From the Bottom: The Bassists of HEJIRA (1976)

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 19 чер 2024
  • #bass #basshistory #analysis #bassgrooves #paulthompson
    In Episode #5, I explore Joni Mitchell's legendary 1976 album HEJIRA and the three incredible bassists that contributed to it--Max Bennett, Chuck Domanico, and of course, Jaco Pastorius. We'll talk about each player, where there career was at at the time of this recording, what gear they might have used, and if they had anything to say about recording this masterpiece. In particular, we'll really get to explore the beginning of the Jaco/Joni collaboration and what made it so special. I'll be breaking down basslines for each track and a first: some of my favorite LYRICS from this record! Join me in exploring one of the great albums #fromthebottom.
    *DISCLAIMER - I'm exploring bassists and bass playing in this series, so I don't get into "Amelia" (check ‪@RickBeato‬ for a great video on that song) or "A Strange Boy"--songs that don't include bass.
    00:00 Intro
    02:19 Jaco Pastorius/"Coyote"
    06:28 Max Bennett/"Furry Sings the Blues"
    09:13 "Hejira"
    11:48 "Song for Sharon"
    13:56 "Black Crow"
    16:12 Chuck Domanico/"Blue Motel Room"
    19:36 "Refuge of the Roads"
    21:56 Outro
    Website: www.paulthompson.us
    Instagram @pdbass74

КОМЕНТАРІ • 552

  • @damonrondeau8416
    @damonrondeau8416 3 роки тому +102

    I was a 16 year old bass player in 1976. Jaco had exploded in the night sky, lighting up everything, showing us stars we never knew were there... I already loved Joni; "Court and Spark" was a favorite album. I bought "Hejira" the moment it came out and since then it's just been eternal. I'm so happy how much you get this record and how thoughtfully you present the bass-playing. A beautiful job, man. I'll look for more from you!

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому +14

      Love this. I was born in '74 and can only imagine what it was like to hear this as NEW. Thanks for watching.

    • @strat0871
      @strat0871 3 роки тому +8

      I was a 16 year old bass player in.. 1978 bro !

    • @loiseaunoir1021
      @loiseaunoir1021 3 місяці тому +1

      @@pdbassI played it all the time

  • @williamlowe7718
    @williamlowe7718 3 роки тому +145

    Jaco's work with Joni, to me, is his best work ever. He was the consummate sideman, and her work was tailor made for Jaco, and he meshed with her on a level that transcended any other artist he ever played with...even Zawinul, or Stern...

    • @russcoleman2338
      @russcoleman2338 3 роки тому +23

      Apparently Joni kept complaining at a session bass player and he said.....'you need to get with this guy (Jaco). He plays all that weird stuff.'

    • @muonani
      @muonani 3 роки тому +21

      Jaco's playing with Joni is a perfect example of how sincere love for another and her art brings out the best and even more.

    • @thelantern9075
      @thelantern9075 3 роки тому +4

      Completely agree.

    • @uboweeg
      @uboweeg 3 роки тому +5

      With you there.

    • @kevinb3812
      @kevinb3812 2 роки тому +6

      I wasn't sure how unique I was about my feelings of Jaco's work with Joni, that it may well have been his finest expression. It's good to read your words and know I'm not alone! Maybe it's because Joni wanted Jaco's input and ideas and he wasn't clashing with fragile male egos.That and the fact that her songs are such a great framework with which to work!

  • @longhaulblue
    @longhaulblue 3 роки тому +36

    My favorite Joni album. My room-mate and I both played jazz and we'd sit in bed in our dorm room and fall in love with her and her music. The title track never ceases to amaze and delight. Back then it was an ear-opener...no drums and the bass didn't play bass but was a co-vocal, the tune held together with the guitar figures. Sweet.

    • @acehandler1530
      @acehandler1530 3 роки тому +4

      Yes - so Joni, so unique 💖 🇨🇦

    • @bertoray5497
      @bertoray5497 Рік тому +2

      Yes. It was a musical conversation.

  • @room34
    @room34 3 роки тому +52

    Confession: I clicked "Like" before this video even started playing.

    • @NicolaLarosa
      @NicolaLarosa 3 роки тому +9

      We all did. :-)

    • @meekoloco
      @meekoloco 3 роки тому +4

      @@NicolaLarosa Yup

    • @SNTOSN
      @SNTOSN 3 роки тому +3

      Yes... the content on this channel is great. And it is an incredible album.

  • @reidwhitton6248
    @reidwhitton6248 2 роки тому +12

    All of the tunes are brilliant but Song For Sharon just takes me away. I feel like I'm in that car with Joni flying down the highway. And her background harmonies are beautiful.

  • @Steve-yx1xj
    @Steve-yx1xj 2 роки тому +20

    I'm a Joni fan, this is my favourite of her albums. When I first heard 'Hissing of Summer Lawns' I found the music difficult but knew it was important, this was the same but even more so. I needed time to learn this new language, 46 years on and I'm still listening and learning.

