Released August 1976 Length 2:23 | Genre Jazz fusion, Post-bop Writer(s) Jaco Pastorius | |
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Recorded Camp Colomby Studios and Columbia Recording Studios C&B, New York City, New York. Label Epic/Legacy (Sony Music) | ||
"Portrait of Tracy" is a composition by bassist Jaco Pastorius. It was named after his wife, born Tracy Sexton.
It appears on his landmark 1976 self-titled debut album, and is widely recorded as a tribute by bassists such as Joe Ferry, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, Brian Bromberg, and others. It is considered by many a bass guitar standard.
The song is played almost exclusively with natural harmonics, giving it a dreamy, unfamiliar tone for the bass, which is common in Pastorius's style.
The song has been sampled as well, most notably, SWV's "Rain", Rick Ross's "Bel Air (Black Dollar)", Cannibal Ox's "Pigeon", Amon Tobin's "Daytrip", Master P "Ghetto Love", Chingy and Tyrese's "Pullin' Me Back", Wagon Christ's Mr. Mukatsuku, Steve Spacek's "Hey There"and Hotstylz Faucet.