Roxy Roca

Remembering the great Jaco Pastorius who was born on this day in 1951. Known for revolutionising the role of the electric bass in jazz, Pastorius brought the instrument out of the background into the center of the stage. His playing was known for its highly technical, latin-influenced 16th-note funk, lyrical soloing on fretless bass and innovative use of harmonics. He was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1988, one of only seven bassists so honoured, and the only electric bass guitarist. He recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader and was a member of the jazz fusion group Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. He also collaborated with numerous artists, including Pat Metheny and Joni Mitchell. Here, he is performing “Donna Lee” with Bobby Mintzer on saxophone, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Othello Molineaux on steel drums, Peter Erskine on drums and Don Alias on percussion live at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 1982.