Wednesday 20 February 2013

Pistorius... Pastorius

I've been away... I'm back.

Whenever I hear the name Pistorius (which I seem to do quite frequently at the moment) I hear it as Pastorius — another remarkable person and troubled soul.

While I find it difficult to warm to the macho, guns and ego story of Pistorius, I still find the tale of Jaco Pastorius a hard one to bear.

Apparently a sufferer from a bipolar disorder (which may in its way have fuelled his genius for playing electric bass), Pastorius ended up on medication, on too much alcohol... and finally on the street.

His work with Weather Report, Herbie Hancock and Joni Mitchell was stunning. His death in 1987 — after an altercation with a bouncer — at the age of 35 must be one of music's greatest tragedies.

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