| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|
| 
| 
| 
| 
|
From Bob Bobbing:
Dear Subscribers,
First I would like to apologize to any of you who have personally been
offended or feel like they have been tooled with in reference to the
"Portrait of Jaco" and its release. My intentions have always been 100%
sincere, and I take great pride in the work that I am doing. However,
because of the unconventional nature of this project and the sporadic
cadence of its development, I am frequently left wide open for criticism.
This is understandable, and I accept full responsibility for the timeline,
but in reality, mainly because I have been just one person working alone, I
have very little control over events as they develop. In many ways this
project resembles a frail sailboat that totally depends on the wind for its
lift and direction, and although sailboats don't always arrive in a timely
manner, the experience is usually spiritually rewarding, as will be the
case here. Looking back now with only the packaging and manufacturing
matters to deal with, it's safe to say that all of the major obstacles have
been overcome, and every single artistic and creative vision fully
realized. I think that after reading this letter, you will see that there
has been a great deal more to deal with here than simply mastering audio
and pressing up some CDs.
Trying to insure the best of quality and after considering of all the
various ways available of presenting "Portrait of Jaco," I finally decided
that it would be the most fitting to utilize AGI's Digipak format. "POJ"
will now be a 2-CD boxed-set of materials containing an 8-panel Digipak and
a full-color oversized companion booklet. Each CD contains over 74 minutes.
The price will be $39.95
In reference to how-to-acquire "Portrait of Jaco," we will be utilizing a
major company for a secure on-line store that will soon reside at
http://www.JacoTheEarlyYears.com. As an alternative to major credit card
transactions, there will also be a downloadable order-form and address
available for checks or money orders.
As far as a delivery system, I have secured a very established
fulfillment/distribution facility to insure a timely delivery. With years
of experience at shipping all over the world, they guarantee that orders
will go out within 24 to 48 hours. I have taken the necessary precautions
to ensure the best in online security, and that the e-commerce and shipping
process never cause any unnecessary delays.
In trying to give an 'availability date,' the truth is I am still in the
process of completing the booklet and packaging (text/artwork/graphics),
and cannot give an exact time as to when we will begin manufacturing.
However, after the manufacturing process does begin, there will be an
additional three-to-four week period before the 'POJ' will be available to
ship. So please be patient, it will be along ASAP. And of course, you will
be notified first!
Please read this additional information about the format:
Initially, when I was planning to release just music, I compiled together
some material that I knew to be historically valuable, but it didn't
translate well and the results were somewhat disappointing. So, after
looking at this thing from every possible angle, I finally settled on what
I feel is an award-winning presentation. You see, "Portrait of Jaco" is not
a typical album of studio cuts containing the same 5 or 6 musicians
produced with attention to maintaining continuity. And it's not just a live
performance from a concert or nightclub either. It is a literal cornucopia
of rare artifacts that in totality represent a much larger picture, and one
that tells a story. You probably are beginning to see my dilemma. Like a
museum of dinosaur fossils, I felt that without a tour guide or written
materials of some kind, a large percent of people would become relatively
lost and begin to lose interest. Of course there are many studio cuts and
great live performances that could easily stand alone, but played in
succession, they too need to be put into context. And do you have any idea
what it would be like to listen to Jaco's first record appearance in
totality? After the first 60 seconds it would bore most everyone to death.
But set up properly by one of Jaco's friends who played drums on the
session, and when edited down a bit to maximize its impact, it becomes a
great addition to the project. This is just one example, but believe me for
most of us, it would not be as enjoyable of an experience to just sit and
listen to this stuff back to back. And unlike a documentary format that
usually features 70% talking, and 30% music to tell the story. 'Portrait of
Jaco' contains 70% music limiting the spoken words to 30%. This is also why
the companion booklet will be so important. Like a program at the opera, it
will help to explain every passage allowing for a much more informative
listening experience. Complete with pictures related to the recordings and
events, the companion booklet will provide historically accurate
blow-by-blow descriptions of every track.
