JACO PASTORIUS – WORD OF MOUTH
Let’s visit an album that is very spiritual in nature. Not spiritual in the religious sense, but spiritual in human abilities: for exploration, of the aural senses, new frontiers and of creativity. This album along with Jaco’s talents achieved in his short troubled life gave inspiration to legions of musicians and propelled bass playing techniques into new territories. But more than that were his compositional skills during this time, utilizing a very large Jazz band format that to this day is regarded as legendary.
As a starting place for getting to know the Jaco Pastorius story, an excellent starting point is the DVD or Blu-Ray video produced by Metallica’s bassist Robert Trujillo.
https://www.discogs.com/Jaco-Pastorius-Jaco/release/8461680
Here is a list of stellar musicians that appear in the Word of Mouth band-
http://jacopastorius.com/music/word-of-mouth/
Here is a discography-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaco_Pastorius_discography
One of the main reasons I believe this album deserves to be mixed to a surround sound format, is that a simple stereo representation of this large of a band will never bring forth the true power and brilliance of the music. This album really cries out to have a larger listening sound stage that would free it from its stereo confines. The real challenge for such an undertaking would be for whoever takes up this task to create an immersive mix that does the music justice. I could easily see (as others might like as well) if it were to be produced to a Blu-Ray format, and have enough space on the disc, that there could be 2 or 3 alternate surround mixes so the listener could enjoy their preference.
What’s unique for me about this album (and others) by Jaco, is the visualizations I get from listening to his music. One of my favorite examples of this is from his self-titled 76’ album, a song named: Okonkolé Y Trompa. This is a harmonics based masterpiece that invokes a visual story (for me) of running alongside Impala like creatures on a vast alien prairie, darkened skies above and with the grasslands on fire; the creatures weaving and darting through the flames to escape. If you listen closely you’ll hear another bass line underlying the harmonics bass line.
What grabbed me the most about Word Of Mouth though was the introduction to the great harmonica player Toots Thielemans (who is prominently featured on some of the tracks); and also the influences I hear from the band he was in “Weather Report.” Perhaps influence especially from Joe Zawinal, even though they had their differences.
To get a sense of what this album may have sounded like if mixed in surround we have two later SACD releases (both worthy of owning if you like this style of music), from the band giving tribute to the music:
Jaco Pastorius Big Band – Word Of Mouth Revisited
https://www.discogs.com/Jaco-Pastorius-Big-Band-Word-Of-Mouth-Revisited/release/1795899
and
Jaco Pastorius Big Band – The Word Is Out!
https://www.discogs.com/Jaco-Pastorius-Big-Band-The-Word-Is-Out/release/1929257?ev=rr
However, I just feel these two releases; as good as they are, just don’t capture what makes the original Word Of Mouth album special, which is the musical direction of the man himself. There is also a kind of veil that weaves its way through the original music; that seems to me to be reflective of his many struggles and perhaps a sensitivity that reveals itself in the music’s dynamic qualities. Many great musical artists have memorialized Jaco in tribute songs, including Miles Davis, John McLaughlin and many others.
Some have said Jaco came onto the Jazz scene proclaiming he was “the greatest bass player in the world”; turns out he was right, and it’s not bragging if it’s true.