Jaco Pastorius Park in Okland Park , Florida

[Going For The Fish]

Jaco Pastorius Park (http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmphY29wYXJrLm9yZw==): On November 28, 2007, the Oakland Park City Commission unanimously voted to name the city's new downtown park after Jaco Pastorius, The World's Greatest Bass Player. Jaco's hometown celebrates its most famous artist with a tremendous honor: a living memorial with a focus on the arts. The 2 1/2 year grassroots effort has come to fruition. Now south Florida residents and Jaco fans worldwide will have a place to reflect upon and enjoy the legacy of a music giant. There are also plans to incorporate Jaco's name and story into the City's various performing arts events.
Thank you to everyone who has given of themselves, their time, and talents simply because they love Jaco and wanted to see him honored in his hometown. Thank you to Ingrid Pastorius, the angel who provided unwavering support from the start. Thank you to Julius, Felix, John, and Mary. Kilmo, Colin, Adam, Mike & John Bendy, B.O.B., Holly, and everyone who signed a petition. The bands, the fans, and the City Commission. And of course: thank you Jaco.
The park is located in downtown Oakland Park, Florida, at the intersection of Dixie Highway and NE 38th Street. It is between Dixie Highway and the Florida East Coast Railroad.

Here's a link to the website: http://jacop.net/jacopark2.html

[oliasdoug]

This is FANTASTIC. All these years later, I am still saddened at the things and the situation that took Jaco away from us...I'm glad his memory is being enshrined in such a noble way. He, Stanley Clarke, & Helmut Hattler are the THREE greatest bass players of all time, IMHO.

Way to go, Jaco.

[RobJ]

This really is fantastic news! I still can't get enough of his playing. Jaco was known to refer to himself as "The Greatest Bass Player in the World" and I must say I agree with him.

[Earl Grey]

I'm nearly speechless.

Better, if the guys in power had sent Jaco into rehab while he was still alive...

But it's sweet knowing Jaco's sheer genius is finally being recognized, at least in name.

He was the Jimi Hendrix of The Fretless Bass.

A true genius, a troubled soul, an original, and irreplaceable.

Not an uncommon mix of elements. But there was, and is, no one else like him, not now, and never again.

Jaco was the best.

eegee

[YYY]

King Jaco solo with her Royal Hieness Joni

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[Earl Grey]

Just listen to those harmonics! damn

He slid all over the fretless board, world without end...

[allpurechance]

Portrait Of Tracey on Weather Report's Live And Unreleased.

"I'm so glad we had this time, together. Just to have a laugh and sing a song..."

And then, he flew ...

[Earl Grey]

I never met the man.

I know a couple of people who did.

Cocaine doesn't mix well with schizophrenia.

A tragedy, how he just disappeared.

Jaco: Simply, the best.

I always sit in wonder of him.

Such a gift.

eegee

[oliasdoug]

"The Hendrix of the fretless bass guitar".......amen and AMEN.

.....reminding me of my favorite moment of all on Weather Report's 8:30 live in concert album: Jaco's solo called "Slang." Who ELSE in this plane of existence could have taken an Echoplex, created a funk rhythm with it, then cranked up the fuzz to do the melody line from "3rd Stone from the Sun," only to tone it down, do a line from "The Sound of Music," and end it with a final mighty WHANG? Only Jaco.....only Jaco. 8:30 is one of the greatest live in concert fusion-jazz recordings of all time. If you are a true Jaco fan, it is probably already in your collection.

[oliasdoug]

Just listen to those harmonics! damn

He slid all over the fretless board, world without end...

That's one concession I will agree with regarding Jaco: I have NEVER heard another bass player come up with the harmonics he conjured up on a constant basis. Leaves one with the impression that Jaco was not of this world. I feel extremely fortunate to have seen him twice on Weather Report's HEAVY WEATHER and MR. GONE tours. That little shuffle-dance he'd do on stage while playing never failed to just floor me.

