Peter Erskine talks about Jaco Pastorius

Peter Erskine talks about Jaco Pastorius
The entire Dr Jazz Talks interview with Peter Erskine is available here:
• Dr. Jazz Talks #70: Sa...
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[@steevodrums4749]

I'm 63 years ..got to see Peter Erskine in 1978 when he was playing with the Late ..Maynard Ferguson ..got to Meet on stage after the concert..asked him if we could help him take his drum apart after the show and he said yes ..so we chatted a bit ..My friend and myself were both playing in the local high school jazz band at the time ..got some good advice ...he said ..if you want to be a proficient drummer ...then listen to all types of music...don't have any bias ...then over time you will fall into your comfort zone ...be a musician over being a drummer ...wise words from a wise man ...

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

Beautiful story, steve... txxxx

[@jazzfusioner9840]

Saw that tour and what a Band Lineup...ultimate gig (in a Tulsa OK High School auditorium)...even had the Sitar player on the tour to do that one chart...'Chala Nata'....still etched in my 63 y.o. mind...

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

@@jazzfusioner9840 wooow beautiful....

[@seanoreilly1734]

Here in Ireland we got to see mainly British bands. Didn’t get to see people like weather Report Frank Zappa Herbie Hancock with Alphonse Mouzon

[@seanoreilly1734]

Until I went to live in Holland. You guys were so lucky to be in their home turf🇮🇪

[@seanoreilly1734]

I’m 70 years……was living in Holland 78/79. and got to see weather Report play. Jaco was incredible that night as was the whole band. Peter Joe and Wayne. I’ll never forget it to this day. Unbelievable band.❤️

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

Beautiful, Sean... txxx for sharing :)

[@garykay7418]

i'll be 69 in a few days, so we are of the same era. man, i loved Jaco and WR. am from so florida and was fortunate to see Jaco back in the early 70's playing around town. aren't historical videos like this the best?

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

@@garykay7418 beautiful gary!!!!!

[@seanoreilly1734]

Was a great time to see really great musicians on stage😎

[@alancumming6407]

I saw Weather Report in Edinburgh in the early 80's with Pete and Jaco. They were an incredible ensemble. It was a night I'll never forget.

[@kpec3]

Those were the best years with Pete & Jaco.

[@billyshane3804]

Peter Erskine - Champion & Legend Jaco - Champion & Legend RIP

[@PabloVestory]

...and then Peter sat and started to play by himself the job of a drummer AND a percussionist at the same time... his playing with WR is Incredible! Thank you both so much for this insights!

[@bassmonk2920]

Can't get enough of these stories.....

[@drumsNstuff79]

In his Sessions Panel interview with the late great Dom Famularo he tells the story of his introduction into the band on that first tour. They are playing the last song of a long show. As he put it, he was exhausted, sweating like a pig, and the hot par stage lights were burning a hole into his neck. He gets to the end of that song and thinks they will end it rather quickly like they had been doing and hustle off stage. Instead Zawinul keeps it going with an extended keyboard solo, looking right at Peter, who doesn't know what's going on. Peter thinks he is doing to mess with him, so he gets mad. After the solo Peter, who is now pissed, plays his own angry snare drum solo. "I'll show you!!" "Son of a -" "Motherf-" cursing the whole time and doing some crazy energetic snare rudiments. He has his teeth clenched and his eyes closed tightly. When he opens them Joe Zawinul is right on the drum riser is front of him yelling "Yeah!" but Peter is not so sure he is happy. He ends the crazy solo and the show is over. The next morning at the hotel the tour manager summons Peter up to Joe's suite. Peter is convinced his actions that last night just got him fired. He walks into the room and the whole band is there with a bottle of Cognac and some paper dixie cups. Joe pours each one a cup and hands one to Peter, and they all toast him welcoming him to the band officially. When Peter asks Joe what happened last night he simply says something like "You need to expect the unexpected. You played with passion last night!" He extended his keyboard solo on purpose to teach Peter about improvisation. Peter had played with Maynard Furgeson and big band charts, and not free jazz fusion and Joe wanted him to know that anything could happen and just go go with it. It was a huge lesson for Peter and he carries it with him to this day.

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

Yeah fantastic story!!!

[@shawnbruce6934]

I always Love anything with Peter. Love His stories and His playing.

[@lornestein7248]

Proud to say.. My 1st concert (age 12 with my Dad) was Buddy Rich Orchestra with Weather Report opening up. Will never forget Jaco and that amazing night! Seeing Peter with Steely Dan was also another unforgettable concert I saw.

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

Wooooow - must have been amazing!!! Txxxxx

[@henrymiller5231]

Ahh...where was this WR BR concert ? (was it at Glassboro College NJ ?) I was there !

[@lornestein7248]

@@henrymiller5231 Hi, Ontario Place Forum, Toronto.

[@joepollockbass]

My college had Peter do a concert with the jazz band (long before my time here but the jazz director from then is still here). Jazz director recounted a story where Peter slowly increased the BPM on the click track for one of the songs they played. Donald and Walter asked him about it afterwards and he told the truth. They asked him not to do it again. I truly believe i not only speaks to how meticulous Walter and Donald were, but how hilarious Peter (who I'm finding out is a lot like Jaco in terms of personality and musicianship) is.

[@vicomtedelomagne]

Met him and John Scofield at a friend's wedding. Both of these musicians covered an amazing amount of ground in their careers.

[@stevedjurovich194]

I saw Peter Erskine, Jaco, Zawinul, and Shorter, at Hammersmith Odeon 1978 on the Mr Gone Tour. I was quite near the front and it was simply astonishing. I can still now clearly remember my brain frying.

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

Maaaaaan, Steve... I wish that would have been me ;) fantastic!!!

[@stevenperren1678]

Was great no ? Do you remember that for the first 3 mins of Black Market there was just Jaco Joe and Peter onstage - my brain was indeed frying at the thought that Wayne was indisposed. Then he came out blowing the chorus after that first bridge ( same thing happens on 8:30, a cheer goes up at that point) They were a jazz band with rock stagecraft !

[@frederf69]

soo lucky to have your brain fried by those cats ✌🤯👍

[@fiveshorts]

I was there with you, probably just a a few seats away. Crying.

[@garethmtbarnes]

Yup. I saw the same tour that year. October 10 1978 in Oxford. Superb band and got a recording.

[@kevinmalone9673]

The man is a gem .

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

Yessss, he is :)

[@MalEvansUSA]

@@SamoSalamonMusic he didn’t do enough to help his mentally ill friend.

[@MalEvansUSA]

I wouldn’t want him as a friend. He forget the part about helping us friend jaco. Oh that right he never helped him when he was homeless and a vagrant. Jaco just only got him the weather report gig. What a piece of work

[@alhoward6514]

Peter Erskine is a very beautiful person...God bless him..

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

Yesssssss

[@lavatar3562]

One of the best first rehearsal stories of all time. PE forgot to mention that after that brilliant first jam he turned to Zawinul and asked “ can I tell everyone that I’m in the band” and Zawinul replied dryly “you can tell everyone you’re going to Japan”. A first jam with someone is generally how you’re going to play with them from then on.

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

Yeah beautiful stuff...

[@alexotaola]

Also his first impromptu recorded version of “Pinocchio”: you’re going to join the band same way I did ‘first take’! 🤯

[@NeilRaouf]

the intro 😍 love peter, love jaco! love to hear stuff from these cats!

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

Txxxxx Neil!!!!!

[@NeilRaouf]

@@SamoSalamonMusic keeping the passion and joy for music alive! yeah dude. i am with you on this.

[@marshallross3373]

Ha. What a great storyteller. Sounds like a crazy life that these jazz guys lived.

[@RonBaker456]

I think it is great that even without instruments his hands orchestrated the whole interview.

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

Yessssss ... just leave the beat to Peter ;)

[@Scomelbasses]

I met Peter in the late 90's when he was doing some clinic with John Patitucci. Peter could not have been nicer, just a great guy. He's my favorite drummer that played with Jaco.

[@frederf69]

the nearest i'll get to these cats is the Scott Kinsey tour of europe - the music of Joe Zawinul 'We Speak Luniwaz' this month with Patrick Bartley Gergo Borlai & Hadrien Faraud ✌🤯👍 great interview thank you

[@neutonikharmonix]

What an amazing story! Love it! Peter is my favorite drummer.

[@bobblues1158]

Love stories!!

[@lablaine1981]

Steps ahead... weather report...cosmic tunes!!!

[@danielduesentriebjunior]

I watched them once 1979 at the Antibes Jazz Festival, Juan les Pins. Outstanding concert, first time I smoked dope BTW! Before that I listened to rock music such as Genesis or Pink Floyd. Weather Report profoundly opened my interest for other musical styles. I still love the compositions of Genesis though. They were simply so creative, beautiful and unique. But so were Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays and the likes, or also Frank Zappa.

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

Yeah - the Genesis with Peter Gabriel - oh yes!!! :)

[@danielduesentriebjunior]

@@SamoSalamonMusic Yes, with Peter and later even more without.

[@Steve-mp7by]

Amazing story

[@ajadrew]

I never managed to see Weather Report or Peter Erskine but did see the Zawinul Syndicate twice - great chat you had & interesting to hear about those moments!

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

Txxx Andrew... yeah... I saw the Syndicate twice as well... great band...

[@ajadrew]

@@SamoSalamonMusic The 1st time, Gerald Veasley played bass, the 2nd had Linley Marthe - & that was at The Jazz Cafe in London, the last gig over here, shortly before Joe passed - RIP

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

@@ajadrew oh super, andrew... yeah i also saw the group with Gerald - excellent!!!

[@ajadrew]

@@SamoSalamonMusic 👍😊

[@jazzfusioner9840]

​​@@ajadrew . Yep I was at the Jazz Cafe too... March 2007...amazing gig....loved the Syndicate through the years....

