Jaco Pastorius
The Birthday Concert

Happy Birthday John Francis Pastorius the Third!

It's December 1, 1981, and in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, they are celebrating the thirtieth birthday of Jaco Pastorius: the bassist who revolutionized the use of the bass in music. Pastorius has always been someone who loved popularity and showcasing his skill, which is why, for this birthday, shortly after the release of the spectacular "Word Of Mouth," a spectacular concert was organized where great pieces composed by the great Jaco were heard.

The 'Word Of Mouth Big Band,' in addition to the quintet composed of Jaco Pastorius on bass, Michael Brecker on tenor saxophone, Bob Mintzer on tenor and soprano saxophone and clarinet, Don Alias on congas and Peter Erskine on drums, consists of a series of accompanists who had the honor of warmly wishing the great bassist a happy birthday at the end of the concert (besides having played with him on a very important night for him).
The concert begins with Pastorius speaking and publicly greeting his mother, after which it begins: an excellent intro of classic jazz style and here comes the iconic "The Chicken" by the great Jaco and the legendary PeeWee Ellis (famous bassist of James Brown). A grand jazz piece, energetic, virtuosic, and full of that bravado typical of the great Pastorius that seems to shine through in this wonderful piece. A magnificent entrance for the band that fills the audience with joy and emotion. At the end of the piece, John Francis III wishes us a good evening first orally and then with the splendid bass solo Continuum, also present on the artist's debut album, expressing all the controversial passion of the birthday boy.

Next "Invitation" by Bronislau Kaper gives a warm invitation to the audience who warmly welcome this wonderful and complex fusion piece of nearly 18 minutes. Spectacular, in this case, is the use of the congas that bring to mind great classics like "Black Market" by Weather Report, which marked Pastorius' great debut in the ranks of the greatest fusion band in music history.
Now come the important pieces: "Three Views Of A Secret" drives the audience crazy and, honestly, even me as I'm listening to it right now. The piece is played with a cleanliness and precision that demonstrates the great class of the members of the 'Word Of Mouth Big Band'. Absolutely a magnificent piece for passion, emotional charge, and rationality.

Immediately after comes another piece that makes everyone go wild: "Liberty City". The brass inject pure adrenaline into the listener and the relentless rhythm lets one savor the sense of freedom, joy, and lightheartedness of people who are comfortable with themselves. In my opinion, one of Pastorius' greatest pieces, also present, like the previous piece, on the album "Word Of Mouth" released the same year. A warm round of applause shows how much the audience is enjoying the band's performance up to that moment.
Then comes a truly WOW piece: Punk Jazz, a raw, dirty jazz, not perfect as usual, free of metrics, pure expression without the hindrance that the meticulous rules of classic jazz can bring. Truly lively and free this piece, another among the best written by Jaco.

After showcasing the most beautiful pieces by John Francis III, it's time to wish the bass genius: a splendid rearrangement of "Happy Birthday" by the maestro Larry Warrilow that you will surely want to play on your own stereos at your next birthdays. Truly fabulous, compared to the tiresome boredom of the Hill sisters' version. Closing this parenthesis comes a beautiful piece of pure Latin rhythm: "Reza", a fabulous song full of joy and passion that shows how much Jaco was inspired by Latin rhythms.
Passionate piece also "Domingo" which mixes the tranquility and emotions of slow pieces with the joy and vitality of the brass in lively pieces: a truly complete and absolutely fabulous piece. And after yet another "Good evening" (probably sampled) and a presentation of the band of about two and a half minutes here comes Jaco Pastorius to close the concert and his birthday with one of the finest bass solos he has ever done, the piece is called "Amerika" and a roaring applause from the audience shows appreciation for the prowess of the magnificent bassist.

It was certainly a great night that first of December eighty-one, and this album is surely the memory of one of the truest and closest live performances to the greatest bassist in the world and in history. TWACK!