. And he did not disappoint. He is also perceived by some as the Jimi Hendrix of the electric bass guitar (an artist whom Jaco respected and appreciated very much as well). Last but not least, it was also thanks to him that drummer Peter Erskine joined Weather Report, doing so after being recommended to the band by Jaco himself.

Jazz fusion maestro Jaco Pastorius performing live in Bologna, Italy in 1986. Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Below is a list of 10 memorable quotes by the legendary American virtuoso musician, highlighting his personality and mentality:

  1. I am the greatest bass player in the world.
  2. Music is the only thing keeping the planet together.
  3. Music is in the air; it’s my job to pull it out.
  4. All you’ve got to do is keep your ears open.
  5. I’m not a star. I’ll never be a Frank Sinatra or Elvis Presley or a Ray Charles. I’m just an imitator, man. I’m doing a very bad imitation on the bass of Jerry Jemmott, Bernard Odum, Jimmy Fielder, Jimmy Blanton, Igor Stravinsky, Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, James Brown, Charlie Parker… the cats, man. I’m just backing up the cats.
  6. It’s really easy to play harmonics, anyone can do it. It’s another thing to be able to swing, to make a band swing, to create a groove. Harmonics ain’t everything. Being able to play harmonics certainly does not make you a good bass player. Cleverness is no substitute for true awareness.
  7. I took the frets out of my bass after I was getting into jazz a lot and I wanted to have that upright sound.
  8. The secret to the sound is to drop the bass on the floor!
  9. A chimpanzee could learn what I do physically, but it goes way beyond that. When you play, you play life.
  10. I learned everything from my friends and just constant gigging in night clubs, eight sets a night!

Thank you very much for your time, attention, and readership! All the best, take care, stay safe, and plenty of respect! 🙂

P.S. Have an excellent time in the musical company of Jaco Pastorius and Weather Report with their great classic song Havona embedded via YouTube below.

Documentation sources and external links:

Recommended further reading:

  • Jaco: The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius (2005) by Bill Milkowski, Hal Leonard Corporation, ISBN: 0879308591
  • No Beethoven: An Autobiography & Chronicle of Weather Report (2013) by Peter Erskine, Alfred Music, ISBN: 9780989253017
  • Elegant People: A History of the Band Weather Report (2021) by Curt Bianchi, Backbeat, ISBN: 1493059998

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