I think it's important to announce at this time that later I will be
releasing single CD's featuring "Woodchuck," "Tommy Strand & Upper Hand,"
"Wayne Cochran & CC Riders," and "The Florida Demo's." All of this stuff
will be made available in totality on single releases shortly after the
Portrait comes out. So for the Jaco fans who want to hear all the music
from those periods, it will be made available. Also, because what I am
doing here is trying to tell a story to a much broader audience to get
Jaco's name and music more out to the world, I have settled on a format
very similar to one that has recently become popular on television. I'm
sure everyone's familiar with "Legends & Headliners" or VH1's "Behind the
Music." These personality- driven shows have become extremely popular by
chronicling the lives of 'legends' utilizing film, video clips, music,
still pictures, and interviews with family members and friends who were
part of the scene. And of course they stick to a timeline highlighting
every milestone along the way. But although I did approach 'Portrait of
Jaco' in a similar way, it's important to know that there isn't a narrator.
There are only first-hand recollections from Jaco alumni who were there on
the front lines. Oh! Another very important note; every significant piece
of music plays in its entirety! As you already know there are plenty of
virgin, never-before-heard recordings, and for the most part will be heard
uninterrupted.
In closing, this release of "Portrait of Jaco" will be the most compelling
and comprehensive work ever done on Jaco Pastorius. This isn't just
propaganda, it's a fact! And when coupled with several highly respected
endorsements and all of the media coverage I hope to generate around this
release (7 major magazine cover stories scheduled worldwide to date) I am
planning to put Jaco's face and name back in the minds of many who have
forgotten him as well as the many who would have never even heard of him
otherwise. This isn't just about releasing a CD! I could have easily
released a series of cheesy, low quality single CD's to immediately cash
in, but instead I chose to produce something meaningful and worthwhile to
hopefully make a difference. Also the fact that I have persuaded numerous
music notables and Jaco alumni like Joni Mitchell, Joe Zawinul, Pat Metheny,
and Herbie Hancock to come onboard with their early years performances and
spoken word tributes speaks volumes to the scope and power of this release.
And each and every one of their decisions to get involved should also speak
volumes to my sincere intentions. Please have faith in what I'm doing.
And although I knew it would be extremely unlikely and incredibly time
consuming, I was determined to secure the legal rights from Warner Bros,
and Sony, to include some very important recordings of Jaco playing with
'Little Beaver,' Weather Report, and Joni Mitchell. Falling within my
'early years' timeline (1967-1976), I felt that including these recordings
was imperative in order to complete the story. I am proud to say that this
project will now culminate with classic examples of these early
collaborations that see Jaco at the top of his game.
I initially reached out to all of the above artists and companies with a
letter very similar to the one I am now writing you. If you feel that there
is something very special going on here and want to be an instrumental part
of it, please get back with me indicating that I can count on your support.
You can contact me by visiting http://www.jacotheearlyyears.com/feedback.
All of us fans working together could really make a difference. I am not
affiliated with any major labels and I don't have unlimited financial
resources. I feel a tremendous responsibility to my old friend Jaco and I
hope that all of my efforts will make enough of a difference to redefine and
elevate his legacy up to where it rightfully belongs. I have received numerous
words of encouragement from many of you, and for that I am grateful. It gives
me hope that there are many, many Jaco fans out there that understand the importance
of this release, and even more, the importance of doing it right for Jaco's legacy.
Thank you for your interest in the "Portrait of Jaco" release.
Sincerely, Bob Bobbing
Related public posts by:
Bobby Economou
Ricky Schultz (Zebra Records)
mine
Email: JacoFamilySite@aol.com
| HOME | ROOTS | PICS | RELICS | Y'ALL | LORE | RAP | MIND | IDEAS | NEWS | GOODS | LINKS | FAQ | LIVE | BOOK |
Website Created by Julius, Felix, and Ingrid Pastorius