Il jazz non è solo un semplice genere musicale, ma è una vera forma d'arte che comprende amore, passione, immaginazione, spiritualità e tanto altro ancora. Questo volume aiuterà il lettore a immergersi nel mondo della musica jazz e a conoscere tutte le personalità leggendarie che hanno fatto la storia della musica, da Jelly Roll Morton in poi.

By age 16, Pat Martino was already working as a member of R&B star Lloyd Price's touring musical revue. By age 18, Martino moved to Harlem, where he quickly earned a reputation as a hard-bopping six-stringer with formidable chops through a series of apprenticeships with the likes of honking tenor saxophonist Willis "Gaitor Tail" Jackson and Hammond B-3 organ master Jack McDuff. Martino made his auspicious debut as a leader at age 22 with 1967's El Hombre on Prestige and followed with a string of potent recordings for the label that further established him as one of the most distinctive guitar voices on the jazz scene. Then, at the peak of his powers, the bottom fell out. In 1980, he underwent surgery as the result of a nearly fatal brain aneurysm. The surgery left him without any memory of the guitar or his musical career. From that point, Martino undertook the long process of recovery, eventually learning how to play the guitar again; but more important, learning to transcend the instrument itself and live his life completely in the moment. More than just the remarkable story of one of the most original and profoundly influential guitarists in jazz history, this extraordinarily revealing autobiography is also a survival manual, of sorts, in overcoming incredible adversity and learning to live in the here and now.

A fitting tribute to the troubled genius who revolutionized electric bass playing and bridged the gaps between jazz, R&B, rock and funk. From his early days in R&B club bands through his international stardom with fusion group Weather Report and on to his solo career and tragic death at age 35, this book portrays the life and music of Jaco Pastorius, the self-proclaimed "world's greatest bass player." This special anniversary edition features new interviews with Jaco's childhood friends, prominent bass players of Jaco's era and afterward, and girlfriend Teresa Nagell, who was with Jaco in the last few years of his life. Some incidents from the first edition have been further researched and expanded to become full chapters. Exclusive to this edition, the CD features newly revealed music tracks from Jaco's early years along with spoken testimonials from Jaco's friends and colleagues. The book also contains new, never-before-seen photos acquired from the Pastorius estate.

Questa biografia racconta la vita, la musica, l'ascesa e il declino di Jaco Pastorius, il musicista che ha saputo rivoluzionare la grammatica e la sintassi del basso elettrico. Bill Milkowski, che fu amico di Pastorius, ne racconta gli esordi, l'esperienza nei Weather Report, e il lento declino, causato da gravi problemi psicologici e dalla tossicodipendenza, fino alla tragica e prematura morte.