Milkowski about Pastorius

Chockful of new insights about Jaco's early years, along with new revelations about his tragic final days,"The World's Greatest Bass Player", this very special Anniversary Edition takes a greatly expanded look at the man who revolutionized his instrument and became one of the most potent and compelling forces in jazz during the 1970s. Containing many new, never-before-seen photos acquired from the Pastorius estate, this new package from Backbeat Books is a collector's item for Jaco fans and the perfect introduction for music lovers who may be unfamiliar with this revolutionary bassist of unparalleled artistry. And the companion full- length CD allows readers to experience Jaco's emerging genius firsthand, with newly revealed music from his pre-Weather Report years and spoken testimonials from Jaco's friends and colleagues.

Written by music journalist Bill Milkowski-who knew Pastorius personally from 1982 on-this biography provides a look inside the inspired method and madness of the man who reinvented the role of the electric bass. Jaco's pioneering innovations equal those of Jimi Hendrix on guitar and Charlie Parker on sax. He rendered melodies, chords, harmonics, and percussive effects simultaneously; created virtuoso solos that have been called ”adventures”; and fused jazz, classical, rock, reggae, R&B, pop, and punk into one inimitable style. Described by Jazziz magazine as “consistently fascinating, impressively detailed, and very readable, ” Jaco reveals how the self-proclaimed world's greatest bass player became one of the most potent forces in music, even as he faced many personal setbacks.

Like his heroes Parker and Hendrix, Jaco lived fast, made a huge impact, and died young-he was 35 when he was fatally beaten in 1987. During his meteoric rise from South Florida phenom to international jazz star, Jaco altered the course of jazz and opened a door that generations of bass players have since walked through. “It ain't braggin' if you can back it up, ” Jaco often said. As this book shows, he always did. “There's bass before Jaco and there's bass after Jaco, ” says drummer Allyn Robinson. “That's just the way it is.”

Like the musical gifts Jaco left behind, this book and companion CD provide a uniquely enriching experience.

Bill Milkowski is a Manhattan-based writer who has been covering the music scene since 1975. Named 2004 Writer of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association, he is a regular contributor to Jazz Times and Jazziz magazines. His work has also appeared in a variety of publications worldwide, including Down Beat, Modern Drummer, Bass Player, Guitar Player, Acoustic Guitar, Guitar World, Jazzthing (Germany), Vibrations (Switzerland), Guitar Club (Italy), Swing Journal (Japan), and Guitar (Japan). Backbeat Books publishes books for people who are passionate about music, whether as performers or avid fans. Based in San Francisco, Backbeat Books is an imprint of the Music Player Network, a division of CMP Media, LLC.

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