PASSING THE TORCH

Felix Pastorius is an extraordinary bass player, as you might expect given the legacy of his late father Jaco—and he finds himself in an equally extraordinary position for the same reason. We ask Felix about his plans for the future, his perceptions of the past and his advice for those ‘expecting to see a Pastorius’ when they come to his shows...

- Mike Brooks, Joel McIver

Warwick, NY-based Felix Pastorius was born, along with his twin brother Julius, in 1982, five years before the premature death of his father Jaco Pastorius, arguably the most influential electric bassist of all time alongside James Jamerson and Paul McCartney. A superb bassist himself with a long list of recording and performance credits behind him, including a stint in the Yellowjackets from 2012 to 2015, Felix plays in a handful of elite bands and delivers clinics and bass lessons. He’s also the author of several books, including Hot Dog Dinners For 4 String Electric Bass, Just A.S.I.P. Of Coffee & The Chromatic Scale and Scales From Rhythm And Outer Space... Aka Tetra Cocktails.

Our questions for Felix are arguably aimed at his late father just as much as they aimed at him. Although Jaco didn’t live to see his son follow in his musical footsteps, the inevitable associations of that unique surname connect their creative mindset to a profound degree. Consider the case of the late John Lennon and his sons Julian and Sean; it’s not too much of a stretch to consider the two father-son relationships as parallel.

To Felix’s immense credit, he responds to our questions with tolerance and good humor—exactly, we hope, as his dad might well have done.

You play live with a number of interesting projects, Felix.