METALLICA Bassist ROBERT TRUJILLO's MASS MENTAL To Perform At 'Jaco' Screening In L.A.

On Thursday, November 22 at 7 p.m., The Theatre at Ace Hotel will host a special screening of the critically acclaimed documentary "Jaco". The film, which was executive-produced by world-renowned METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo in association with Passion Pictures, and directed by Paul Marchand and Stephen Kijak, chronicles the brief-but-extraordinary life of the great American musician/composer Jaco Pastorius. The film will be available via VOD, streaming services, and digital download on Friday, November 27, along with the official DVD/Blu-ray release in association with Record Store Day and Black Friday 2015. That same day will also see the long anticipated release of "Jaco: Original Soundtrack", Sony/Legacy's official musical companion to the film.

The Ace Hotel screening will be followed by a 9 p.m. performance by Trujillo and fun rock collective MASS MENTAL, featuring Armand Sabal-Lecco, Brooks Wackerman, Whitfield Crane and Stevie Salas. HIPSTER ASSASSINS featuring Felix Pastorius, Mike Bendy, John Bendy, Chris Ward and Kenny Grohowski will also be performing.

Tickets are on sale now. VIP/Gold Circle tickets are $120 and include a meet-and-greet after the film. Orchestra seats are $31.50, front balcony is $25 and rear orchestra is $21.50.

For more information on the screening, go to this location.

"Jaco" was the subject of a successful PledgeMusic campaign which concluded at the end of September.

The official Record Store Day film of 2014, "Jaco" had its world premiere earlier this year at Austin, Texas's SXSW Film Conference & Festival, accompanied by a panel discussion featuring filmmakers Trujillo and Marchand as well as longtime Pastorius collaborator Peter Erskine (WEATHER REPORT, WORD OF MOUTH) and "Jaco" executive producer John Pastorius.

"Jaco" has since earned applause at a number of major festivals, including the inaugural Asbury Park Music in Film Festival and the Montreal International Jazz Festival. The film "[captures] the essence of what made Jaco such an influential artist," declared the Montreal Gazette, praising "the glowing words of Marchand's interviewees and the many recorded and live musical excerpts that he lets speak for themselves" and hailing "Jaco" as "an enlightening introduction to a groundbreaking musician."

"Jaco" tells the remarkable and tragic tale of Jaco Pastorius, a self-taught, larger-than-life musician who single-handedly changed the course of modern music by redefining the sound and the role of the electric bass guitar. Never-before-seen 8mm film, photographs, and audio recordings unveil the true story behind Pastorius' all-too-brief life, his music, and heartbreaking end.

"Jaco" follows Pastorius' beginnings and ascent, from his era-defining work with jazz-fusion pioneers WEATHER REPORT to crossover collaborations with Joni Mitchell and Ian Hunter to his own inspired solo career as bandleader and composer. Highlighted by exclusive material from the Pastorius family archive, the film features memories and encomiums from a spectrum of Jaco fans and followers, including Joni Mitchell, Sting, Flea, Herbie Hancock, Geddy Lee, Bootsy Collins, Carlos Santana, Wayne Shorter, and many others.

Speaking about his involvement with the film, Trujillo told Grammy Pro: "I've been friends with Jaco Pastorius's son since 1996 — Johnny Pastorius, the eldest son. And I remember when I first met him, I said, 'Some day, you've gotta make a film about your father,' because his influence is so broad. I mean, I know so many musicians that are actually funk players or rock players, gospel musicians, jazz that are influenced by Jaco. So it's not one-dimensional; it's really very wide and broad. And it's just great to be able to reach out to a lot of various types of legendary jazz players as well as rock players — jazz players like Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, as well as Geddy Lee and Sting and then Flea… and many others."

He added: "I feel that this project has been a grassroots journey — very 'mom-and-pop,' so to speak — and we've had a lot of challenges along the way. And to be where we are now — almost ready to release this and we've had a lot of challenges along the way. And to be where we are now — almost ready to release this — it's very special and also very rewarding. So it's been quite a journey for me."