On May 12, 2024, David William Sanborn died aged 78. He was musician (alto saxophone, piano), one of the most highly regarded session musicians. He recorded and performed with some of the best-known artist of the modern music including Albert King, Little Milton, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Al Jarreau, James Brown, Bryan Ferry, Michael Stanley, Eric Clapton, Bobby Charles, Cat Stevens, Roger Daltrey, Paul Simon, Jaco Pastorius, the Brecker Brothers, Michael Franks, Kenny Loggins, Casiopea, Players Association, David Bowie, Todd Rundgren, Bruce Springsteen, Little Feat, Tommy Bolin, Bob James, Pure Prairie League, Kenny G, Loudon Wainwright III, George Benson, Joe Beck, Donny Hathaway, Elton John, Gil Evans, Carly Simon, Guru, Linda Ronstadt, Billy Joel, Kenny Garrett, Roger Waters, Steely Dan, Ween, the Eagles, Grateful Dead, Nena, Hikaru Utada, The Rolling Stones, Ian Hunter, and Toto. As leader, Sanborn released 25 albums.
Tag Archives: Jaco Pastorius
Wayne Shorter
On March 2, 2023, Wayne Shorter died aged 89. He was musician (saxophone) and composer. He was member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and Miles Davis’s Second Great Quintet, and then co-founded the band Weather Report. Many of the Shorter’s compositions have become jazz standards and his work earned critical praise worldwide. In 1970, he won “Down Beat’s” annual poll-winner, winning the critics’ poll for 10 consecutive years and the readers’ poll for 18 consecutive years. Shorter recorded and performed with Donald Byrd, Billy Childs, Pino Daniele, Lou Donaldson, Benny Golson, Gil Evans, Toninho Horta, Norah Jones, J. J. Johnson, Don Henley, Wynton Kelly, Michael Landau, Lionel Loueke, Grachan Moncur III, Milton Nascimento, Michel Petrucciani, The Rolling Stones, Masahiko Satoh, John Scofield, Esperanza Spalding, Steely Dan, Bobby Timmons, Kazumi Watanabe, Buster Williams, Herbie Hacock, Tony Williams, Joe Zawinul, Freddie Hubbard, Joni Mitchell, Lee Morgan, Jaco Pastorius, Carlos Santana and McCoy Tyner. In 2008, “The New York Times” described Shorter as “probably jazz’s greatest living small-group composer and a contender for greatest living improviser”. In 2017, he was awarded the “Polar Music Prize”. As leader, Shorter released 28 albums.
Herbie Hancock: Sunlight
On June 15, 1978, “Columbia” label released “Sunlight”, the 19th Herbie Hancock album. It was recorded in 1977, and was produced by David Rubinson and Herbie Hancock.
Personnel:
- Herbie Hancock – lead and background vocals (vocoder), keyboards, synthesizers, string, brass and woodwind arrangements
- Patrick Gleeson – additional synthesizers
- Bennie Maupin – soprano saxophone solo
- Wah Wah Watson, Ray Parker, Jr. – guitar
- Byron Miller, Paul Jackson, Jaco Pastorius – electric bass
- Leon “Ndugu” Chancler, James Levi, Harvey Mason, Sr., Tony Williams – drums
- Raul Rekow, Bill Summers – percussion
- Baba Duru – table
- Bobby Shew, Maurice Spears, Robert O’Bryant, Garnett Brown – brass
- Ernest J. Watts, Fred Jackson, Jr., Jack Nimitz, David Willard Riddles – woodwind
- Terry Adams, Roy Malan, Nathan Rubin, Linda Wood, Emily VanValkenburgh – strings
- David Rubinson, Fred Catero, Chris Minto, Cheryl Ward – engineer
- Steve Mantoani – engineer
- Terry Becker – engineer assistant
- Phill Brown – mastering
Track listing:
All tracks by Herbie Hancock, except where noted.
