Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul

 

MILES DAVIS In a Silent Way (Recorded in February of 1969; released July 30.)

In a way, a more accessible album than Bitches Brew, In a Silent Way offered the Miles listener a gentler show of transition from the exclusive world of jazz into the world of pop-rock-funk-jazz fusion. Enlisting the contributions of hot shot young bloods Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, John McLaughlin, and Joe Zawinal, Miles continued to rely on bassist Dave Holland and saxophonist Wayne Shorter as well as recent band stalwart, Chick Corea. The biggest development with In a Silent Way came in the form of giving Columbia Records producer Teo Macero the green light to employ engineering thus taking the "live" sound out of the music and creating a fabricated, even stylized and/or fabricated music. (Teo was a big fan and student of classical music formats, thus the three movements, exposition, development, and recapitulation, used in the reconstruction of Miles' band's studio recordings.) The music here is surprisingly sedate and accessible for such a "revolutionary" and "innovative" album. Nothing is offensive or repellant but then nothing, to my ears and mind, is neither particularly mind-blowing or ear-catching. I guess it's more of the fact that there are two side-long pieces presented here--something bands like The Soft Machine, Colosseum, Magma and other jazz and jazz-rock bands picked up on fairly quickly. While many hardcore jazz musicians turned their thumbs down to the new commercialized jazz coming out of Columbia and Miles, many others found inspiration and a new freedom to explore--many of them members of Miles' own studio sessions. The two songs are great if subdued, with my favorite performances on "Shh/Peaceful" coming from Dave Holland (bass) and Larry Young (organ) and on "In a Silent Way/It's About That..." from Miles and Wayne Shorter and the funk of Dave Holland and the keyboard players. Tony doesn't get much time to shine and John's guitar is so subdued without any effects enhancements that it sounds quite dull and even tame. I guess what we're really all in awe of is Teo's shaping of the music into pop-like songs (despite 19 minute lengths).

Line-up / Musicians:

- Dave Holland / Bass
- Tony Williams / Drums
- Chick Corea / Electric Piano
- Herbie Hancock / Electric Piano
- Josef Zawinul / Electric Piano, Organ
- John McLaughlin / Guitar
- Wayne Shorter / Saxophone [Tenor]

- Miles Davis / Trumpet

MILES DAVIS Bitches Brew (Recorded in August of 1969; released in January of 1970.)

WAYNE SHORTER Super Nova (1969)

Recorded at A&R Studios on August 29 & September 2, 1969--within two weeks of the landmark sessions with Miles Davis for the material that would become Bitches Brew--Super Nova would then be released before the end of the year (before Bitches Brew).

Line-up / Musicians:

- Wayne Shorter / soprano saxophone

- Miroslav Vitous / bass

- Jack DeJohnette / drums, kalimba [African thumb piano]
- Chick Corea / drums, vibraphone [vibes]
- John McLaughlin / electric guitar, classical guitar (A2)

- Sonny Sharrock / guitar

- Airto Moreira / percussion

With:

- Walter Booker / classical guitar (A3)

- Maria Booker / vocals (A3)

A1. "Super Nova" (4:45)
A2. "Swee-Pea" (4:35)
A3. "Dindi" (pronounced "Jin-Jee") (9:45)
B1. "Water Babies" (4:50)
B2. "Capricorn" (7:45)
B3. "More Than Human" (6:10)

Total Time: 37:59

WEATHER REPORT Weather Report (1971)

Recorded in three days in March of 1971 and the released by Columbia Records on May 12, the international conglomeration that is to be known as "Weather Report" makes its debut. It's fun to see two Central European-born collaborate on a successful jazz-rock fusion band. (Joe Zawinul was born in Austria and Miroslav Vitous in what was then Czechoslovakia.) The band seems to have been very sure to evenly distribute the compositional duties (or credits) between its three principle songwriters as three are attributed to Joe, three to Wayne, and three to Miroslav. 

