I really do love the bass as an instrument. I own one, a very nice late 90's Fender Jazz in a classy tuxedo black/white scheme and yes I can hack away in clumsy "it's the bottom four strings of a guitar, except lower" fashion but I can hardly claim to actually PLAY bass, for real. I have a deep regard for those who truly can.
I'm not even sure what I was originally looking for but in a stream-of-consciousness Youtube session one night on vacation I ran across an old Hot Licks instructional/demo video of Jaco, from 1986:
[sorry all, original link to video is dead, will replace if/when it becomes available again]
I started in casually watching but quickly realized what an astonishing, historic document this really was. Jaco, arguably the most innovative bass player ever to live interviewed by towering bass legend Jerry Jemmot, and a live jam with John Scofield and Ken Dennard! It is heart rending viewing knowing that within a year of filming Jaco would be living on and off the streets in the throes of mental illness before being beaten into a coma and eventual death in a Miami alley.
I really started taking notice after the blaze of technical command and precision at 14:03... and another breathtaking display at 18:10 and an amazing off the cuff jam duet at 21:46... Maybe this wasn't Jaco in his absolute prime but it is such a joy to watch one of the greatest that ever was. One thing I found striking in the discussion on influences (54:11) it boiled down to Elvis, whatever was on the radio; eventually Jerry himself in the Atlantic era, Bernard Odum, Bootsy Collins, James Jamerson, Paul Chambers, Gary Peacock. So in other words, nothing out of the ordinary - same people and things that influenced everyone else at the time, but he just took it way out into outer space.
Jaco seems just a hair "behind the beat" here on the questions, a trifle hesitant but lucid and together. Tons of great content for any stringed instrument player, and worth the watch just to see Jaco grinning madly in full command going toe to toe with John Scofield. It blows my mind to think that he came to such a tragic end; just shows you it could happen to anyone.
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