    • @trackie1957
      @trackie1957 2 роки тому +4

      I remember hearing “Hissing “ when my older sister bought it. It was such a departure from her prior stuff (at least her albums my sister owned) that I didn’t like it. I just wasn’t emotionally prepared to appreciate it at that time in my life. Now I’m 65 and still have a lot more to explore in her work.

  • @IrnBruNYC
    @IrnBruNYC 2 роки тому +22

    This is my favorite album ever and I thought I knew everything there was to know about it. But I never realized that Jaco Pastorius was double and triple tracking his bass in order to achieve the chorus effect. I’m glad other people, especially music teachers, recognize Hejira for the absolute masterpiece that it is. Thank you so much for this video.

  • @markgriskey
    @markgriskey 3 роки тому +19

    1976 was the year man!!! "Fusion" jazz was new and exciting ... Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Billy Cobham and Weather Report were creating this sound. So much great music came out of the mid 1970s! Fortunately - The mid seventies were such powerfully creative years in the evolution of popular music.

  • @evertschut
    @evertschut 3 роки тому +14

    Being a singer-songwriter myself I was already a huge Joni fan when she recorded Heijira, but I'd never heard of Jaco Pastorius. At the time I did go to jazz venues to watch the local fusion bands (blossoming in my town), but rarely listened to jazz on record. Heijira absolutely opened up a new world for me. Not only was it the best album Joni ever made (along with her double live album with Jaco, Pat and the rest), I was blown away by what the bass players were doing to Joni's music. She'd finally got the band she so deserves.
    I record my own songs playing all the instruments. Bass guitar is still a mystery to me. As a guitarist I would think it couldn't be all that difficult. But my bass playing sucks big time. Since trying to play bass I have a lot more respect for the bass dude! Thanks a lot for explaining what Jaco and the others are actually playing here. It doesn't make me a better bass player (I know, I would need to practice hours a day to achieve that - maybe), but at least this wonderfull mystery is a little clearer. By the way, I named my son Jaco because of Heijira, and the song Heijira will be playing at my funeral.

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому +2

      ☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽THIS right here!!☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽 Amazing!! Thank you!

    • @acehandler1530
      @acehandler1530 3 роки тому +2

      Wow, good one 💖 🇨🇦

    • @oldestgamer
      @oldestgamer 2 роки тому +3

      I find that many musicians really don't have a grasp of how much the bass makes a song, or how to make that happen on bass. Once I got it, the bass became my main instrument. Way too often, both in bands (been there) and by the public, the bass player is dismissed as the least musical/technical player when it is often the opposite.

  • @johnhowardnardine6815
    @johnhowardnardine6815 3 роки тому +22

    My favorite album of all time... Wait, think about that. I'm 60--a music lover my whole life--and I'm saying this is my favorite album of all time. This introduced me to the bass guitar, so much so that I moved from guitar as my primary instrument to the bass. I will never tire of listening to this album. Thanks for this insight into the techniques Jaco used.

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому +4

      Thank you for watching! You understand this album way more than I ever could. I'm glad you approve!

    • @hmmmmm7499
      @hmmmmm7499 2 роки тому +4

      This has been my stuck-on-a-deserted-island album since it first came out.

  • @timothyclaffey9138
    @timothyclaffey9138 2 роки тому +8

    One of the things I love most about Jaco is the sustain he got with that fretless, and nowhere is that more demonstrated than on the title track, Hejira. When I heard it for the first time living in London I immediately went out and got my first fretless bass. To this day I don't think there has been a more unique, gifted genius of such immeasurable influence even beyond his instrument than Jaco. But sadly that genius had a sidecar of demons.

  • @alexmanne
    @alexmanne 2 роки тому +9

    I had also heard of Jaco before I'd ever heard Joni Mitchell's music. The only reason I actually checked out Hejira was because I learned Jaco played on it. I really loved the album when I heard it. It's among my couple dozen favorite albums. But even still, it took over 10 years to dive into the rest of her catalog and realize she is an unbelievably brilliant musician.

  • @tomasandrew9354
    @tomasandrew9354 3 роки тому +45

    “Hejira” is my favorite album by anyone ever, and I clicked on your video as soon as I saw it on my feed. It’s great that this video was from a bassist’s perspective, and this was an awesome video and great tribute to the great bass masters who played on this genius of an album. You gained a follower here.

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому +3

      Wow, thank you!

    • @IrnBruNYC
      @IrnBruNYC 2 роки тому +6

      I am thrilled that so many other people are posting that this is their all-time favorite album. I thought maybe I was the only one.