 Line-up / Musicians:

Joe Zawinul – Electric and acoustic piano
Wayne Shorter – Soprano saxophone
Miroslav Vitous – Electric and acoustic bass
Alphonse Mouzon – Drums, voice

Airto Moreira – Percussion

A1 "Milky Way" (2:30) an atmospheric mood-setter by Joe and Wayne. (4.375/5)

A2 "Umbrellas" (3:24) an almost-funky (Miroslav does not quite have the comprehension for that which makes funk bass play yet) composition from the three principle songwriters is saved by a sharp turn in the final 45-seconds. Drummer Alphonse Mouzon and percussionist Airto Moreira are, surprisingly, not much better at bringing the funk. (8.66667/10)

A3 "Seventh Arrow" (5:20) an interesting song that seems to succeed despite not really hitting the funk on all cylinders nor presenting any melodies worthy of "earworm" status. I like Joe's use of experimental sounds from his electronic keyboard (a proclivity that he will continue to feed for the rest of his life). (8.75/10)

 
A4 "Orange Lady" (8:40) soft and spacious (and drumless) sax and Fender Rhodes interplay for the first 3:30. Then spacey electric bass and playful percussives are allowed to join in. Interesting. Alphonse's wordless vocalese can be heard far in the studio background starting at the end of the sixth minute. I don't know if this was composer Joe Zawinul's intention, but the song has a simple, naïve lullaby-like feel. (17.25/20)

B1 "Morning Lake" (4:23) another spacious impressionistic lullaby--this time coming from the mind of Miroslav Vitous. Joe's creatively playful electric piano play is especially noteworthy. (8.75/10)

B2 "Waterfall" (6:18) a composition credited to Joe Zawinul, this one presents a whole-band weave that is the most satisfying on the album for its solid form and generous melody-making. (8.875/10)

B3 "Tears" (3:22) A Wayne Shorter tune, this one actually kicks in and moves--for several teasingly brief passages, dropping back to complete stops every 30-seconds or so each time it does. Alphonse Mouzon's very pleasant voice (again wordless vocalese) works very well here. Nice tune! (9.125/10) 

B4 "Eurydice" (5:43) the only things that set this Wayne Shorter composition apart from more conventional jazz songs is its prominent placement of both Airto Moreira's playful percussion work and Joe's equally-prominent placement of his electric piano track despite its mostly-support role. Miroslav's walking bass lines are constant and perhaps more critical to driving the song forward than Mouzon's drum play. (8.75/10)

Total Time: 39:55

One of the things that really set Weather Report on its own is present here, from the very start: that is, the lack of guitars. Obviously, Joe and Wayne really wanted to be considered more jazz-oriented (which seems a bit ironic with so many atmospheric/impressionistic songs to their credit) than rock plus, I'm sure, they wanted the sound experimentations of their own instruments to garner all of the attention. Too bad that the electric piano Joe used predominantly at this time sounds so much like that of children's television host Fred Rogers. And too bad that both Kenny G and Najee chose to use Wayne's soprano sax as their main tools.

87.70 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a nice exposition of fresh ideas from this group of idealistic breakaway artists--two of whom had found a partner for fruitful collaboration that would last for quite some time.  

WEATHER REPORT I Sing The Body Electric (1972)

I have a bit of a problem with 45% of this album's music coming from Live concert recordings as I am never happy with live recordings or live performances of music intended for studio recording. The band's sophomore album sees the exit of the percussion duo of Alphonse Mouzon (gone to work with McCoy Tyner) and Airto Moreira (to work with some solo ideas as well as in lineups with Chick Corea, Freddie Hubbard, Antonio Carlos Joabim, Johnny Hammond, Hubert Laws, Flora Purim, Gato Barbieri, and Grover Washington, Jr.), here replaced by Eric Gravatt and Dom Um Romão. All Side A selections recorded in Columbia studios, New York City, in November of 1971 (A1, A2) and/or in January 1972 (A3, !4). All Side B selections were recorded during a "standing room only" concert performance in Tokyo, Japan, on January 13, 1972, in Shibuya Kokaido Hall. The album was released on the 26th of May, 1972.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Joe Zawinul / electric & acoustic pianos, ARP 2600 synth (1)

- Wayne Shorter / reeds

- Miroslav Vitous / electric & acoustic basses

- Eric Gravatt / drums

- Dom Um Romão / percussion (2)

With:

- Chapman Roberts / vocals (1)

- Joshie Armstrong / vocals (1)

- Yolande Bavan / vocals (1)

- Andrew White / English horn (1)

- Hubert Laws / flute (1)

- Wilmer Wise / D trumpet & piccolo (1)

- Ralph Towner / 12-string guitar (2)

1. "Unknown Soldier" (7:57) a great mood-setter, manipulating the listener's emotions as a cinema soundtrack is supposed to. Would that all WR music would do this as masterfully. Eric Gravatt's cymbal play is key, as are the spacious playing of the other three principle musicians. So disciplined! Once the drums go military-snare, the enlisted support of other musicians begins--and the principles go off into a frenzy of free-jazz. I've never heard Wayne Shorter go so fast! In the sixth minute the music returns to the more disciplined, spacious play as the opening. Very interesting--and surprisingly dynamic--song! (13.5/15)

