METALLICA Bassist ROBERT TRUJILLO Talks Completing His Documentary 'Jaco'

A long-in-the-works documentary on the late jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius that has been produced by METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo will finally have its world premiere on October 6 at the Mill Valley Film Festival, where all four members of METALLICA will be honored as artists in residence.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Trujillo told USA Today that he was not sure how to complete the documentary until he ran into famed singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, who worked with Pastorius on 1980's "Shadows And Light". Trujillo recalled, "We got to talking about music, and eventually she agreed to appear in the film. That changed everything."

Trujillo funded the film himself. His only other previous producing credit was on last year's METALLICA concert movie, "Metallica Through The Never", on which all four members were credited as producers.

Following the screening on October 6 will be a benefit concert for the California Film Institute, which will feature performances from Trujillo, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, JANE'S ADDICTION drummer Stephen Perkins, along with Jaco's daughter Mary and nephew David.

Trujillo hopes to take "Jaco" to other festivals early next year, including South By Southwest and the Berlin Film Festival, and is currently in talks with a few distributors for a spring 2015 theatrical release.

Trujillo said that hearing Pastorius' first solo album was "mind-boggling," calling the bassist a "beautiful monster."

Pastorius, who was bipolar and had wrestled with substance abuse, died in 1987 at age 35 following a violent altercation at a Fort Lauderdale bar.

"Jaco" features commentaries from Sting, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' Flea, as well as jazz greats Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, among others.