Visit the official Early Years site Read a letter from John Pastorius Buy it from Join discussions Spread the word

Release Date: July 5, 2003 Label: Holiday Park Records This richly illustrated boxed "Portrait Of Jaco" comes complete with an oversized 80-page full-color companion booklet of never-before-seen photos and a seamless overview of text and liner notes that cover the entire 10 years of Jaco's development in Florida. But the real story is in the music... This multimedia experience 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 and sound of the electric bass. Within this musical adventure you will hear all of Jaco's historical 'firsts' including his first experimental home recordings, his first studio session, his earliest bands, his very beginnings as a soloist, and most importantly his never-before-heard first original compositions. With a documentary flavor, this revealing story is told through the music, by Jaco's own spoken words, and with close friend's and fellow musician's first-hand recollections of events. Highlighting all of the significant developments and various influences along the way, this rare collection of materials is the complete story of Jaco's early formative years. You'll also hear Jaco's "Original Demos" recorded at Criteria recording studios in 1974, and classic recordings and exclusive interviews with Pat Metheny, Joni Mitchell, Joe Zawinul, and Herbie Hancock. For the first time these accomplished veterans look back at their associations with Jaco and provide insight into their historical collaborations. In total, Portrait of Jaco - The Early Years is a wonderful celebration of Jaco's life and music.

Tracks: