Word of Mouth (Jaco Pastorius album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Word of Mouth
Type = Album
Artist = Jaco Pastorius


Released = 1981
Recorded = 1980 - 81
Genre = Jazz
Length = 44:02
Label = Warner Bros. Records
Producer = Jaco Pastorius
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:mpeb97qjkrht~T1 link] |
Last album = "Jaco Pastorius" (1976)
This album = "Word of Mouth" (1981)
Next album = "Invitation" (1983)

"Word of Mouth" was the second album by Jaco Pastorius, released in 1981 while the bassist was a member of Weather Report, and also the name of a big band group that Pastorius assembled and with whom he toured from 1980 to 1984. While his debut album showcased his eclectic and impressive skills on the electric bass, "Word of Mouth" focused more on his ability to compose and arrange for a large band. The album still shows off Pastorius' skill, most notably in the solo opening to the Bach-written "Chromatic Fantasy" and the title track, in which Pastorius' bass is drenched in fuzzy distortion. "Crisis" also features a fast bass pattern looping, which runs under the frantic soloing. Most of the rest of the album's bass is highly subdued and blends into the band's arrangement, allowing them to shine through.

The band's all-star cast included Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Peter Erskine, Jack DeJohnette, Michael Brecker, Don Alias and Toots Thielemans. Early presses of the album did not include a list of musicians, though later releases listed only the names of the performers in respective, unnamed groups (for example, the main band was the first block of names.)

The title of the album is the namesake for the Pastorius tribute album "Word of Mouth Revisited".

Track listing

All tracks written by Jaco Pastorius except where noted.

#"Crisis" – 5:17
#"3 Views of a Secret" – 6:05
#"Liberty City" – 11:57
#"Chromatic Fantasy" (Johann Sebastian Bach) – 3:01
#"Blackbird" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 2:48
#"Word of Mouth" – 3:53
#"John and Mary" – 10:52

*"Word of Mouth" is listed as being 4:21 in the liner notes, as it begins with the feedback at the end of "Blackbird" and ends with the whispering and giggling at the start of "John and Mary".

External links

* [http://www.jacopastorius.com Official Jaco Site]