Album Notes

This release is Holiday Park Record's "music only" version of its critically acclaimed audio biography "Portrait of Jaco - The Early Years."

Titled "Jaco Pastorius - The Early Years Recordings," this new music only Digi-pak manages to conjure up a great deal of the magic of the parent boxed set but at a third of the cost. Jam packed at 77:00, "The Early Years Recording's is comprised primarily of Bob Bobbing's collection of stereo reel-to-reel tape recordings of a young Pastorius performing around South Florida. These live recordings include Jaco playing with the R&B organ trio Woodchuck, the soul band Tommy Strand & Upper Hand, Wayne Cochran & C.C. Riders, The Peter Graves Orchestra, with Ira Sullivan, Pat Metheny, and at Criteria Studio while recording his first original demos. This Digi-pak includes a 16-page booklet of photos and extensive liner notes.

The Early Years Recordings also features several previously unheard tracks that are appearing for the very first time. The opening cut is Jaco's earliest rendition of "The Chicken" while playing in the R&B organ trio Woodchuck. This will probably be the most unique version of The Chicken you will ever hear. Then immediately following there's another incredibly funky bonus track titled "I Just Wanna Make Love To You" with young Jaco playing in Tommy Strand & Upper Hand. This NEW exclusive Early Years release also contains a complete version of "Opus Pocus" from Jaco's Florida demos revealing an additional five more minutes of music. But the most amazing treasure for Jaco fans is a newly discovered never-before-known Pastorius original titled Ballye De Nina. This 13:00 recording of Jaco playing live in the Ira Sullivan Quintet (1973) has some surprisingly good playing during the extended solos. This incredible new find also introduces guitarist Joe Diorio, who was another big influence on Jaco during that time, thus providing the final piece to the puzzle in revealing Jaco's early years evolution.

Bobbing, a teenage friend of Jaco's from their early years coming up together on the South Florida music scene, innocently captured a great deal of Jaco's inspired and creative formative years by recording Jaco on most all of his earliest musical adventures. His recordings include Jaco's earliest rhythm & blues bands and his very first original compositions. This exclusive early years collection represents a work of historical significance that provides a seamless account of Jaco's development from his very beginnings as a musician all the way up to the release of his revolutionary solo debut album. Bobbing explains, These were Jaco's Garden of Eden years in Florida when he was healthy, happy, making music and enjoying life, and you can hear that positive attitude throughout these recordings.

This rare collection takes you all the way back to the beginning when Jaco was developing his sound, his chops, his style, and his writing skills... back to when he was brazenly ignoring all the rules and well on his way to re-defining the role of the electric bass.

Jaco Pastorius - The Early Years Recordings is now available for anyone who is interested in learning about Jaco's roots as a musician.