Retro Chicken

I don’t know why but for some reason I am completely obsessed with Jaco these days. I was searching around You Tube and found an amazing trio version of the Weather Report classic “Teen Town” (it is incredibly fast and Jaco quotes “Third Stone from the Sun” – how can you get any better?), featuring a guitar player I have never heard of - Bireli Lagrene.

I looked him up on Wikipedia and they said he was a gypsy prodigy (learned the Django repertoire by the time he was eight, that kind of thing), and I vaguely remembered seeing him in Guitar Player magazine. But then I found this and wow – why isn’t Bireli Legrene a household name? Listen and be amazed.

I’ve already posted a big band version of the Chicken by Jaco Pastorius, this is a wild trio version with John Scofield on guitar - I don’t know who the drummer is. Scofield is a jazz guitar legend, and he has been around for ever, having played with Miles and everyone else - all the solos in this video clip are awesome.

Teen Town featuring Jaco from the classic Weather Report album Heavy Weather – the band’s mainstays are Wayne Shorter (became famous in the sixties as the sax player with Miles after Coltrane) and Joe Zawinul (from Vienna, also with Miles in the late sixties). The sound quality is not the greatest, but check out the bass parts – wow!

First there was organ jazz, then the fusion scene, now it is Medeski, Martin and Wood. Complete virtuosity, impeccable musicianship, groove, interesting phrasing and harmonies, comfortable in the pocket or at the frontiers of tonality – MMW is the ultimate Jazz/Groove ensemble.

I went to college with these guys and it was obvious then that they were going to be huge – their student recitals were to packed houses, they were featured in every honors group, they got the choice gigs around town, and they generated a sincere excitement every time they performed. It was only a question of time before someone gave them a break.

Whether or not you dig out-there instrumental music, it is worth your time to give MMW a listen – if nothing else, you will be dazzled by their complete mastery of their instruments and the incredible way they interact with each other.

For my money Jaco Pastorius was one of the greatest bass players ever. He was the musician’s musician; boasting exceptional chops, masterful groove, taste, grace, finesse, and a mastery of many different styles and feels. He revolutionized the electric bass and his influence can be heard everywhere.

“Portrait of Tracy” is a short piece from his first solo album (the self-titled “Jaco Pastorius”) featuring an innovative use of harmonics. The solo in the video clip quotes the harmonics-laden melody from the studio recording within the greater context of an extend improvisation.

When I was in college, James Blood Ulmer would come to Boston a few times a year with a trio featuring James Blood on guitar (and intermittent vocals), Jamaaladeen Tacuma on bass and Grant Calvin Weston on drums. They were incredible, alternating songs between free-form-jams and semi-folksy-“funk” tunes (to this day Grant Calvin Weston is the greatest drummer I have ever seen live).

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything with James Blood and this group online, but while searching for “James Blood” I stumbled upon this video featuring him with Ornette Coleman from the mid-1970’s. Ornette (on alto) is known is the pioneer of free jazz and James Blood made his name playing guitar with Prime Time, Ornette’s electric “funk” band.

The video is from 1974 even though it looks about 30 years older.

There is no question that Charles Mingus was one of the most important musicians of the late 50s/early 60s. Beside from being a virtuoso bass player (his sideman gigs throughout the 40s and 50s is a virtual whose-who of jazz), he was an inspired, innovative and ingenious composer – often hailed as the continuation of the Jellyroll Morton-Duke Ellington legacy. He fused earthy blues roots with twentieth century classical ideas and formed a bridge between the world of straight-ahead jazz and the free jazz movement.

The great Eric Dolphy (on alto in this video clip) toured extensively with Mingus (as well as with John Coltrane and as a solo artist). While this clip is old (filmed with crusty technology) and doesn’t show off Mingus, it does give a great taste of the absolutely wild forays into the stratosphere that were Eric Dolphy’s signature style.

For a wild (if raunchy) read, and a fascinating glimpse into the mind of Mingus, check out his classic memoir – Beneath the Underdog. (I don’t know how much of it is true - whatever is true, is wild, whatever is not - makes great fiction.)

Everyone was always talking about Pat.

“I met Pat here.” “I used to play with Pat.” “Did you hear Pat’s new album.” “Dude, Pat rocks.”

I have the album 80/81, and yes - it is very awesome, but why so much hype?

This clip (featuring Pat Metheny and Michael Brecker) explains everything - true you need to be a jazz-head to appreciate it - but Pat sounds incredible. His leads and comping are tremendous - it is just a shame I lived in ignorance of “the true awesomeness of Pat” for so long.

I first heard tenor master Archie Shepp on his amazing solo album the “Magic of Juju” - side one is a twenty-five minute sax solo with drums and African percussion (and it is incredible). This video gives you a taste of his awesome chops and distinctive tone - enjoy.

I was searching you tube and I couldn’t find anything I would consider “definitive Jaco” - though I did find this clip of him with the Word of Mouth Big Band (his band). Jaco (the dude on bass, for those who don’t know) sounds great and the steel drum player is killer - wow.