Ingrid, you are amazing. You have created such a fine tribute here. Jaco would surely be pleased, especially the dignified manner in which you handle every comment, even those that should never gave seen the light of day anyway.

Recently, I was at the 'other' site and read a post about a screenplay a fan has started. I thought it was very impressive and wrote a reply that I would like to share with you in its entirety:

Incredible!

In the mid-seventies, I got turned on to jazz by Bob James' "Heads." I was so blown away; I started buying music by everyone in the credits; and then again buying everyone in those credits. Before long, I had amassed quite a collection of all sorts of music. I walked into a store one day and saw "Heavy Weather" and immediately added it to my collection. When I got home that day, I found myself in total shock and awe. Soon I added "Jaco Pastorius" to my collection as well.

Although I have read many testimonials, there are no words in any language that can adequately describe the feeling of that sound, that Jaco sound! I could not hear it enough so I bought another copy on an 8-track tape and let it just run over and over on a continuous loop. We lived to the driving bass man. We slept with him playing low in the background; he became the soundtrack for much of our life.

My daughters were very young at the time and subsequently grew up listening to Weather Report and all things Jaco. Just last night, I told my 35 year-old daughter that I had finally gotten over the idea that YouTube was for my grandkids' age and dove in to see what was there. One of my first searches was Jaco and I have been obsessed since, devouring everything I could find about his life and music. My daughter's response was, "Momma, Jaco is immortal. His music lives on now just as it did when you played it for us all the time. Not only is his music still valid today, it also lives on in the fingers of bassists around the world." I couldn't have said it better myself.

I know every note on every cut Jaco played - or at least the ones I could find in rural Georgia where I lived at the time. Years later, imagine the absolute joy I felt when I found "Heavy Weather" on a gold CD. My next project is to add all his music on disc. Blessings to all who are making the effort to keep Jaco's legend alive.

After reading everything on www.jacopastorius.com as well as Ingrid's site, including countless reports of Jaco's tragic later years, I find your effort here is incredible. I hope and pray his feuding family sees the value in what you are doing. I would love to see the movie. The only problem I see is who would you get to play Jaco? Although Felix could be a possibility, the problem lies in that try as I might, I have yet to hear anyone (still alive) that comes close to sounding as good as Jaco. He was and is truly the greatest bass player ever. No one can touch him so you would probably have to do a lot of dubbing or you might lessen the impact you are trying to make.

My deepest regret is that I never saw him live but thanks to the Internet, I am able to experience a small slice of what I heard all my adult life. What I was not prepared for was how totally animated Jaco was all the time. I find myself mesmerized watching him play all those intricate bass notes. His talent is so transcendent; I have to remind myself that he is gone. I had always thought most of his music was dubbed and overdubbed. WOW! What an eye-opener these live videos are for me!

I have watched as many cuts as I have found and feel a deepening sorrow over his tragic end. It is such a shame he burned through the universe just before the mental health community and the general public were better prepared to deal with his disorder.

However, I bet he is somewhere right now, amused at the Internet and how many cats are obsessed with his talent and his legacy. I know he is still the greatest bass player ever and I am sure he does, too. I think I can see him smiling!

Blessings and peace to Mary, John, Felix, Julia, Sophia, Francis, Tracey and Ingrid. You have all been enriched with many blessings with Jaco in your lives.

Peace, love and light,

Patrica Ansley
scribeprosings

Listening To: Jaco and Michael Hedges

Hear here! Great post, Patricia.

Listening To: Jaco

Patricia, thank you very much for you kind acknowledgment of the site, and its content, as well as my efforts.

What's incredible to me is to hear from a fellow female (oxymoron?) who is so genuinely passionate about music, especially Jaco's sound. Love your description of him being "the soundtrack for much of your life"

Do you mean you had an 8 track of the first solo album? It so happens I have one as well, I didn't know it existed, but stumbled upon it, paying 50 cents for it.

Please ask your daughter if I may quote her. Since I've been updating the NEWS of the Cybernest, I would like to use her wording on September 21st. It is so delightful to hear of a mother turning her daughters on to Jaco.

I too am puzzled as to how a movie about his life will come about. I picture it being written and produced by young, passionate, unbiased individuals with drive, and courage to break the barrier of one-sidedness provided by the book, or any documentary that may happen at this point. Our twin sons, Felix and Julius, are not good candidates for any parts, given the sensitivity and nature of the subject. Being compared, manipulated, and taken advantage of due to their last name is more than enough of a challenge.

Jaco was indeed animated, very aware of the audience, wanting to give them a show, all coming from his love to entertain, be noticed, and noted. Regarding mental illness, I too wish I knew then what I know now. It was very painful and devastating to be in love, see/feel/witness his hurt, and then endure the frustrations and confusion he so energetically displayed, and often angrily misplaced.

The main reason I try not to feed, especially publicly, into the false allegations and feuding is because I want to keep Jaco in my mind and heart, and of those who care for him, hoping to do him justice, perhaps in a way to right any wrongs, largely because as you say I am very blessed to have known him, learned from him, shared love with him...I thank him for it all, mostly for our sons.

Thank you for your blessings to his family, Patricia, right back at you and yours.

