As a member of the 1970s jazz fusion groups Weather Report and Word Of Mouth, electric bassist Jaco Pastorius composed, arranged and produced some of the era's most compelling music. He was best known for his flamboyant stage presence that included dancing, jumping and spinning while playing rapid-fire notes on the bass. Tragically, Jaco's life was cut short at the age of 35 in a fight outside a nightclub.
Brian Bromberg was originally a drummer who switched to acoustic bass while in high school. When he heard Jaco Pastorius play, Bromberg switched again to electric bass. He says "Jaco's music" was unlike anything anybody had ever heard before."
Jaco Pastorius' original version of Teen Town appeared on Weather Report's landmark album Heavy Weather. Brian Bromberg blends a little funk with hip hop on the arrangement of Teen Town for his album Jaco.
Jaco Pastorius first made a name for himself in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he played bass for various pop and R&B acts that came to town. He worked with guitarist Pat Metheny before joining Weather Report in 1976. In addition, he was a sought-after session player; released a critically-acclaimed solo album; and toured and recorded with his own group Word Of Mouth. Jaco's downfall came in the mid-1980s. His addiction to drugs and alcohol sometimes led to violent outbursts on stage and off. In 1987, he was beaten to death by a security guard who claimed Jaco was trying to break into a Florida nightclub.
Brian Bromberg also covers the Jaco Pastorius compositions Continuum, Three Views Of A Secret, Portrait Of Tracy, and the funky Come On, Come Over which originally featured soul duo Sam and Dave on Jaco's debut album.
Bromberg plans to release four new albums in 2003: An all-acoustic follow-up to his 2001 album Wood; a jazz fusion album; an improvisational jazz CD featuring his quintet; and a smooth jazz recording titled The Message Within.