2. "The Moors" (4:40) picked notes from Ralph Towner's 12-string guitar open this one, soon bursting into John McLaughlin-like runs of remarkable speed as well as a flurry of syncopated strumming of muted and unmuted blues chords and harmonics. At 1:44 soprano sax, percussion, and bass notes join in before drums and keys also kick in, creating a fast-moving jam over which Wayne holds long, smooth notes. It is very surprising to me how much the performers packed into this little 4:40 song! (9/10)

3. "Crystal" (7:16) spacey wind-synth sounds with slow conga beat open this one before multiple saxophones enter, obviously recorded on different tracks. Keys support. Drums add some stuff here and there but it's really Wayne's multiple saxes and Joe Zawinul's multiple tracks of keyboards that are doing all the movement. Heavily-distorted bass joins in during the fourth minute, going off on his own direction--as have all three of the principle musicians at this point. The mix really doesn't sound very good. Drummer Gravatt has moved to percussion: he keeps trying to join in with his congas but it really doesn't fit, so he gives up and moves to wind chimes with some additional ride cymbal. 

     Early experimentation with multi-tracking. It just feels like warm ups--as if it should never have been committed to tape/vinyl. Should we forgive them? (12/15)

4. "Second Sunday in August" (4:09) piano, percussion, distant drums, more horrible-sounding distorted bass, and spry and upbeat soprano sax. I like the piano and sax; the rest you can dispose of, thank you very much. (8.66667/10)

5. "Medley: Vertical Invader / T.H. / Dr. Honoris Causa" (Live *) (10:10) (/20)

6. "Surucucus" (Live *) (7:41) (/15)

7. "Directions" (Live *) (4:35) (/10)

Total Time: 46:28

* Edited from recordings at a concert January 13, 1972 in Shibuya Kokaido Hall, Tokyo, Japan.

86.333 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars; a fair representation of studio songs which show the engineering and sound experimentation the and was going through. I do not review recordings of live performances.

 

WEATHER REPORT Sweetnighter (1973)

Joe and Wayne's third outing as "Weather Report" may be my favorite album of theirs as I really enjoy the textural approach to song-building over which the soloists are then given expansive room to experiment. This one was recorded at Connecticut Recording Studios on February 3-7, 1973 and then released by Columbia Records on April 27.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Joe Zawinul / piano, electric piano, synth
- Wayne Shorter / soprano & tenor saxes
- Miroslav Vitous / electric (3,5) & acoustic (1,2,4) basses
- Eric Gravatt / drums (2,4,6)
- Dom Um Romão / percussion (1,4-6)
With:
- Andrew White / electric bass (1,4,6), English horn (3,5)
- Herschel Dwellingham / drums (1,2,4,6)
- Steve "Muruga" Booker / Moroccan clay drums (1), timpani (2), Israeli jar drum (4)

1. "Boogie Woogie Waltz" (13:03) R&B infusing Afto-Caribbean rhythm. I like the loose, airy feel of this: a "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"-like song that feels as if the musicians are adding their contributions in small doses, not constantly or into an already-established weave (other than the percussion play). Also, I see/feel this as a response to Deodato's "Also Sprach Zarathustra." Amazing how consistent is the restraint shown by the four core members: bassist Miroslav Vitous, keyboardist Joe Zawinul, soprano sax player Wayne Shorter, as well as Andrew White's electric bass guitar. Might be a stretch too long, but . . . (24/25)

2. "Manolete" (5:55) a very pleasant Wayne-Shorter soprano sax-led song that shows off some wonderful experimental wah-volume-controlled electric piano play by Joe Zawinul along with some great double bass and percussion play from supplemental percussionists Herschel Dwellingham on drums and Steve "Muruga" Booker on timpani. (9.25/10)

3. "Adios" (2:59) wind-chime-like hand percussives and serene keyboard washes provide the backdrop for Joe and Wayne to issue some very relaxing waves of their own. Nice tune. (9/10)

