Jaco Pastorius
The Essential
Sony Legacy

John McLaughlin
The Essential
Sony Legacy


Two legends of the fusion era are given their due respects on these generous retrospectives cumulated and released by Sony Legacy. Both 2 cd collections contain music from a variety of labels, therefore truly giving a complete history of these jazz-rock legends. It’s truly impossible to underestimate the impact that bassist Jaco Pastorius and guitarist John McLaughlin have had on modern music; not just on jazz per se, but in all of music.

“The Essential Jaco Pastorius” does a remarkable job covering the highlights of the all-too-short career of the genre-defining bassist. The generous portion of his groundbreaking solo recording that is on this 150+ set hasn’t lost it’s ability to astonish and amaze. Iconic tunes from Weather report, like “Teen Town”, “Havona” and the famous bass/conga duet “Donna Lee” have all become points of entry for aspiring bassists. The music from visionary Word of Mouth big band produced songs like“Liberty City” and “John and Mary’ that are utterly captivating, as is his work as a “sideman” on the creative Joni Mitchell sessions. Any electronic bassist must have this 2 disc set as both an inspiration and a “music minus one” workshop. Possibly the last real catalyst in modern music.

Likewise, John McLaughlin put the electric guitar back on the map with his groundbreaking Mahavishnu Orchestra back in the 70s. This 2 disc set does an excellent job of building up to that climax, including early recordings with Graham Bond’s band (therefore with a pre-Cream Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker), Miles Davis, and the earth shattering Tony Williams Lifetime. If nothing else, McLaughlin played with a ferocity that has never been rivaled; it is still jarring to hear songs like “Birds of Fire” and “Spectrum.” Most surprisingly is how he is able to changes moods when he switches to acoustic guitar. His work with the wondrous Indian/jazz group Shakti, the guitar summit with Al DiMeola and Paco De Lucia, and his orchestral work “The Mediterranean” provide an oasis of peace and beauty amongst the electronic intensity. Absolutely captivating and thought provoking music by one of jazz’s most influential guitarists.


-George W. Harris