JACO PASTORIUS “Heavy’n Jazz“ The Medley! Purple Haze, Teen Tow, Third Stone

The Medley: Purple Haze/Third Stone from the Sun/Teen Town Jimi Hendrix Jaco Pastorius 7:00 JACO PASTORIUS Heavy’n JazzBroadway Blues BlumaTHE MEDLEYPurple Haze The third stone from the sun Teen townStar spangled banner RezaHonestlyInvitationJaco ReggaeTotal time: album you’re holding is another sparkling diamond out of the incredible jewelry box of Gertraud Jankejová and her husband and producer Jan Jankeje. After LIVE IN ITALY and HONESTLY, which presented material from the first tour in March, this CD HEAVY’N JAZZ is what we were all waiting for, the documentation of that wonderful concert in Rome, Dec. ’86, the tour highlight. Everybody who listens to LIVE IN ITALY will see what a long road those two outstanding musicians have travelled together. A lot of creative work and pursuing private interests throughout the summer and last but not least the support of Serge Bringolf on drums results in that unbelievable intensity and virtuosity that gives this CD it’s special you’ll realize soon the second tour is much more rock-related and heavy in it’s sounds. Not only what they play (Hendrix, Deep Purple) but how they play it, especially the immensely powerful and pushing guitar of Bireli Lagrene and the hammering bass, shows how open-minded these musicians were. It makes this CD really HEAVY’N JAZZ. Review by David Ross Smith  [-] Heavy ’n Jazz is the last live Jaco Pastorius performance currently available to the public, (Producer Jan Jankeje) and is one of the most truly satisfying of his trio recordings. The album is heavy, as the title suggests, thanks to a powerful trio fronted by guitarist extraordinaire Bireli Lagrene displaying his fiercest rock chops. A fast-paced outing with more rock inflection than usual, the compact disc boasts very good sound quality. The performances contrast nicely with Pastorius’ live jazz recordings with the Word of Mouth big band (Invitation, The Birthday Concert), particularly the cooker “Reza,“ which appears on all three sets in vastly different presentations. Every cut on Heavy ’n Jazz is a gem. Of particular interest are Lagrene’s solo piece, “Bluma,“ and his aggressive guitar work on the exciting, soaring “Medley,“ featuring “Teen Town.“ Pastorius’ playing on “Star Spangled Banner“ is at once terrifying and beautiful, while “Honestly“ affords him a chance to play the hits -- a collage of some of his oft-played riffs from well known Pastorius/Weather Report compositions. Heavy ’n Jazz is a must for Jaco-philes, however, jazz purists be warned. Track Listing Title/Composer Performer Time Stream 1 Broad Way Blues Ornette Coleman Jaco Pastorius 12:42 2 Bluma/Smoke on the Water Jaco Pastorius 3:00 3 The Medley: Purple Haze/Third Stone from the Sun/Teen Town Jimi Hendrix Jaco Pastorius 7:00 4 The Star Spangled Banner Francis Scott Key / John Stafford Smith Jaco Pastorius 5:02 5 Reza Jaco Pastorius Jaco Pastorius 5:39 6 Honestly Jaco Pastorius Jaco Pastorius 6:28 7 Invitation Bronislaw Kaper Jaco Pastorius