4. "125th Street Congress" (12:13) based on a free-form funk bass "line" that, for me, seems to preview all of the rap and hip-hop for the next 15 years. Another weave from the percussion section (and two drummers) is surprisingly open and spacious, creating the perfect groove for Miroslav and Wayne to create their magic while at the same time allowing for lots of room for meditation--at least until the fifth minute when Joe chimes in with some rather abrasive and aggressive keyboard "noise." This soon disappears, leaving the groovy percussive groove for Miroslav and Wayne to feed off. Joe's next reentries are a little less alarming and usually a little more reflective of the work that Wayne is doing though for a time becoming part of (or bouncing off of) the "percussion" weave. A very engaging and eminently entertaining song. (22.5/25)

5. "Will" (6:20) a textural weave of percussives, both hand and cymbal play, coupled with Joe Zawinul's steady chord arpeggi of wah-effected electric piano provide the steady foundation for Miroslav and Wayne to play with the presentation of their own inputs: one short bursts of creative bass chords, the other long-held sedating breaths of soprano saxophone. Very hypnotic. (9/10)

6. "Non-stop Home" (3:52) another amorphous exploration of texture built with experimental sounds over the tight drumming of Eric Gravatt. After 80 seconds, Andrew White's deep electric bass, a second drummer, and an uncredited organ accompany the main melody as delivered through Wayne's sonorous (background) soprano sax notes and Joe's electric piano. Interesting. I like it. It's like a sort of étude. (9.25/10)

Total time 44:22

As I gert to know the world and music of Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter I'm coming to believe that their vision is to explore textures more than form--to see how many permutations and combinations of textures they can come up with that will calm and/or soothe the audience/listener into contentment.

92.222 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of jazz-rock fusion--one that explores the gentler, more hypnotic groovin' side of said fusion. This is, in fact, my favorite Weather Report album!

WEATHER REPORT Mysterious Traveller (1974)

Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter's fourth expression of their collaborative interpretation of "jazz-rock fusion" shows the band continuing their sound experimentation while adding some more form and multi-track engineering to the mix. Produced by Joe and Wayne, Mysterious Traveller was recorded at Devonshire Sound Studios in Los Angeles between November of 1973 and March of 1974 and then released in May-June by Columbia Records.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Joe Zawinul / piano, Rhodes, synth, kalimba (7), organ (7), tamboura (7), clay drum (7), maracas (7), tac piano & melodica (5), vocals (1,7), co-producer
- Wayne Shorter / soprano & tenor saxophones, co-producer
- Alphonso Johnson / bass
- Miroslav Vitous / bass (2)
- Ishmael Wilburn / drums
- Don Um Romao / percussion, drums (6)
With:
- Billie Barnum / vocals (1)
- Edna Wright / vocals (1)
- Marti McCall / vocals (1)
- Jessica Smith / voocals (1)
- James Gilstrap / vocals (1)
- Auger James Adderley / vocals (2)
- Skip Hadden / drums (1,4)
- Steve "Muruga" Booker / percussion (1)
- Ray Barretto / percussion (3)
- Steve Little / timpani (6)
- Don Ashworth / ocarina & woodwind (7)
- Isacoff / tabla & finger cymbals (7)

1. "Nubian Sundance" (live) (10:43) with this live performance--coming from quite an expanded stage lineup--we can definitely hear the "future" of this band's sound (including riff elements that will become "Birdland"). Newcomers Alphonse Johnson and Ishmael Wilburn sure bring a strong and steady presence to the rhythm section! This song also makes one wish for more vocals and/or choir presence in jazz-rock fusion. Though I still hear some of the textural approach to song and music building carrying over from their earlier albums (especially Sweetwater) I feel that there is a lot more polish and finish to this than anything from before. (18.75/20)

2. "American Tango" (3:42) a developmental step toward or preview of what will become "A Remark You Made." There's Joe still experimenting with the sounds he can get out of his synthesizers. (8.875/10)

3. "Cucumber Slumber" (8:25) gentle funk with congas to help usher along a fabric for Joe and Wayne to play over. Showing Joe still being enamored with his wah pedal effect on his electric piano. Not much on the top to make one shout out about this one. (17.5/20)

4. "Mysterious Traveller" (7:21) It feels odd to hear Joe's piano cuz it's been a while--and he's playing his electric one at the same time as well. Multi-tracking by Wayne on both his saxes. I like the way Joe is alternating his bass clef piano chords with the bass guitar's regular riffs. His electric piano play in the fifth minute is the song's highlight for me. (13.25/15)

5. "Blackthorn Rose" (5:05) a soft, spacious, and slow song of delicately played piano and sax. It starts out as a duet before Wayne's emotional playing calls for the joinder of a synth wash and melodica around the two minute mark. This one shows the duo definitely toying around with space as Joe's piano support of Wayne becomes very short-lived chords played in syncopated patterns. The final minute allows some normal piano play with a little more melodica. Cute. (8.875/10)