    • @tomasandrew9354
      @tomasandrew9354 2 роки тому +2

      @@IrnBruNYC I thought I was the only one, too, but over time I keep seeing more fans of it! 👍🏾👍🏾

    • @Steve-yx1xj
      @Steve-yx1xj 2 роки тому +4

      Mine too, I have all of Joni's albums and this is the best.

    • @jonathanmorgan7503
      @jonathanmorgan7503 2 роки тому +2

      I was introduced to this album as a teenager around '85. I was instantly hooked at Joni's landscapes she painted with words. The accompanying music is perfect. Hejira is my all time favourite record, my most treasured piece of vinyl. Thanks for great background to the bottom end pdbass, you have another new follower here.

  • @vernonhall6804
    @vernonhall6804 3 роки тому +24

    Glad to see this. I just watched the live Shadows and Light concert and it made me weep. I always felt Hejira was the most incredible Joni ever, and that's saying a lot. I'm 66, still fretless, still missing Jaco. Thanks for teaching me so much. Im just a guy with a bass or three, no frets and no formal training. Still i reach unashamedly for the stars.

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому +3

      🙏🏽for watching and this comment. You’ve said more here than I ever could!

    • @skierpage
      @skierpage 3 роки тому +3

      You have to go beyond watching Shadows and Light video. The album has "God Must Be a Boogie Man," luckily caught on cassette from the mixing board, and it swings SO F***ING HARD. Joni, Jaco, and Don Alias on congas are so playful but locked on. It's one of the greatest live performances I've ever heard.

    • @bassman1219
      @bassman1219 3 роки тому +3

      You're so right about the song Hejira on Shadows and Light...the live concert....that song makes me cry especially as Micheal Breaker vamps his solo out with Joni, Jaco and Don Alias on congas joining the rhythm.

    • @patbassman8251
      @patbassman8251 2 роки тому +4

      @@bassman1219 Love Jaco on Shadows and Light he's like hey everyone im gonna blow your mind , its so cool to see all those other great musicians turning their heads towards Jaco in admiration.

    • @Mooseman327
      @Mooseman327 2 роки тому +5

      I caught the Shadows & Light tour at Red Rocks, Colorado, a few weeks before they did the film concert. A perfect, magical night, nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with the lights of the city of Denver merging in the distance with the shimmering stars in a cloudless sky. It was as if you were on another planet. Joni wore a dress that wafted in the soft breeze. The Persuasions opened and then came back to close the show with Joni. One of the greatest concerts I've ever experienced. And, yes, it was a better performance than the filmed concert.

  • @Erdogio
    @Erdogio 6 місяців тому +4

    No words for this video! Amazing. Made with the love and respect Joni Mitchell and Jaco Pastorius deserve ❤

    • @westwindpainting
      @westwindpainting 5 місяців тому +2

      This Guy speaks on a level that is amazing. .I wish my teachers in life had his gift

  • @SithMirth
    @SithMirth 2 роки тому +4

    First of all, it was my bass instructor who turned me on to Joni Mitchell, he referred me to Miles of Aisles for the bass player in there. But after I snatched up the rest of her albums soon after, Hejira became my fast favorite. I feel heartened that the reasons I loved it were articulated in your lecture here.
    But now I want to know more about Phoebe Snow, holy crap. I listened to one song and now I must learn more. Thanks for that!

  • @danpro4519
    @danpro4519 Рік тому +5

    I'm not sure if I'd say Hejira is my favorite Joni album (so tough to choose!!). . . But I will say every song on that album strike me as something that ONLY Joni could ever dream of writing. The complexity, artistry, lyricism are absolutely stunning. Coyote is probably all of that encapsulated in one magical piece. It's probably my favorite song she ever wrote. Oh, and yes, I think Jaco's bass in particular is what really pushes this album into the sublime.

  • @jeffreyphillips1234
    @jeffreyphillips1234 3 роки тому +2

    Thanks for what you do. I Love Joni and Jaco. I met him in '79. Played Frisbee with Jaco and watched him play that night in Salzburg. Changed my life. Thanks for what you do

  • @boblester738
    @boblester738 2 роки тому +5

    I was 17 when this masterpiece came out. My musical landscape has never been the same. Thanks for a marvelous exploration of a truly seminal work.

  • @dfreeman120
    @dfreeman120 10 місяців тому +1

    Played this album on an 8 track cassette in a van going from Philly back to Los Angeles in January 1977. This was a mind blowing album and like you said Paul, Jaco was at his peak on this without question. It’s one thing to hear this album wherever now but to actually hear Joni’s genius traveling compositions while on the road for days on end was surreal !