- I Thought It Was You – Herbie Hancock, Melvin Ragin, Jeffrey Cohen
- Come Running to Me – lyrics by Allee Willis
- Sunlight
- No Means Yes
- Good Question
Howard Johnson
On January 11, 2021, Howard Lewis Johnson died aged 79. He was musician (tuba, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, trumpet), member and leader of the tuba ensembles Tuba Libre, Substructure, and Gravity. He recorded and performed with some of the world best known musicians and bands, including George Gruntz, Hank Crawford, Gil Evans, Charles Mingus, Hank Crawford, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Archie Shepp, Hank Mobley, Levon Helm, Tomasz Stanko, Gary Burton, Gábor Szabó, Bob Thiele, Charlie Haden, Jazz Composers, Andrew Hill, Leon Thomas, Johnny Coles, Taj Mahal, Charles Tolliver, The Band, Carla Bley, John Lennon, Sam Rivers, Gato Barbieri, Jaco Pastorius, Muddy Waters, Dexter Gordon, Clifford Jordan, David “Fathead” Newman, James Taylor, Jack De Johnette, Jimmy Heath, Franco Ambrosetti, George Gruntz, Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, NDR Big Band, Ray Anderson, Barbara Dennerlein, John Scofield, T. S. Monk, Mario Pavone, and Chet Baker. As leader he released four albums.
Jaco Pastorius
On September 21, 1987, John Francis Anthony “Jaco” Pastorius III died aged 35. He was a musician (bass), a member of Weather Report (1976 – 1981). Regarded as one of the best world bass players, he worked and recorded with Joni Mitchell, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Randy Bernsen, Little Beaver, Ira Sullivan, Albert Mangelsdorff, Ian Hunter, Airto Moreira, Tom Scott, Flora Purim, Cockrell & Santos, Michel Colombier, Manolo Badrena, Michel Polnareff, Bob Mintzer, Brian Melvin, Jimmy Cliff, Brian Melvin Trio, and Mike Stern. In 2006 Pastorius was voted “The Greatest Bass Player Who Has Ever Lived” by readers in Bass Guitar magazine, and was inducted in the Down Beat “Hall of Fame”. During his lifetime Pastorius released four albums as a leader.
Christian McBride: Sci-Fi
On September 11, 2000, “Verve” label released “Sci-Fi”, the fourth Christian McBride studio album. It was recorded in February 2000, at “Avatar Studios”, and was produced by Christian McBride.
Personnel:
- Christian McBride – upright and electric bass, keyboards
- David Gilmore– acoustic and electric guitar
- Herbie Hancock– piano
- Shedrick Mitchell – piano, electric piano
- Toots Thielemans– harmonica
- Ron Blake– soprano and tenor saxophone
- James Carter– bass clarinet
- Rodney Green – drums
- Dianne Reeves– vocalese
- Joe Ferla – recording, mixing
Track listing:
All tracks by Christian McBride, except where noted.
- Aja – Walter Becker, Donald Fagen
- Uhura’s Moment Returned
- Xerxes
- Lullaby for a Ladybug
- Science Fiction
- Walking on the Moon – Sting
- Havona – Jaco Pastorius
- I’ll Guess I’ll Have to Forget
- Butterfly Dreams – Stanley Clarke
- Via Mwandishi
- The Sci-fi Outro
Jaco Pastorius: Invitation
In December 1983, “Warner Bros” label released “Invitation” the third Jaco Pastorius album. It was recorded at various venues during a tour of Japan, featuring his “Word of Mouth” big band, and was produced by Jaco Pastorius.
Personnel:
- Jaco Pastorius— electric bass
- Peter Erskine– drums
- Othello Molineaux– steel drum
- Don Alias– percussion
- Jean “Toots” Thielemans– harmonica
- Bobby Mintzer– soprano and tenor saxophone
- Mario Cruz– soprano and tenor saxophone, clarinet, alto flute
- Randy Emerick – baritone saxophone, clarinet
- Alex Foster– alto, soprano and tenor saxophone, clarinet, piccolo
- Paul McCandless– tenor saxophone, oboe, English horn
- Randy Brecker– trumpet
- Elmer Brown, Forrest Buchtel, Ron Tooley – trumpet
- Jon Faddis– trumpet
- Wayne Andre– trombone
- Dave Bargeron– trombone, tuba
- Peter Graves – bass trombone, co–conductor
- Bill Reichenbach– bass trombone
- Peter Gordon, Brad Warnaar – French horn
Track listing:
- Invitation – Bronisław Kaper
- Amerika – traditional
- Soul Intro/The Chicken – Jaco Pastorius, Pee Wee Ellis
- Continuum – Jaco Pastorius
- Liberty City – Jaco Pastorius
- Sophisticated Lady – Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Mitchell Parish
- Reza/Giant Steps/Reza (reprise) – Jaco Pastorius, John Coltrane
- Fannie Mae – Buster Brown, Clarence Lewis, Morgan Robinson
- Eleven – Miles Davis, Gil Evans
Joni MItchell: Hejira
In November 1976, “Asylum” label released “Hejira”, the eighth Joni Mitchell studio album. It was recorded in 1976, at “A&M Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Joni Mitchell. In 1991, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album cover at number 11 on its list of the “Greatest Album Covers of all Time”. In 2000, “Spex” magazine critics voted it the 55th greatest album of the 20th century.