6. "Scarlet Woman" (5:43) wind sounds are gradually joined by soft timpani before some horn and synth horn blasts shock the hell out of us. The foundation is so spacious and atmospheric--like Native American drums being played outside on the Great Plains--which makes the unpatterned appearances of the horn and synth blasts so unsettling--even at the end of the song! The fourth minute sees some sax soloing during a longer stretch of quiet but then this is spoiled by a prolonged attack of the horn blasts. The song fades out with wind as if the Scarlet Woman had just been passing through the area of an Native American encampment--like a wild animal or spirit/ghost. Interesting. (8.75/10)

7. "Jungle Book" (7:22) more gentle spaciousness with human voices and odd percussion instruments with distant upright piano, bass, and ocarina all mixed together as if being viewed from some rocky outcropping above the campfire. Happy and celebratory--preceding some of those similarly happy and complex songs from Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays in the early Group days and especially with As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls. (13.25/15)

Total Time: 48:21

Man have the band progressed light years since their first two albums with much more development than usual on some of the songs while, at the same time, this may be the most cinematic of all of the Weather Report albums I know.

90.25 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of forward-moving yet-still experimental jazz-rock fusion.

WEATHER REPORT Tale Spinnin' (1975)

Following the ground-breaking Mysterious Traveller--many prog and jazz-rock fusion lover's all-time favorite Weather Report studio release--was no small challenge. 

Line-up / Musicians:
- Joe Zawinul / piano, Rhodes, Tonto & ARP 2600 synths, melodica (1,4), organ (2,6), steel drums (3), out (4), mzuthra (4), vocals (4), West African xylophone (4), cymbals (5), orchestration, co-producer
- Wayne Shorter / soprano & tenor saxophones, co-producer & mixing
- Alphonso Johnson / bass
- Leon Ndugu Chancler / drums, timpani, marching cymbals
- Alyrio Lima / percussion

1. "Man in the Green Shirt" (6:28) I really love the interplay of drumming, percussion, bass, and electric piano in this song. The horns are nice, and the weird synthesized Nature sounds entertaining, but it's the great coordination of high speed play from the rhythmatists that impresses and engages me the most. (9.375/10)

2. "Lusitanos" (7:24) opening with quirky comi-funk before synth, keys, and horns present a WR-type of melodic/chordal statement. Between regular repetitions of this chorded theme Wayne and Joe take turns adding their respective solos but the sonic field is so layered that it's almost full: practically burying any soloist's attempts. But then the band thins it out, keeping only the bare bones, so that Wayne and Joe can trade solos on soprano sax and piano, respectively--Joe even going so far as to solo twice: as if duelling with himself! Then Wayne takes a turn on his tenor sax: first within the full band weave, then with the open field laid out for him. No matter who's soloing, Joe is always adding quirky little sound injections from his circus collection of synth and hand tools. Alphonso Johnson's bass is creatively effected but it seems to handcuff him into playing some rather simple lines and a lot of single tone repetitions. (13.125/15)

3. "Between the Thighs" (9:33) the Weather Report circus show continues as Joe seems pretty set/obsessed with incorporating as many unusual quirky sounds and instruments into his songs as possible. So far in three songs, almost 24 minutes of music, there has really never a minute passed without some randomly fresh sound being injected haphazardly into the mix. It's almost like he's going for a citation in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most instruments played (or included) in a single song (or album). (Being a big fan of Andreas' Vollenweider's "busiest multi-instrumentalist I've ever encountered," Pedro Haldemann, as well as Pat Metheny's legion of upper-stage multi-instrumentalists, Mr. Zawinul may find that he has a little competition.) 

      So many times on this album I'm hearing riffs and samples that predict the cumulative breakout that 1977's "Birdland" will be for them. 