  • @gretagroce9072
    @gretagroce9072 Рік тому +2

    I am a Joni Mitchell fan after she delved into her jazz influenced work. Love “Hissing of Summer Lawns” and most of the Court and Spark album. Funny thing is that I met the Furry that her “Furry Plays the Blues” song is based on. It was Memphis around 1966 when I was just a kid. Furry Lewis ( Beale Street) came to the house and played bottle neck blues behind his head for a captivated little girl. Hence my collection of guitars over the following decades is much greater than my amateurish ability. Will have to listen to Hejira, now. .Have a Fender P bass set up close as I can to James Jamerson’s. Grew up on Motown in the 60’s. You mentioned another that I appreciated. Phoebe Snow. I agree. Thank you for your knowledge and analysis of bass players. Really appreciated.

  • @cuneytsonmez
    @cuneytsonmez 3 роки тому +25

    I can't thank you enough. I've learn't a lot from this like; Hemiola, old school chorus and Max Bennett. Since I heard this album, as a bass player I used to dream about being a part of this kind of project because of the things hit me like story telling, poetry, extraordinary song forms and great musicianship. This was completeley different from everything I've listened so far at that time, actually it still is. I'm now printing the lyrics. Thanks a lot.

  • @DianeLee999
    @DianeLee999 2 роки тому +6

    The lyrics on this album will never leave you once you’ve really listened. “A strange boy is weaving a course of grace and havoc on a yellow skateboard through midday sidewalk traffic.” Yikes! Put those lyrics with surpassing musicianship all around and you have the gift that is Hejira. 💜🙏

  • @JonathanLindsay
    @JonathanLindsay Рік тому +4

    There is no way to overstate how this record filled my jazz/punk rock mind with wonder. I never heard anything like this even though I was familiar with Jaco, but it was my intro to Joni. What a moment in time!

  • @Bob-of-Zoid
    @Bob-of-Zoid 2 роки тому +6

    Joni put chord progressions in order most would scoff at as unsuitable, but she made the transitions work, and with it upset the tradition of song arrangement and writing. She heard things others couldn't easily imagine. It's why so many greats stood in line to play on her albums, and when asked didn't turn her down!

  • @THEBEATPOETS1
    @THEBEATPOETS1 3 роки тому +9

    Fabulous album, I agree this is a masterpiece.

  • @CarlosMorales-tn9sf
    @CarlosMorales-tn9sf 9 місяців тому +2

    BRAVO PRESENTATION. 1976 Was a spectacular year during this RENIESANCE period. I was 19yrs. & learning so much as a non-musician. HEAVY WEATHER; WIRED, J BECK; JACO'S SOLO; HEJIRA; ROYAL SCAM; STATION TO STATION; ROMANTIC WARRIOR. Electricity was in the air!

  • @kevbob
    @kevbob 2 роки тому +4

    So good. While I was first a fan of Jaco when I was studying music in college in 81-84, I had juuuust missed his tenure in Weather Report, when I saw them with Victor Bailey in his place. I dropped out of the local scene after this, and was less active as a player and spectator, therfore never got to see Jaco play live during his long decline after that. However, as much of a music buff as I was, and I am almost ashamed to admit it, but I just knew the superficial basics of Joni Mitchell's career until last year when I finally took a deep dive. One of the main things that just kicked me in the hind was.. I was in prime position in the San Francisco area to catch a lot of legendary Joni performances.. and I just didn't soak it up then. What a loss, but for anyone else who hasn't jumped in to her catalog, just do it. It is easier now than ever.

  • @SteveWaage1950
    @SteveWaage1950 3 роки тому +9

    Spent the morning listening to Hejira and Jaco's first album "Jaco Pastorius". Thanks for reminding us just how great these albums and their composers are.

  • @mauriciomartinez4405
    @mauriciomartinez4405 10 місяців тому +2

    Man! Thank you for opening the Doors ti the music that you love! I've discovered so many gratis albums I have missed along the years... I can't say it enough Thank you so much!

  • @RASTAxSKATE
    @RASTAxSKATE 3 роки тому +5

    I am addicted to this album at the moment. I love refuge of the roads, such beautiful bass playing!

  • @nathanharman5398
    @nathanharman5398 3 роки тому +26

    Oh man, I looked away for a second, then you started playing Hejira and my jaw dropped. Hard to nail Jaco but you were bang on there! The entire video was amazing as always.

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому +5

      Thank you!! He continues to inspire me.

  • @SuperJayfive
    @SuperJayfive Рік тому +2

    Love your appreciation of this album. Spot on !

  • @davidhamp9297
    @davidhamp9297 Рік тому +2

    excellent video! i know nothing of bass playing--but been a fan of Ms. Mitchell for many years. when this album came out i was 15 and it changed my life forever. truly. got to see her Shadows and Light tour in 1979 with Jaco and Metheny and Michael Brecker and Don Alias and it was the greatest concert i've ever seen. check out the DVD if you can and hopefully a remastered version of the LP will be out in the next year or so, as Joni is putting out all these amazing box sets. again, thank you!

