The Greatest Bass Solo of All Time (Jaco Pastorius: Slang - Live in West Germany, 1978)

Today we remember Jaco Pastorius, one of the greatest electric bassists of all time, who passed away on this day 36 years ago.
Many choose to remember him by watching old videos of him performing, whether it's with Weather Report, Joni Mitchell or Toots Thielemans. Often it's this very bass solo from 1978, and that's why I chose to upload it today. The excerpt comes from my upcoming remaster of Weather Report's Offenbach am Main 1978 DVD, which will be uploaded to this channel on September 29.
Enjoy!
linktr.ee/jacoarchive
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Show information
Artist/group: Weather Report
Venue: Stadthalle Offenbach
City: Offenbach am Main
State: Hessen
Country: Germany
Date: September 29, 1978
Tour/event: Tour of 1978 ("Mr. Gone Tour")
Genre(s): Jazz, funk, rock
Personnel:
Joseph "Joe" Zawinul, keyboard
Wayne Shorter, saxophone
John "Jaco" Pastorius III, electric bass
Peter Erskine, drums
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Technical information and DLs
Running time: 10 minutes
Digital source format: VOB
Filmed by the Rockpalaste crew.
Input: 720x? - 24 fps
Output: 1080x? - 24 fps
Original:
Remastered:
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Picture information
Shot by unknown
Equipment unknown
Date: unknown
Venue: unknown
City: unknown
State: unknown
Country: unknown
Modified by Jaco Pastorius Archive.
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Contents
1. Slang
Setlist
1. Black Market
2. Scarlet Woman
3. Young and Fine
4. The Pursuit of the Woman with the Feathered Hat
5. A Remark You Made
6. River People
7. Wayne's Solo (Thanks for the Memories)
8. Slang
9. Mr. Gone
10. In a Silent Way / Waterfall
11. Teen Town
12. I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good) [Keyboard and Sax Duet]
13. The Midnight Sun Never Sets (Keyboard and Sax Duet)
14. Birdland
Band introduction
15. Fred and Jack
16. Elegant People
17. Badia / Boogie Woogie Waltz
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No copyright infringement intended. Jaco Pastorius Archive's intention is to preserve the music of Jaco Pastorius through photos, video and audio. The copyright holder is contacted when possible, but often times it is not the case, making most of the shared material unauthorised. If you are a copyright holder and want to submit a takedown request, please contact us through e-mail ([e-mail]).
Each Jaco Pastorius Archive bootleg upload is remastered with professional hardware. You are free to use all shared material as long as you credit us and follow a copyright holder's demands, if any, whether it's crediting them or taking down an upload.

[@JacoPastoriusArchive]

Please subscribe to my channel to hear more Jaco Pastorius and Weather Report

[@Jazzforlyfe]

As a 14 year old bassist, this guy is my hero. Watching this solo for the first time changed my life. Jaco completely changed, and greaty influenced how I play bass now, and it taught me not to be Jaco, but to be me. R.I.P the legend, the GOAT, Jaco Pastorius, and cheers to the greatest bass solo of all time.

[@teresathomley3703]

Masonbass- Keep at it my young brother. Keep practicing the bass as much as humanly possible- you are at that great, great age where muscle memory and musical memory fuses so wonderfully. Dig on all kinds of music- jazz, classical, rock, world music, hip hop- and listen, listen, listen closely. Train your ears young brother- I'm sorry to go on like a crazy old person but I started playing guitar around your age and it has been infinitely rewarding to me. Let music be infinitely rewarding to you!! You are headed in the best possible direction. ☮❤🕉

[@Jazzforlyfe]

@@teresathomley3703 thank you very much.

[@plookington9995]

"Hello. My name is Jaco Pastorius. I'm the greatest bass player in the world." -Jaco Pastorius

[@visog]

OMG imagine seeing this in '78 with your Precision and your plectrum!

[@Makumazahn77]

So cool. Such a tragedy he left us so young! He had so much more to say with his instrument!

