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.