  • @arthurbrown2567
    @arthurbrown2567 2 роки тому +3

    This is an INCREDIBLE album, Joni Mitchell's best!!!

  • @mysterbear
    @mysterbear Рік тому +3

    Thank you for featuring this gem 💎! Mitchell is a musical giant. Thanks, Canada 🇨🇦

  • @paulcochrane1028
    @paulcochrane1028 Рік тому +1

    What a wonderful dissection of the soul of an album. Thank you so much!

  • @ajadrew
    @ajadrew 3 роки тому +11

    Almost like his ghost is walking off into the distance - beautifuly put 😊 👍

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому +2

      Thank you and thanks for watching!

    • @ajadrew
      @ajadrew 3 роки тому +2

      @@pdbass Hejira is my #1 record of all time, great video 😊 👍

  • @tomasbeckvaldivia3358
    @tomasbeckvaldivia3358 2 роки тому +2

    Thank you for the class, professor!

  • @jhendrixrush
    @jhendrixrush 3 роки тому +26

    When I thought you topped it with your Nightfly video, you’ve done it again. Keep it up man!!!

  • @natefriendsmusic6478
    @natefriendsmusic6478 3 роки тому +20

    Thanks for shedding so much light on these essential records Paul! It’s a master class every, single, time!

  • @alanlegge696
    @alanlegge696 2 роки тому +3

    Superb , my favourites are Hejira and Refuge Of The Road ...Jaco is on fire !!!

  • @juliosilvacordova2500
    @juliosilvacordova2500 3 роки тому +1

    WOW, I just discover this channel. It's AMAZING. It's the only video in the whole fuckin world who talks about Hejira's bass playing. Pure Gold!

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому +1

      Many thanks for watching!!

  • @fredkrissman6527
    @fredkrissman6527 2 роки тому +4

    Wow! Not a bassist, or even a musician, yet learned so much from this vid... I grew up "with" Joni as her evolution matched my own life; Hejira and her earlier Blue are my 2 fav discs, and you have deepened my already boundless love of Joni generally, and Hejira specifically! Thanx

  • @timkossmusic8754
    @timkossmusic8754 2 роки тому +1

    Congratulations! and Thank you for putting this work together. It's one of my favorite LP's, with 3 of my favorite bass players. Too much! Yes...

  • @danielparsons2859
    @danielparsons2859 Рік тому +1

    There is a lot of passion put into the videos on this channel. Love it. And I don't even play the bass. Just a music lover.

  • @patrickselden5747
    @patrickselden5747 2 роки тому +2

    Hejira's one of my favourite albums, Paul, and your essay here's just added layers of knowledge to my enjoyment. Thank you very much, dudemeister... ☝️😎

  • @jamesparker4215
    @jamesparker4215 Рік тому +2

    Watched a few of your clips in a row - Paul Denman, Nick Beggs, Tiran Porter, YYZ and this one on my fave Joni album and a real desert island disc for me. You are doing something special with a clear love of eclectic music expressed with a nod to emotion in the playing and the overall work - nicely done, happily subscribed!

  • @trackie1957
    @trackie1957 2 роки тому +2

    Wow. I’ve loved this album since it came out, and Joni is my hands down favorite musician, but after watching/listening this, I realize that I have a lot more to appreciate. And this is just ONE of her albums…

  • @olavisaksjoflot2932
    @olavisaksjoflot2932 3 роки тому +11

    Love Joni Mitchell - I also love this album. I'm split between Amelia and Refuge of the Roads for my favorite tracks on this one. I never thought of Jaco multi tracking his basslines, but of course he would have had to; impossible to do any other way. Thanks for the video and the musical insights, - looking forward to seeing more from You going forward! 😎🎼

  • @onesixfive
    @onesixfive 3 роки тому +13

    The amount of work that you put into producing these is evident and your understanding of the material is enormous. I was looking for a copy of “Shadows and Light” for a long time, then found a promo copy on my birthday a couple years ago. Tonight I’m going to crank it up, loudly. Your recreation of Jaco’s style is amazing, what a tribute. This channel is criminally underrated.

    • @philgray1000
      @philgray1000 3 роки тому +4

      shadows and light is a personal fav. have it on vinyl and dvd, both quite enjoyable for this old hippie. the channel AND joni are both underrated, imo.

    • @onesixfive
      @onesixfive 3 роки тому +2

      @@philgray1000 I’m with you brother. To go from Pat in S&L to Larry here, this is a good portion of my record collection overall!

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому +4

      Thanks, guys! The more you listen, the more you love it, right?

    • @jackhagan5553
      @jackhagan5553 3 роки тому

      It's on UA-cam guys

    • @johnwyke-smith7402
      @johnwyke-smith7402 3 роки тому

      Brilliant analysis Paul . I have loved this album that was given to me on my 20th birthday back in 1976. I have listened to it many many times, but your insights have made me hear it again in totally different way. Thank you my friend.