Personnel:
- Joni Mitchell – vocals, acoustic and electric guitars
- Larry Carlton – acoustic and electric guitar
- Jaco Pastorius– bass guitar
- Max Bennett– bass guitar
- Chuck Domanico– double bass
- John Guerin– drums
- Bobbye Hall– percussion
- Victor Feldman– vibraphone
- Neil Young– harmonica
- Abe Most– clarinet
- Chuck Findley, Tom Scott– horns
- Henry Lewy – recording, mixing
- Steve Katz – mixing, production assistant
- Keith Williamson – art direction
- Joel Bernstein, Norman Seeff– photography
Track listing:
All tracks by Joni Mitchell.
- Coyote
- Amelia
- Furry Sings the Blues
- Hejira
- Song for Sharon
- Black Crow
- Blue Motel Room
- Refugee of the Roads
Weather Report: Mr. Gone
In September 1978, “ARC” label released “Mr. Gone”, the ninth Weather Report album. It was recorded in May 1978, at “Devonshire Sound Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Joe Zawinul and Jaco Pastorius.
Personnel:
- Joe Zawinul- modified Rhodes 88 electric piano, acoustic piano, two ARP 2600 synthesizers, Oberheim polyphonic synthesizer, Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 synthesizer, Mu-Tron Bi-Phase and Mu-Tron Volume Wah effects, kalimba, thumbeki drums, sleigh bells, melodica, high hat, voice
- Wayne Shorter- tenor, alto and soprano saxophone, voice
- Jaco Pastorius- bass, drums, timpani, voice
- Peter Erskine- drums , high hat , voice
- Tony Williams, Steve Gadd- drums
- Manolo Badrena- voice solo
- Jon Lucien, Deniece Williams- voice
- Maurice White- vocal
- Alex Kazanegras – engineer
- Dave Mancini – second engineer
- Nancy Donald – design
- Lou Beach – cover illustration
Track listing:
- The Pursuit of the Woman with the Feathered Hat – Joe Zawinul
- River People – Jaco Pastorius
- Young and Fine – Joe Zawinul
- The Elders – Wayne Shorter, arranged by Joe Zawinul
- Gone – Joe Zawinul
- Punk Jazz – Jaco Pastorius
- Pinocchio – Wayne Shorter
- And Then – music – Joe Zawinul, lyrics – Sam Guest
Jaco Pastorius: Same
In August 1976, “Epic” label released the self-titled, debut Jaco Pastorius album. It was recorded in October 1975, at “Camp Colomby Studios”; “Columbia Recording Studios C&B” in New York City and was produced by Bobby Colomby.
Personnel:
- Jaco Pastorius – electric bass
- Sam Moore, Dave Prater– vocals
- Herbie Hancock- clavinet, Fender Rhodes, electric piano, piano
- Alex Darqui – Fender Rhodes electric piano
- Richard Davis– bass
- Homer Mensch– bass
- Narada Michael Walden– drums
- Lenny White, Bobby Economou – drums
- Othello Molineaux – steel drums
- Leroy Williams – steel drums
- Don Alias– congas, bongos, percussion, okonkoko iya, afuche
- David Sanborn- alto sax
- Michael Brecker- tenor sax
- Howard Johnson- baritone sax
- Wayne Shorter- soprano sax
- Peter Gordon – French horn
- Hubert Laws- piccolo, flute
- Randy Brecker, Ron Tooley – trumpet
- Peter Graves – bass trombone
- David Nadien, Harry Lookofsky, Paul Gershman, Joe Malin, Harry Cykman, Harold Kohon, Matthew Raimondi, Max Pollinkoff, Arnold Black – violin
- Stewart Clarke, Manny Vardi, Julian Barber, Al Brown – viola
- Charles McCracken, Kermit Moore, Beverly Lauridsen, Alan Shulman– cello
- Michael Gibbs- string arrangements
- Michael Gibbs- string arrangements, conductor
Track listing:
All tracks by Jaco Pastorius, except where noted.
- Donna Lee – Miles Davis
- Come On, Come Over – Jaco Pastorius, Bob Herzog
- Continuum
- Kuru/Speak Like a Child – Jaco Pastorius, Herbie Hancock
- Portrait of Tracy
- Opus Pocus
- Okonkolé Y Trompa – Jaco Pastorius, Don Alias
- (Used to Be a) Cha-Cha
- Forgotten Love
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