John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III (December 1, 1951–September 21, 1987) was an American jazz musician and composer widely acknowledged for his skills as an electric bass player,[1][2] as well as his command of varied musical styles including jazz, jazz fusion, funk, and jazz-funk. He is regarded as one of the most influential bass players of all time, and the only post 1970 jazz musician known on a first name basis.[3]
His playing style was noteworthy for containing intricate solos in the higher register. His innovations also included the use of harmonics[4] and the "singing" quality of his melodies on fretless bass. In 2006, Pastorius was voted "The Greatest Bass Player Who Has Ever Lived" by reader submissions in Bass Guitar magazine.[2] He was inducted into Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1988, one of only four bassists to be so honored (the others being Charles Mingus, Milt Hinton, and Ray Brown), and the only electric bassist to receive this distinction. Pastorius suffered from mental illness and substance abuse, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982.[5] He died in 1987 from a beating sustained from a doorman while trying to gain entry into the Midnight Club in Fort Lauderdale at age 35.[1]
John Francis Pastorius III was born December 1, 1951 in Norristown, Pennsylvania[2] to Jack Pastorius (big band singer/drummer) and Stephanie Katherine Haapala Pastorius,[6] the first of their three children. Jaco was of Finnish, German, Swedish and Irish ancestry.[6]