  • @lopezb
    @lopezb 2 роки тому +2

    Awesome! Thank you so much!

  • @timajax4800
    @timajax4800 2 роки тому +6

    Great review and info and I love Hejira but I think the work Jaco did on Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter was every bit as good if not better.

  • @christopherlinder7618
    @christopherlinder7618 2 місяці тому +1

    This is absolutely great! Thank you so much for clearing up the details! (I never knew there were two other great bassists on this album, it was all Jaco to me.) You really did a great job with this.

  • @jackstrang1488
    @jackstrang1488 3 роки тому +5

    Just. Wow!
    I first got this album in ‘76 a couple of days after its release. I played it incessantly and bought copies for my friends and family. I was captivated by Jaco’s bass and Joni’s music. They took me to familiar places I’d never consciously been before.
    “Black Crow” and “Song for Sharon” are my favorite songs from the album, but after watching this video, I’ll definitely revisit the title track.
    Thank you, Paul, for this enlightening video!
    New subscriber here. 👍🏼

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому +1

      🙏🏽for watching and subbing, Jack!

    • @acehandler1530
      @acehandler1530 3 роки тому +1

      Her 'melancholy' is pure comfort - I always tear-up when I listen to this album. Her loneliness is EPIC 💖 🇨🇦

  • @richardlovell4713
    @richardlovell4713 3 роки тому +6

    This has been one of my top 10 albums ever since it was released. Apart from your great insights into the musicianship (which open up another dimension into my appreciation of the album), it’s great to encounter someone from another generation who enjoys its sublimity and the stunning lyrics. Thank you.

  • @andydixon6759
    @andydixon6759 8 місяців тому +1

    Incredible album. I loved Jaco's playing on this way before I knew who he was

  • @ailishbethd4033
    @ailishbethd4033 2 роки тому +4

    Great video! Thank you. Jaco was the man. Greatest bass player ever. I'm a little biased because I fell in love with him when I was 16. There was no other bass player like him. Such a tragic ending. I love Joni, and it is only natural that Joni and Jaco would come together to producer some beautiful music.

  • @ili626
    @ili626 2 роки тому +2

    This video was a great way to appreciate this album. Thank you.. and so cool to hear Phoebe Snow mentioned.

  • @livy1962
    @livy1962 2 роки тому +1

    Thank you for writing this love letter to one of the greatest albums ever.

  • @samotonasiom7688
    @samotonasiom7688 3 роки тому +4

    great analisis man, thank you from Argentina. im listening Hejira right now

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому +1

      Wonderful! Thanks for checking it out!

  • @gerardmclernon8149
    @gerardmclernon8149 Рік тому +1

    I used to listen to Hejira every morning after coming home from a Night Shift. I always imagined that it was the music at the end of a movie when the credits would roll.

  • @JimboG72
    @JimboG72 Рік тому +3

    Jaco and Joni are like hand in glove. Love this album and your take on the bass playing is enlightening. I wish there were more content like this on UA-cam, thanks.

  • @Markperna1
    @Markperna1 3 роки тому +6

    One of my favorite albums! I use to play with a lot of female singer-songwriters and Jaco’s parts on Hejira were highly influential (i.e. I outright stole most of it) on what I played behind them. I still run through the opening lick of Refuge of the Roads as a warm up whenever I play fretless. One of Jaco’s best bass melodies.

  • @arthurbrown2567
    @arthurbrown2567 2 роки тому +1

    Jaco is INCREDIBLE on the title cut!!!!

  • @westwindpainting
    @westwindpainting 5 місяців тому

    I am back again. Watching my favorite bass guy on social media...you have a incredible gift with speaking. ..your commentary is fluid and articulate and without stammer or pause.

  • @nylesfrench3568
    @nylesfrench3568 Рік тому +1

    Great Post, as usual extremely informative. I remember when this album came out. We all knew Jaco from his landmark debut. Joni is amazing and the album is Amazing and important

  • @markusmuller2190
    @markusmuller2190 2 роки тому +2

    This is great! i just discovered this channel. Second video i saw and: wow, so good! Thx a lot for giving all that information. I love the song hejira. Have a nice time!

  • @philhoggmusic
    @philhoggmusic 3 роки тому +6

    Exemplary again, love your enthusiasm, clarity and getting to the heart of things with one of my favourite albums too! Thanks for the Phoebe Snow heads-up. Love this series - thank you :)

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому +1

      🙏🏽for watching!!

  • @kendaniels2179
    @kendaniels2179 3 роки тому +1

    Paul. As a guitar player who plays bass just well enough to get over (whenever there are too many guitarists!) I'm fascinated by your series. What a fabulous idea, beautifully executed. Dissected without overanalyzing everything, so as to capture the nuance and musicality, while still opening the door to how it was played and recorded. Not to mention your own chops, coupled with wading into some of tallest musical weeds to chop down. Bravo!