[@CooManTunes]

I imagine basses came flying at Jaco, many times! He was always ready for game time.

[@tomstiel7576]

I got to see Peter and Jaco with Weather Report,,, one of my musical highlights

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

I can imagine that, tom... txxx

[@johncat8347]

I recorded Peter erskin with Jocko he took my highhat went back to California and never sent it to me I saw him at a clinic years later he told me tough

[@seanoreilly1734]

The good and the bad…….good story to have🙏

[@robinjones363]

I want more 🤣

[@MrJadePinwheel]

Luv

[@johnrobinsoniii4028]

He just mentioned Studio Instrument Rental (SIR). That’s where the venue,CHEETAH used to be.

[@rossanozanga9581]

Hi Peter and all. This is my idea of teh dead of Jaco. I hope I am wrong: Hello everyone. I just listened to “Scarlet Woman” again, which is an amazing track thanks in part to Jaco. There are a couple of things to clarify for those who have seen the documentary on Jaco. Joe Zawinul may have been a good musician but he treated Jaco like an asshole, and the rest of the band knew it. He was clearly jealous of Jaco, and he understood that Weather Report's success was definitely due to Jaco's presence. In fact before and after Jaco The Weather Report was a bit like other Fusion groups of that time. In fact Joe and Jaco went their separate ways. But what angers me most is that so many of his “friends” and relatives were aware of his drinking problems but saw fit to stay away from them, not all, but many. He should have been taken and treated as one would in a civilized country. Jaco would still be alive now if anyone had really loved him. He suffered from accelerated bipolarism, treatable with medication and friendship and love that I did not see. I hope I'm wrong but that's how I see it 😠.

[@richardmckrell4899]

3 or 4 Kilometers?

[@RixVSpinner62]

I saw Peter Erskine with Weather Report on one of their tours in the early 1980's, awesome show. This was not with Jaco unfortunately.

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

Beautiful, Rick!!

[@stevenperren1678]

Erskine never played in WR with anyone but Jaco. Maybe you’re thinking of Weather Update ?

[@RixVSpinner62]

Your right, Omar Hakim on that tour so around Sportin' Life. Great under-rated WR album by the way. I saw Peter Erskine with another band, not sure.

[@herrbonk3635]

@@stevenperren1678 Weather Update wasn't the early 80s though, but the second half. Theoretically, they could have used a stand in for jaco at some concert(s). Just like Zawinul did with his Syndicate band members from time to time, and Shorter too (much like pure jazz bands often do).

[@stevenperren1678]

@@herrbonk3635 not sure what your point is but Update only lasted for one summer tour, that was it. No Jaco, no Shorter.

[@privatelprivacy]

😁

[@maxmillan4681]

Man your intro is so looooong

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

But sooooo cool 😅

[@MarcPlaysDrums]

Cocaine is a helluva drug 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

😂😂😂

[@BassGod1225]

"How do these guys stay up so late and why are they talking so much"? Cocaine is a helluva drug. 😂

[@leanmchungry4735]

...'how can these guys stay up so late, and why are they talking so much'...hehe

[@opticscolossalandepicvideo4879]

He didn’t do anything to help jaco

[@kohl1999]

I've you've ever had a friend or family member who is an alcoholic - you reach a point where you've done so much to help the person out; lend them money, let them crash at your house, drive them places.... at some point, people just get disgusted as they have their own lives, families and responsibilities to worry about. In the case of Jaco, it was probably even worse due to his mental health issues.

[@raepaul8158]

I recently watched a documentary about Jaco Pastorius. What a tragedy. He was bipolar, and during his stint with weather report was introduced to drugs and alcohol, which ended up being an extremely destructive mixture. He ended up spending the last half dozen years of his life, homeless , rejected by his wife , sleeping in parks, no one would let him get up and play on the stage, and then for trying to go and sit in with a band in Fort Lauderdale, a bouncer chased him down the street to an alley and beat him to death. He was only 35.

[@SamoSalamonMusic]

Yeah - tough story with Jaco... such a shame!

[@danielrae861]

He accomplished more in those 35 years than most could in 100 lifetimes. He does not need your tears. Shed them in silence please

[@stonedzn559]

@@danielrae861 the tears police, watch out!

[@danielrae861]

@@stonedzn559 haha please I entreat you - beg you- do not refer to me as police

[@kohl1999]

I finally got around to watching the 2015 Jaco movie/documentary and yeah. Really well done and an intimate look at his early life. Like you said, it is unbelievable how he went from being in demand by just about every big name musician/band to being persona non grata. I had a roommate early in life who turned out to be an alcoholic, so the story hit close to home. Having experienced some of my roommate's crazy antics and self destructive behavior first hand, I can totally understand how even Jaco's most ardent supporters and friends would eventually lose patience with him. Very heart rending :(

[@In4A-Z]

Jaco inspired me to quit the bass...