[@maureenjuarez3427]

He was amazing. I played bass until my hand got ruined. I heard him years after and was so envious of his talent. He made the bass do things no one else could/would or can do to this day. Even the tech can’t keep up with him. ❤

[@juanmanuelalvarezrodriguez84]

He was an absolute genious. He know how create incredible sounds of bass : armonics , melody . He created an style of plays bass . He is unique . This session is antologic, historic .he plays with bass lines double and he experimented with the bass ( reverb , distorsionetc) he is the most best bassist that i have ever seen

[@SuperLuckyCat7]

Best Pastorius I've ever seen ❣May his Soul rest peacefully on small fluffy clouds; softly, eternally 💫

[@joaoserapili]

Jaco Vive !!! Long live Jaco... Hero, misunderstood and understood at the same time, your music is one of the reasons why I am still alive, thank you for being my friend at all times!!! ✌🤘🙌🙌🙌🙌🙏

[@jacocharzukanamericanautho2422]

The greatest bass solo ever!

[@asafbroda258]

Theres nothing like him,never was,never gonna be

[@AndreRMeyer]

@asafbroda258 Elvis lebt!

[@Riccardo_Silva]

Like Bach, back in his times, he invented everything! All bassists after him simply replicated his genius...love you Jaco!!!

[@SuperLuckyCat7]

Paganini! On Bass that is 🚀

[@mglaser6811]

Simple the best what can happen to solo bass...Hendrix and other soulful stuff...may God bless you, Jaco...R.I.P. 😇✌👍👍👍

[@MysteryZenSide2]

... this is so good- absolutely riveting- performance of a lifetime~ Cheers to you JACO PASTORIUS ! you made the Universe a sonic paradise

[@jdizinski]

Saw weather report at Montclair State college in 1980. Unforgettable.

[@ReturnExpedition]

Thank you for this sharing this as a tribute to Mr Pastorious

[@bandicoot5412]

Took that jazz for a ride

[@JoeCoutureMusicCouture]

Saw this solo at a Weather Report concert in Pittsburgh in 1980. Nobody was doing anything close to that back then. I understand the negative comments. Some people to this day don't care for Hendrix like some folks don't care for horse radish. I have never acquired a taste for horse radish, but I wouldn't think of belittling someone who does😊

[@JacoPastoriusArchive]

Great comment! I actually have a recording of the 1980 Pittsburgh show, and am planning to post some of it eventually.

[@rockun7579]

Best n1 🎉

[@VillNom]

I was underwhelmed

[@CHRISTIANLAGRECA]

A talent that was taken from the music world in a cowardly way.

[@tonyvincent9753]

This guy was a genius!

[@Godblessed1000]

The more I saw thinks like that, the most I love Rush …

[@danvol3835]

All respect to Jaco, but I can't kick the image of Spinal Tap out of my mind. LOL.

[@garywhitt98]

Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) is a musical genius!

[@anchelvakaline1485]

The Jimi Hendrix of the electric bass

[@user-32941]

It's so good! Thank you!

[@MysteryZenSide2]

greatest ending of all time..the harmonic notes are stellar- I can def. see how EVH may have been influenced by JACO

[@patrickpowers3850]

2:45 That's some hymn I frequently sang in church. Don't know the title. Then there's a little bit of La Bamba, Bold Soul Sister, Them Changes, Third Stone From The Sun, and The Sound of Music. I saw Jaco with Weather Report at this time and he did all this.

[@skineyemin4276]

I think this is the greatest "live" electric bass solo in a semi-rock presentation and setting and I would compare this to a John Entwistle, Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, Billy Sheehan or even a Neil Peart drummer type of vibe in terms of that "rock" presentation, not in terms of playing. To call this the greatest bass solo does Jaco and other truly great bassists injustice. This was a great live bass solo performance and a great 'stage act', which he would always do during this period with Weather Report 's Mr. Gone tour and even with Joni Mitchell. I saw this in NYC in Avery Fisher Hall with Weather Report

[@troddy3925]

Chills

[@emilmartinbehnharcourtedva6946]

Does he use flathound trings

[@Ale-yn1qd]

Is that lick at 6:06 an original phrase from this solo or it's taken from another song?

[@JacoPastoriusArchive]

"Them Changes" by Buddy Miles. Originally recorded live with the Band of Gypsys, which is probably the version Jaco heard.

[@user-tb2qq3yg4b]

And a bit of She's So Heavy by the Beatles

[@JacoPastoriusArchive]

@@user-tb2qq3yg4b While it wouldn't be too out of the ordinary, Jaco actually doesn't quote "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" here.