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому +1

      Thank you, Ken! Thanks for checking it out!

  • @Fabio_Enne
    @Fabio_Enne 3 роки тому +6

    I can’t explain exactly how much I appreciate what you do and how you do it. A big thank you! Hejira is one of my fav!

  • @philliplund37
    @philliplund37 3 роки тому +1

    I'm 60 years old and I started playing bass 5 years ago. I just discovered your channel today and I love your passion and all the knowledge you share. I've been a big Joni Mitchell fan for a long time, but it seems like years since I last listened to her albums. I'm now going to go back and give them all another spin. Thank you for this 😊

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому

      Awesome! Thank you for watching!

  • @TheTones10
    @TheTones10 Рік тому +1

    LOVE THIS ALBUM! Buddy of mine turned me on to this album and was blown away! Especially knowing Jaco was playing on several of the tracks. Trivia note: Jaco Pastrorius also played bass for an artist by the name of Little Beaver. He played bass on a cut called "I Can Dig It Baby" on Little Beaver's "Party Down" album. And on the credits, Jaco went by the alias, "Jocko Pardon". @pdbass

  • @stevesmith3990
    @stevesmith3990 2 роки тому +2

    Great video, thanks. I'm primarily a Prog rock fan of Yes, Rush, Genesis, Floyd etc but a big Joni fan too and yes Hejira is one of the best albums of all time for me.

  • @outinacornfield
    @outinacornfield 2 роки тому +2

    Astonishingly good! Sincerely grateful to you, Mr PD Bass.

  • @philippel.5013
    @philippel.5013 3 роки тому +1

    What a beautiful video, informative, informed and passionate. I am a guitar player who loves the bass, and a decades-long devotee of Joni Mitchell. This is all such amazing music. Thanks for doing this work. These kinds of things make life a little more bearable these days.

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому

      Thank you and 🙏🏽for watching!

  • @bazgolin1036
    @bazgolin1036 3 роки тому +7

    Your videos are great! Well produced, thoughtfully composed, and well played on all those basses. When you mentioned Jaco’s 16th notes, it reminded me of the Berklee Bass Dept webinar tribute to the late, great Tower Of Power bassist, Rocco Prestia. TOP bandleader Emilio Castillo was on it and said that Jaco worshipped Rocco (who was famous for his 16th notes and ghost notes) and would come to the TOP NYC gigs and sit in with the band - especially on the 16th note bass frenzy that is ‘What Is Hip?’. Jaco would take his mother to the show and she’d say to Jaco, “Why don’t you play more like him?!”. Might be a Rocco/Jaco/16th note/Joni link there! And well done to you!

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому +4

      No doubt! Thanks for watching!

    • @normanhirschfeld3823
      @normanhirschfeld3823 3 роки тому +3

      It is a myth that Rocco Prestia was an influence on Jaco and his 16th note funk lines. Jaco started moving in that direction already in the late 60's, and had perfected that part of his playing as early as 72' while on the road with Wayne Cochran! In other words he had it together BEFORE TOP and Rocco made it big. It's also very telling that out of the couple of dozen interviews Jaco made through the years, he NEVER mentioned Rocco as an influence! He usually mentioned people like Jerry Jemmott, Duck Dunn, James Jamerson but NEVER Rocco! Not even in the modern electric bass video where he had all the time in the world to talk about his influences ;)

    • @bazgolin1036
      @bazgolin1036 3 роки тому +1

      @@normanhirschfeld3823 - just passing on what I heard from the bandleader’s mouth, which I found interesting. I just had a glance at Wikipedia, and Rocco’s finger style is mentioned as an influence on Jaco. They were both amazing musicians!

    • @patbassman8251
      @patbassman8251 2 роки тому

      @@bazgolin1036 I wouldn't take what Wikipedia as gospel , it was writen that Tommy Robinson is a right wing neo nazi complete lies.

  • @frankfanacht1838
    @frankfanacht1838 2 роки тому +1

    Thanks for this wonderful video. I will now hear and enjoy this album mote than before.

  • @gigidayz6936
    @gigidayz6936 2 роки тому +3

    Joni Mitchell is my favorite artist of all time and this album is definitely my favorite. Jaco was absolutely singular in his collaboration with her!!

  • @winstonschwarz1636
    @winstonschwarz1636 Рік тому +1

    This is one of my favorite bass vids of all time. I want to thank you for all your hard work, your honesty and fundamental openness. Also I bought this album when I was 11 after seeing Jaco on West German television. As you can probably imagine Joni's lyrics and music was lost on me but the sound of the fretless connected with me on a spiritual level. Now in my 58th year I cannot listen to Refuge of the Roads with welling up. Few songs make me do this. Right, where's my Jaco copy bass?

