Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius (1979) (1LP Vinyl, Japan, 25-3P-84) - Near Mint (NM)

Condition: Used

Media Condition: Near Mint (NM)

Sleeve Condition: Near Mint (NM)

Jaco Pastorius by Jaco Pastorius.

Few debut albums arrive with the sheer force of personality that Jaco Pastorius brought to his self-titled statement. This is the sound of a bassist rewriting the rules of his instrument, a record that announced a new voice with total confidence. From the first notes, the electric bass is no longer content to sit in the background; it sings, it phrases, it leads.

Side A opens with a jaw-dropping reading of "Donna Lee," the bebop line delivered with a fluidity that immediately reframes what the fretless bass could do. From there the album moves through "Come On, Come Over," the meditative "Continuum," the pairing of "Kuru / Speak Like A Child," and the celebrated "Portrait Of Tracy," a piece built on harmonics that remains a touchstone for players to this day. Every track from "Come On, Come Over" onward carries a writing credit for Pastorius himself, underscoring just how much of this vision came from a single restless imagination.

The second side broadens the palette further. "Opus Pocus" leans into atmosphere and texture, "Okonkolé Y Trompa" explores a hypnotic interplay of rhythm and horn, "(Used To Be A) Cha-Cha" struts with playful invention, and "Forgotten Love" closes things on a reflective note. Taken together, the nine pieces form a portrait of an artist unwilling to stay in any single lane, moving between bebop, funk, ballad, and something entirely his own.

Behind the boards, the project was produced by Bobby Colomby, with engineering handled by Dave Palmer and Don Puluse and assistance from Ted Hammond. The care in the recording lets every nuance of Pastorius's tone come through, from the woody warmth of the fretless to the crisp attack of his fastest passages. Herbie Hancock contributes liner notes, a fitting endorsement from one of the era's great keyboard voices, and Fred Heller Management Enterprises directed the enterprise around it. The visual presentation, designed by Anthony Maggiore and Ed Lee with photography by Don Hunstein, gives the release a striking cover to match the music inside.

This is the Blue Epic label pressing bearing the classic script logo, dated to 1979 according to the label's discography. It arrives complete with its Obi and a single-sided 11" insert, the sort of details that collectors prize and that place the record firmly in its moment.

For anyone building a collection of essential jazz and fusion, this album is more than a curiosity; it is a foundational document. It captures a musician at the exact instant of breakthrough, and it still sounds like the future decades later. A cornerstone release, and one that rewards repeated listening.

Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. Donna Lee
A2. Come On, Come Over
A3. Continuum
A4. Kuru / Speak Like A Child
A5. Portrait Of Tracy
B1. Opus Pocus
B2. Okonkolé Y Trompa
B3. (Used To Be A) Cha-Cha
B4. Forgotten Love

Credits:
Anthony Maggiore - Design
Ed Lee - Design
Fred Heller Management Enterprises - Directed By [Direction By]
Dave Palmer (2) - Engineer
Don Puluse - Engineer
Ted Hammond - Engineer [Assistant]
Herbie Hancock - Liner Notes
Don Hunstein - Photography By [Photo]
Bobby Colomby - Producer [Produced By]
Jaco Pastorius - Written-By (A2 to B4)

Notes:
Includes Obi and a single-sided 11" insert.

Blue Epic label with script logo. Due to the label discography presumed released in 1979.

Artist: Jaco Pastorius

Format: 1LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Epic

Catalog Number: 25・3P-84

Release Year: 1979

Country: Japan