Rhythm & Harmony, :o)

Ingrid

PS Thank you too, Chris.

Listening To: Trio Of Doom

Ingrid, thanks so much for taking the time to respond to my thoughts. Your site has given a face to the music I lived with all my life. I can see my soundtrack being played for the first time!

Before I ramble on, let me reply to your questions:

Yes, I had an 8-track of the first solo album as well as Heavy Weather! (Man, does that date me or what?) After finding Jaco, we found that although we loved many artists and many types of music, we always came back to Jaco's music. His music was never boring! By devouring everything I can find to read about all the other artists he recorded with, I am now learning that so many other tunes that I found myself stuck on and always going back to were, you guessed it, cuts Jaco played on as a guest artist. Now, I listen to Jaco’s music every day.

I spoke to my daughter, a singer/songwriter (with a day job) about you quoting her and she has no problem with that at all. Her name is Julia Elizabeth (Tomlin) Hall and, in fact, she said she would be honored for you to quote her. About my children; both my daughters have extremely high IQ’s. Julia’s was recorded at 191! A few years ago, I read a great deal about Mozart and how listening to highly complex music had a positive effect on math and other cognitive functions of the brain. Well, in our case, it was Jaco’s music. Any brain that learns to follow his notes at a very young age is destined to be talented as well. It is like brain food.

I just listened to Felix and Julius at The Big Easy. They are really smokin'. Jaco is surely smiling.

I can relate to the mental illness. Three years ago and 6 weeks before (thank God it was before and not after) I was to marry again, my fiance completely melted down before my eyes. I had no idea until then he was a long-cycling psychotic bi-polar with paranoid schizophrenic overtones. To top it all off, he was secretly self-medicating with crystal meth and alcohol; all this while wearing a tie to work everyday at a government job. The worst of it all is that his family decided to take the path of denial. Instead of getting him the help he needed, they pretended he had done nothing wrong, even with well documented monumental police evidence. This man has had no help and will have no help.

As I was reading all the things about Jaco, I wept for him, for you, your children, John and Mary and all those affected. I think of how many tried to help Jaco but all this happened just too early before better treatments were available.

Fast forward - now, I listen to your sons’ music and realize you must be an incredible mother. You have raised very talented, well balanced young men that seem to be able to handle the world quite well on their on. You should be very proud. The odds must have been stacked very high against what you have managed to accomplish with them.

Back to Jaco: please remember, I never saw him live or on tape until last week when I found him on YouTube. For all the years I had loved his music, I had erroneously assumed there was a lot of synthesizing going on with him. WOW! What a shock to see the man in action, his use of harmonics, tapping, slapping, sliding, his EcoPlex…wow. My respect exploded for his talent and it was only then I learned about the Jaco Pastorius Big Band. Man, when has a bass player fronted a big band…and so perfectly! WOW! And what a composer! Discovering Jaco on YouTube has been like the first time I heard him many years ago multiplied exponentially. I immediately sent my grandson, a self-taught killer guitar player whose talents remind me of a young Jaco, all the links I could find for him to see for himself. I told him even if he does not take up the bass, he should turn his bass player friends on to Jaco. The next day, I was speaking to my landlord, a semi-retired guitar/keyboard player, about Jaco. He had done the same with his nephew, a wannabe bassist. Tom told him to watch and learn all he could from Jaco saying there was no way he would ever be that good but if he wanted to be any good at all, he had to watch The Master.

Bravo, Ingrid! Keep up the good work. Your sons must think you are a goddess.

Blessings,

Trish

Listening To: Jaco and Michael Hedges

Patricia,

good luck on your Jaco quest. I have been a long time fan and STILL finding new material, video, audio. It's amazing, the body of work that is out there and all the stuff we haven't found yet.,

See the twins live if you can. It's the next best thing for those of us who weren't around, or too young to see Jaco firsthand. The Pastorius "feel" is very much alive, present and powerful.

Thanks Jay!

Although I have been a Jaco-head since 1976, finding all these videos and articles now is like discovering him again only better. I must say, I am obsessed, no other bassist will do! I never knew about Word of Mouth or his composing. Man, what an incredible mind he possessed. Whoever said his pen just might be mightier than his bass has a valid point. My jaw is still on the floor. Also, in my opinion, the only good Weather Report cuts are the ones with Jaco.

I plan to make a trip to Florida sometime in the next few months and seeing the twins is a priority. I cannot imagine making the trip without that on my agenda.

Have you ever listened to Michael Hedges? I wonder if his use of two-handed tapping, slapping and harmonics were influenced by Jaco's style. It is most interesting to watch the "Ariel Boundaries" videos on YouTube and see how he translates that on an acoustic guitar. Alas, he has also passed so I may never have an answer to that question.

Blessings,

Patricia

Listening To: Jaco and Michael Hedges

You're so welcome, Patricia, and thanks again for the heartfelt caring, and wonderful thoughts on Jaco, they are all great reminders, I am grateful you're sharing them.

I'm sorry to hear about the struggles your fiance and those who love him are facing... it's quite painful to see such apathy by family members, the hurt of abandonment is overwhelming. Feel free to email me.

Your collection of guitars is impressive!

Please tell Julia, I appreciate it very much. My kudos to you....you and your daughters are special women.