  • @ockeghem1495
    @ockeghem1495 2 роки тому +2

    Great video! I don't play bass or much jazz, but I'm a BIG Joni fan and love, love, love that album. So my favorite track (so far) is "Song for Sharon."

  • @polara01
    @polara01 3 роки тому +4

    Paul, thanks for turning me on to a really special album that I never caught before and you really help to open my mind to many different things with jazz and the way Joni fuses her styles with Jaco and everybody else here it is just unbelievable and I definitely will listen to the whole album all the way through with headphones with the lights dimmed taking it all in. This music was from an era that people really made a point of listening to everything and taking it all in that's what is lost today. At this point in time this kind of music seems like a lost art and I hope great musicians like you keep the flame burning. Thank you so much, Bob M.

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  3 роки тому +4

      Well said. Hard to imagine people today being patient enough to sit through 2 verses. Long live Joni & Jaco. 🙏🏽for watching!

  • @reliablebow
    @reliablebow 3 роки тому +1

    One of the best Albums ever... thank you✨

  • @PattyJeddyfun
    @PattyJeddyfun Рік тому +1

    Thank you for this. I learned so much about the bass.

  • @CoolB109
    @CoolB109 2 роки тому +1

    A wealth of information. Thank you.

  • @sbbinahee
    @sbbinahee 2 роки тому +1

    Great channel man. I love the bass. I have hejira and jacos debut. I will definitey pull this one out and listen again with new ears after watching this....ace!

  • @psychedout1028
    @psychedout1028 3 роки тому +2

    Thanks for your insight into this amazing album. Hejira is my all time favorite album. This album, and the track Refuge of the Roads in particular, was the perfect music that I played throughout my solo road trip around the country in 1978; living in the back of a station wagon and coming of age. It was the best time of my life and Joni Mitchell will always be an intregral part of that.

  • @jasonsykes6510
    @jasonsykes6510 2 роки тому +1

    @21:41; the message is the most beautiful imagery of Jaco’s ghost. 🙏🏻

  • @redmirage13
    @redmirage13 3 роки тому +1

    So True this album gets better each time I listen to it ! ...

  • @Kaufonme
    @Kaufonme 6 місяців тому

    Hejira, the album as a whole but that song specifically, completely sums up the human experience. It’s actual perfection. I want that song played at my funeral or something.

  • @riblets1968
    @riblets1968 Місяць тому

    I found Hejira by way of Jaco also. I first heard Jaco on a song from Al Di Meola's debut solo album Land of the Midnight Sun (1976), and I was accordingly blown away.

  • @oldmanpence4803
    @oldmanpence4803 10 місяців тому

    I’ve only ever heard the title track of this album, but your breakdown has encouraged me to go back and check out the whole thing. Thank you man, what an amazing walkthrough of this epic album. 🙏

  • @edbarry1724
    @edbarry1724 3 місяці тому

    Dude ! You did it again. You featured two of my all time favorite albums this being one and giving me a wider view of the genius that is in this album. Bravo man
    You are amazing

  • @Squirrelconga
    @Squirrelconga 2 роки тому +1

    This LP is on my quick-grab rack!!! It's that important to me!
    📀💜
    Thanks for diving into this! Glad 🙏 that I found your channel!

  • @thesongwritersdropin2565
    @thesongwritersdropin2565 2 роки тому +2

    Thank you for showing the excellent bass and musicianship on this Iconic Joni album. great video,very inspiring.

  • @ricobonifacio1095
    @ricobonifacio1095 Рік тому +1

    I love this video. Thank you for all the work you put into it.

  • @ricardocorbie6803
    @ricardocorbie6803 Рік тому +1

    I love your passion and knowledge!! Thanks

  • @Transterra55
    @Transterra55 Рік тому

    Although "Amelia" was not featured because it does not have a bass, it might be one of the greatest songs Joni wrote--absolutely sublime. Fantastic video! LOVE your perspective from a bassist point of view. Max Bennet had such a cool style.

  • @lavatar3562
    @lavatar3562 2 роки тому +2

    Inspiring and informative analysis.
    Love this album!

    • @pdbass
      @pdbass  2 роки тому

      Glad you enjoyed it!

  • @jinjxmusic
    @jinjxmusic Рік тому

    Thank you so much for this. I'm an 80s baby and by the late 90s/early 2000s Napster and other early pirate sites played bits of Hejira. I was into Jaco and Weather Report and learning that most of the Weather Report band of that era played with Joni meant she was legit to me. Then a few years later I was living in Chicago and bought "Hejira" from Virgin Records. I had a CD walkman (I know right LOL) and listened to that beautiful record all the way back home on the train to 95th. That was about twenty years ago and I was just listening today to "Refuge of the Roads" and hit in the heart at how beautiful it is. That record was my introduction to so much and it's a beautiful piece of complex artwork.