Nightfood - Born in Chicago (with Jaco Pastorius) [Live in San Francisco, CA - September 21?, 1986]

After checking out of the mental ward of Bellevue Hospital in September 1986, Jaco Pastorius moved to San Francisco to live with drummer Brian Melvin. During this time, the two played a series of shows around California, either as a trio with pianist Jon Davis or with Brian's jam band Nightfood. The tape you're listening to was recorded at The Stone in San Francisco, likely on November 16, and features what I believe to be some of his best playing that year. This song—"Born in Chicago"—was originally recorded in 1965 by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band for their self-titled debut album and was later featured in the 1998 Blues Brothers sequel. The whole band is on fire here, but what really made me want to share this is Jaco's blazing bass solo starting at 05:02. Once you get past the muddy sound quality (and occasional fret buzz), you can hear, in my opinion, some of Jaco's most intense yet creative soloing of his later years. Unlike some of his other bass solos from the mid-'80s, this one doesn't recycle the same couple of licks, instead opting for a more creative approach without sacrificing speed. Also noteworthy are Rick Smith's tenor saxophone solo and Little John Chrisley's harmonica solo, which precede the bass solo. I have both an audience recording (from which I sourced this upload) and a far superior soundboard recording of this jam session, both of which I really like. Let me know your thoughts, and maybe I'll share more in the future. Thanks for watching! From The Stone (San Francisco, CA), probably 11/16/1986.