Jaco

That's really all that needs to be said and you really should watch this to understand why that is not just hyperbole.

This is a documentary telling the story of Jaco Pastorius' life; like an epic movie story, you know that there will be no happy ending to this.

Jaco not only single-handedly reshaped the jazz genre, he opened up a realm of bass playing that was previously unheard of and reinvented the expectations of what an electric bass is able to do. He was the Jimi Hendrix of bass.

What I found really interesting is to see how bass players across the entire music spectrum pays tribute to Jaco. And as we've seen happening with so many musicians, there is a tragic ending to his story although his legacy will live on forever.

If you have a passion for music you should watch this, even if Jazz isn't your thing; this is the story not just of a musician, it's the story of how music evolves.

A warm and lively tribute, "Jaco" is a celebration of the life and music of one of the greatest and most influential musicians, one of the rare talents who altered the course of their craft and took it to heights that others have been inspired to follow. Jaco Pastorius took the bass guitar from an insignificant instrument to its full potential capable of beauty, complexity and artistic significance. "Jaco" chronicles the life of the wonderkind from his childhood to his tragic fate. Priceless footage from throughout his life and interviews with his family, friends and fellow musicians reveal the man and his genius. Sting, Bootsy Collins, Geddy Lee, Flea, Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell and Robert Trujillo among others share their experiences and it gives a good and intimate glimpse. The quality of the film parallels the life of Pastorius with its promise and high of the man's early years to his peak wowing crowds with his virtuosity and flamboyant stage presence then hitting a low by becoming less compelling as Pastorius slides to mental illness and incapacity leading to his sad demise and unsettling end. Produced by veteran musician and bassist Rob Trujillo this is one of the finest documentaries and a memorial on the glory of the human spirit and the terrible price it unfortunately a lot of times has to pay.

Jaco is a brilliant watch - anyone with a passing interest in music or artistic talent is always looking for clues to that elusive question What makes musical genius. Here, there are plenty of clues.

Jaco Pastorius single-handedly changed the bass as an instrument - his decision to remove the frets of his electric bass because of the Florida humidity, not only changed the sound, but also the timbre of the instrument - and this documentary uses previously unseen footage to document that change - and the man behind it.

Jaco has a great balance between interviews, footage, facts, and music - and for anyone who wonders where jazz went after Kind of Blue, without having to go through learning about Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman or Pharaoh Saunders, this kind of answers that question - it looks at fusion, and asks how rock and jazz came to live side by side.

More than that it focuses on the man - this slender reed that was a ball of energy heading to self-destruction - and gets close to some real understanding of his motivations, his demons, and his genius. No mean achievement.

This really does try to understand both the man and the music and it is a really fascinating, lively, and interesting watch. Definitely what a real music documentary should be.

i watched this movie about Jaco Pastorius at the European premiere in Munich/Germany this week and did like it. As a hobby bassist i'm heavily influenced by Jaco and there's footage in the movie previously unseen. There's funny moments in the movie and many interviews from the musicians Jaco collaborated with as well as Jaco's brother and you'll hear also from Jaco's first wife Tracy and others who were close to him. The film accomplishes to draw attention to Jaco and make him aware to other people. It never accuses anybody of anything and stays neutral and objective. While as someone who plays bass i wished that more footage was included from his earlier days like how he changed from drums to bass and how he developed his technique, i'm grateful for the people who made this happen and showed lots of footage and people's views on Jaco Pastorius along with his great music and him being a pioneer changing the e-bass and influencing future generations of players.

About the odyssey of a genius, a genius of the bass guitar, a genius who, like Mozart and many others before him, ended sad, in misery. After celebrating the peak of glory with another great genius, Joe Zawinul, in the legendary band of jazz fusion Weather Report, Jaco Pastorius followed a downward road, slept through parks, arrived at one moment in a madhouse, and died young, in a stupid way. But, better watch the movie, it's full of people who have met and admired him, famous musicians...