I always thought Jaco’s talent was a curse, in a way. Because no matter how fucked up he got on the bandstand, he could still play. The same thing happened with Bird. Their great talent enabled both of them to continue doing drugs and getting away with it, because they kept getting encouragement from people around them who told them how great they sounded. Jaco would play a great solo, and he’d be sitting on top of the world again, feeling invincible, with an attitude like, "There’s nothing wrong with me." Jaco’s talent was like a double edged sword-it made it impossible for him to see how terrible things really were becoming.Mike Stern