[@Lele.94]

​@@JacoPastoriusArchiveand the lick on the 5:58? Is it a lick from a song or just an improvisation?

[@SwampEye1]

He's not one of the greatest ... He is the Greatest ...

[@burtmann3921]

SLANG 8:30 epic

[@tomwright7418]

11 out of 10 for bass playing genius. 1 out of 10 for sartorial elegance.

[@sosmooth7]

What???

[@skineyemin4276]

No one picked up on the Carol Burnett Show theme song. No one. And if you did, you're lying.

[@aceofspades4339]

Does he play it? I’ve never heard it before

[@skineyemin4276]

@@aceofspades4339 He played a few lines of that show's theme song. I recognized it right away.

[@pml-qg5wr]

****************

[@don_muhomorro]

Is he really great?! And where is the music?

[@Chesnochyok]

Фантазёр! Понапридумывал всяких хитрых гитарных штук, от которых находишся в недоумении--так это что, бас гитара или какой то неизвестный доселе инструмент?

[@GeorgeTel100]

I'm sorry, is there Music somewhere anywhere in there?

[@The-Music-Archive]

This is Juzz music, not jazz, hep cat hop.

[@diogooliveira3584]

The greatest STUPID Bass Solo of All time.

[@user-hg6mo1wl2q]

I’ve watched this multiple times growing up in my teen years and now I’m 32, I just can’t get with it. It just sounds like crap. It’s not enjoyable. I mean, I guess I get how people think he was the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ, but it just all sounds sloppy. It sounds exactly like what someone would play at Guitar Center if they played bass for a year.

[@sosmooth7]

When you say BASS, you must mention the G.O.A.T. and place them in order 1. James Jamison 2 .Jaco Pastorious 3. Stanley Clarke 4.Larry Graham (know as the Godfather of Funk bass) 5.Jon Entwistle Everyone else comes after these guys! And, please no Paul McCartney. Because he doesn't even belong anywhere near this group.

[@JacoPastoriusArchive]

Where's Paul McCartney

[@richsackett3423]

That was noisy crap. Those people got cheated of an evening of real music.

[@iliketowatch.]

Nothing wrong with noise! Everything we listen to and enjoy how would have sounded like a discordant mess to Mozart or Beethoven.

[@elpatudo3670]

OK, then stick to your Brittany Spears ya🐑

[@scrimblenib]

Your right . The emperors new clothes .... It's just marvelous isn't it darling ? Super lovey , just the best . Rubbish

[@Thrustql]

​@@scrimblenibgo back listen to your pop or whatever. Untrained ear, too simple to understand the innuendos he's put into it. Learn some theory and report back😝

[@cerealkilled3871]

...... I'm confused as to why this guy was popular. I'm an 80's kid, and this was like a Primus song without the talent. I guess the 70's/early 80's were more coke fueled then I thought. Glad I've never heard of this guy before, this jumble of notes would have turned me off music for life.

[@JacoPastoriusArchive]

Glad you like it, thanks for commenting!

[@cerealkilled3871]

@@JacoPastoriusArchive I don't like it, it's crap, I could do better with a tin can and fishing line, thanks for being stupid.

[@Thrustql]

​@@JacoPastoriusArchivehe.. likes it?

[@JacoPastoriusArchive]

@@Thrustql I think so

[@Thrustql]

@@JacoPastoriusArchive I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not, but he said "Glad I've never heard of this guy before", "coke fueled", "no talent", just your average tonedeaf simple normie. Definetely doesn't know jazz or anything like it.

[@scrimblenib]

Garbage . No melody , you can't whistle it , just some Ponce going as fast as he can on a bass . He plays harmony's my my , wow , the skill. Deeerrrrrrr

[@JacoPastoriusArchive]

You tried?

[@cerealkilled3871]

​@@JacoPastoriusArchiveI can do that too, just give me an ounce of coke like dude was clearly on, and I bet I make a bass sound as poorly as this too. This isn't skill, not sorry.

[@Uhjustjoe]

There is more to life the 4/4 timing.

[@WileEdward]

Nice try ;)

[@Bkoded]

are you tone deaf?