[Going For The Fish]

I have never been to Florida. I really do not like high humidity places and slow traffic.;)
But now, I have a reason to go. If I ever have the chance to go to the sunshine state, this is it. I will certainly visit his gravesite and park.
It was back around 1982. I had been playing bass for about one year when on a Saturday morning I was lying upstairs in bed just waking up and as usual, my sister had begun her morning ritual of playing music.
Lots of it.
And as I was lying there I had heard something that I have never heard before. It was this keyboard laced rhythmic jazz with a relentless bassline. Really intense music. I just listened until I heard the song "Havona". Of course, I did not know the name of the song yet, but it contained what I still consider to this day, Jaco's finest moment. The bass solo that would change the way that I heard and approached the bass guitar forever to this very day.
I went downstairs and asked "who IS this?" She showed me the cover to "Heavy Weather" and as I looked at it I just knew that my record collection would take a drastic change. Oh sure, I was still in the middle of learning all of the Rush and Yes songs on bass, along with everything else that I was into at the time, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, UFO, etc. I was quite the hard rock/Heavy Metal head, but this was something completely different, and it pushed me beyond the sometimes simple yet fun bass parts that I was learning at the time. It took me a couple more years later until I would be able to play a handfull of Jaco's bass parts (the best that I could) and today I know about two to three handfulls of his work! It's hard stuff man! His impact on my playing had made me a better bass player, now 27 years later. There honestly, isn't a day that goes by that I don't have a Jaco thought. There are reminders all over my room. How could I not be thinking about the man who was "The World's Greatest Bass Player". Although I never had the chance to see him live, man I wish I could of seen his Word of Mouth band when they blew through Chicago, but I missed it, I still listen to a ton of Weather Report, Joni Mitchell, and Jaco's solo recordings along with other guest appearences. Every December 1st I have "Jaco day" in honor of his birthday and for that day, and sometimes stretching into the next week it's only Jaco's music that is played. I go through the entire catalog.
It's a shame that he still isn't here with us. I'm sure that he would have been still turning our ears more than a few times over the last 20 years.
I'm sure that he would be very humbled by having the park named in his honor. Now his memory not only has a place in all of his fans minds, it is preserved for everyone else as well.
Rest in peace Jaco. Your memory is intact forever.

[relayeire]

Jaco Pastorius Park (http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmphY29wYXJrLm9yZw==): On November 28, 2007, the Oakland Park City Commission unanimously voted to name the city's new downtown park after Jaco Pastorius, The World's Greatest Bass Player. Jaco's hometown celebrates its most famous artist with a tremendous honor: a living memorial with a focus on the arts. The 2 1/2 year grassroots effort has come to fruition. Now south Florida residents and Jaco fans worldwide will have a place to reflect upon and enjoy the legacy of a music giant. There are also plans to incorporate Jaco's name and story into the City's various performing arts events.
Thank you to everyone who has given of themselves, their time, and talents simply because they love Jaco and wanted to see him honored in his hometown. Thank you to Ingrid Pastorius, the angel who provided unwavering support from the start. Thank you to Julius, Felix, John, and Mary. Kilmo, Colin, Adam, Mike & John Bendy, B.O.B., Holly, and everyone who signed a petition. The bands, the fans, and the City Commission. And of course: thank you Jaco.
The park is located in downtown Oakland Park, Florida, at the intersection of Dixie Highway and NE 38th Street. It is between Dixie Highway and the Florida East Coast Railroad.

Here's a link to the website: http://jacop.net/jacopark2.html

this is well-deserved...

I hate to sound insensitive, but this wouldn't be one of the parks he slept in, would it? or is it a new place?

[relayeire]

wow, I think I saw Pat Metheny and possibly Chad Wackerman in there, too... who was on elec. piano?

[Going For The Fish]

this is well-deserved...

I hate to sound insensitive, but this wouldn't be one of the parks he slept in, would it? or is it a new place?


Nah, the parks that he slept in were in New York.

[Whitefish]

What shame about Jaco. I saw him once and he was so out of it, it was very sad. Yet, his playing was awesome! I don't need to add to the endless Jaco stories out there. Jaco needed serious help. Unfortunately, either he never accepted it, or people never took the initiative to get it to him. But sometimes people with issues like he had are almost beyond help. Look at the late, great Phil Lynott. People try to help them and they refuse the help that others see they need so much. I just hope the guy who killed Jaco is serving time and did not get some hot-shot lawyer to save him from being charged with murder. I am sorry for Jaco, his family and friends. God Bless him.

[Billy Sherwood HQ]

Bravo !!

Jaco lives on forever in his music. I only wish he was around to make more of it.

The park is a beautiful tribute to the man and his music...

[CerebralJazz85]

I'm so glad that Joni Mitchell became a quick fan and had him come in to record on those three late 70's albums and one live recording. The quantity of Jaco material that exists is sparse enough, and these four records were a much needed addition to the canon. But, I guess that it was just pure luck that the material on these records are among Joni's finest output. And, Jaco's presence takes the songs up to a totally different level.

[Going For The Fish]

(http://www.youtube.com/v/pCsMhBUno2g&hl=en)
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[Going For The Fish]

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