Sometimes attitude is everything. Rock N' Roll and its bastard child PUNK are all about attitude and a lot of times its not just a style of music. Frank Zappa is not what you would call "Punk" but he had the attitude. When Prince rebelled against his label and started insisting on being referred to as "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince" and used the now-famous symbol as his name was pretty Punk. Jaco Pastorius, the bass player for the Fusion Jazz group WEATHER REPORT was Punk Rock to the fucking bone. As the legend goes, Jaco attended a concert by WEATHER REPORT near his Florida home and afterwards approached the band's leader Joe Zawinul, introduced himself as "the greatest bass player in the world" and then proceeded to give a scathing review of the band's performance and how he would add to the band's success if he were a member. Joe told him to fuck off. That's pretty Punk. A short time later Jaco joined the band and added to the band's success - and changed the face of bass playing in every genre- in ways that cannot be underestimated.

This documentary tells the exhilarating story of Jaco's pioneering style and his heartbreaking decline. By tearing the frets out of his Fender bass with a knife, using harmonics as language and bringing in his vast musical education from his Florida upbringing that included Rock N' Roll, Blues, Jazz and Cuban music he reinvented the role of the bass guitarist and over the years has attracted a large following of diehard fans.

"The main thing that separates Jaco from Jazz's 'other' cult artists, such as Keith Jarrett and Sun Ra, is that a large portion of Jaco's devotees fall outside the Jazz realm," says contributing writer for Jazz Times Matt R. Lohr. As odd as it may seem, the documentary was produced with much love and affection by bassist Robert Trujillo of METALLICA and OZZY OSBOURNE. It contains onscreen comments from such disparate artists as Flea, Sting and collaborator Joni Mitchell. "Growing up with a father that was a musician and specifically into Latin Jazz, my musical choices differed from most kids I knew that were into Rock N' Roll. I had an appreciation for the art of playing and knowing your craft," states former SACCHARINE TRUST and CIRCLE JERKS bass player Earl Liberty. "Before Punk I was into Progressive Jazz and I was most interested in the sounds of the rhythm section and I really came to appreciate the playing and style of Jaco Pastorius."

There are a lot of pioneers in music who have nowhere near the intense following that Jaco has amassed. And there are not many who transcend the genre like Jaco has. "Jaco is arguably as close as (Jazz) music has ever come to an authentic Rock Star. He had the looks, the iconography and style and of course, the tragic life story, the personal demons, and far-too-early death," states Matt Lohr. "But Sid Vicious had all that stuff too. What sets Jaco apart is that, in addition to all those aspects, he was truly a world-class bassist. Equally gifted in groove and as a melodic player."

"There were other (bass players) in that year like Percy Jones, Jeff Berlin and Stanley Clarke, but Jaco had that distinct and crazy sound you get from that fretless Fender Jazz P bass that he was known for," says Earl Liberty. The bass in question, known as "the Bass of Doom" is now owned by Trujillo and he occasionally plays it onstage with METALLICA. Jaco's distinctive soaring sound was like nobody else before or since. "He used the same strings as me, " says BLACK FLAG and SWA lead bass player Chuck Dukowski. "I can see why he played round wound strings and playing fretless. With flat strings that would be way muffled and indistinct sounding."

"Given the status Jazz holds in the cultural landscape as opposed to Rock, one guesses that the tragic tales and drug casualties would just fade away if they were not truly legendary musicians as well," observes Lohr. "But that's why Bird endues. That's why Chet Baker endures. And that's why Jaco has endured."

It is also important to remember that serious musicians in the Punk scene relate to Jaco because he was able to think and perform outside the box. He played with Ian Hunter from MOTT THE HOOPLE, Folk Diva Joni Mitchell and Funk/Jazz maestro Herbie Hancock but he never adjusted his playing to suit their sound or style. He always sounded like Jaco no matter what the format. It's a way of playing that a lot of Punk Rockers who like to try out different things can admire. "His attitude was pure Punk. He defied the conventions of Jazz while honoring it's roots," says Karl Alvarez of THE MASSACRE GUYS, DESCENDENTS and ALL. "His death at the wrong end of a bouncer is a cautionary tale for all gigging musicians."

The MVD DVD release of JACO is a beautiful 2-disc set featuring the film on disc one and interview outtakes filling up disc two. CBS Legacy has released a companion CD with many of Jaco's finest moments.