DVD Review: "Robert Trujillo Presents Jaco"
If it’s nothing else, Jaco,
a passion project from perhaps the world’s biggest Jaco Pastorius fan,
Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, is honest. It’s an honest account because,
not only does it chronicle the meteoric rise of bassist virtuoso Pastorius, it
also accounts for his decline (he was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and
living on the streets of New York City and Ft. Lauderdale and even spending
time in Bellevue Mental Hospital, before his death from a massive brain
hemorrhage in 1987). At its core, Jaco
is your prototypical biopic - directors Paul Marchand and Stephen Kijak offer
up previously unseen home movie footage and rare family photos of Pastorius,
and through these an intimate relationship between the bass legend and the
viewers is quickly built. There are also numerous talking heads the likes of frequent
collaborator Joni Mitchell as well as Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Pete Erskine,
Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Geddy Lee and Flea, who, as friends and fellow
musicians, provide an insight into Jaco the man – especially today’s well-known
bass players, which is a nice touch. There's also plenty of decent footage of
Jaco performing on stage and a bonus second disc in the package contains
numerous 'outtakes, anecdotes and stories' to help cement the legacy of Jaco
Pastorius, as if it truly needed to be. It’s easy to tell that this is a true
passion project and nothing is really glossed over or even missed for that
matter when telling this story. This is a must for fans of Pastorius, a must
for bass players and a must for all fans of music really. One thing is for sure
– Jaco is not a fluff piece.
Grade: B+
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