The Jaco Pastorius Big Band is the life-long project of trombonist/conductor Peter Graves, who first hired Jaco in 1971 to join the rhythm section of what was then known as the Peter Graves Orchestra – the house band at the Bachelors III, a popular Ft. Lauderdale nightclub. The group backed a variety of top jazz and pop acts ranging from Mel Torme and Nancy Wilson to the Temptations and Patti Page.
Graves’ orchestra served as the laboratory in which Jaco first explored the depth and scope of his genius as a writer and arranger. The five-year gig with Graves was also a springboard for Jaco’s later pursuits that included a brilliant solo recording, six years with Weather Report, collaborative projects with various high-profile artists – Joni Mitchell and Pat Metheny to name a few – and his own progressive jazz project, Word of Mouth (which featured Graves and various other members of Graves’ orchestra).
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