     The best funk and groove in this song is, for me, in the song's final minute. (17.75/20)

4. "Badia" (5:20) reaching into the orient for inspiration. (It's okay: the band had now been there--on their tours--several times.) Odd percussion, reeds, sqealy synth, pregnant bass couplets, cymbal play, and treated horn and mzuthra make for an interesting and very spacious weave. Melodica and oud are also prominent. How confusing it must have been for dynamic creatives like Alphonso Johnson and Leon Ndugu Chancler to have been so shackled like this. (8.75/10)

5. "Freezing Fire" (7:29) funk that finally taps the tremendous skill and potentialities of the relatively untested and untried bass funk master. A song that grooves and flows, feeling a little more like a Jazz-Rock Fusion tune, despite the continued barrage of incidentals injected as accents throughout the length of the song. Again, it's the drum 'n' bass unity that interests and impresses me, not the parade of creative sound injections that Joe (and Alyrio?) can muster. Just give me Alphonso and Ndugu and I'd be a happy camper! Great foundation; weird and "novelty" level entertainment. (But, Joe: I don't come to your albums for surprise and novelty: I come for the grooves and weaves!) (13.3333/15)

6. "Five Short Stories" (6:56) one of those interesting-but-ultimately-off-putting musical equations (or masturbatory exercises) that Joe and Wayne like to work through with their band. Slow and methodic, sometimes melodic; definitely cerebral and mathematical. Quite the challenge to stay engaged/interested--especially over seven minutes. (13/15)

Total Time: 43:10

The smooth, careful, and calculated side of Jazz-Rock Fusion, here presenting a lot of interesting ideas (many of which will be more fully developed on future albums). With Joe and Wayne monopolizing all of the compositional duties I think they still had not realized what they had on their hands with the recent acquisition of 24-year old bass genius Alphonso Johnson. As demonstrated on Eddie Henderson's Sunburst album that was recorded and released at about the same time as this one, the kid is nothing short of a creative genius; he has ideas, he has the chops to star--to lead--and he has a bag of his own compositions bursting at the seams (two of which ended up on that Sunburst album). Don't get me wrong: the compositions on Tale Spinnin' are all fine, mature, presenting ground for a lot of great performances and some rather memorable songs and riffs, they're just not quite as dynamic and powerful as those on Sunburst. I think it a terrible thing that Joe and Wayne "wasted" so much talent that came their way (though many would look at it as "mentored," "groomed," or "developed"). 

     There is some great music here, just too much entertainment-oriented circus noise.

88.63 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an album of sophisticated, busy, multi-layered music that is often overly-gilded in what amounts to circus entertainment tricks. Too bad! I love the bones and basic constructs of a lot of this music.    

WEATHER REPORT Black Market (1976)

Though the band had long been established--inspired by Miles Davis' Bitches Brew sessions in the summer of 1969--ths is one of the band's most popular albums. It was recorded for CBS Records at Devonshire Studios and released by Columbia Records in March of 1976. 

Line-up / Musicians:
- Joe Zawinul / Yamaha grand piano, Rhodes electric piano, ARP 2600 & Oberheim Polyphonic synths, orchestrations, co-producer
- Wayne Shorter / soprano & tenor saxophones, Computone Lyricon, co-producer
- Alphonso Johnson / basses (1,3-5,7)
- Jaco Pastorius / fretless bass (2,6,8-10)
- Narada Michael Walden / drums (1,2)
- Chester Thompson / drums (3-7)
- Don Elias / congas & percussion (1,6)
- Alejandro "Alex" Acuña / congas, percussion (2-5,7)

1. "Black Market" (6:30) (8.5/10)

2. "Cannon Ball" (4:40) the band's first contribution from Jaco Pastorius (9/10)

3. "Gibraltar" (7:49) (13.5/15)

4. "Elegant People" (5:03) the percussionist's treat (9/10)

5. "Three Clowns" (3:27) (8.5/10)

6. "Barbary Coast" (3:10) Jaco's first compositional contribution to the band. This is Jaco doing Jaco while the band supports. (8.5/10)

7. "Herandnu" (6:38) Alfonso Johnson penned this final song of the album--and a beauty it is! For me this is the band at their most dynamic and joyful. Very Steely Dan-like. (9/10)

Total Time: 37:17

While the performances are masterful throughout this album, I don't feel that the compositions are as strong or as memorable as those from other WR albums. While the sounds or stylings of Joe Zawinal and Wayne Shorter never really wowed me, the ensemble sound, unusual (and engaging) melodies, and great performances from the extraordinary Weather Report rhythm section always drew me in. Here we are graced with various combinations of contributions from bassists Alphonso Johnson and Jaco Pastorius, drummers Narada Michael Walden and Chester Thompson, and percussionists Don Elias and Alejandro "Alex" Acuña. What a treat!

88.0 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent acquisition for any Jazz-Rock Fusion lover and a landmark album in the discography of Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter's ever-transitioning band.

WEATHER REPORT Heavy Weather (1977) 

An album that brought world fame to an otherwise obscure and rather run-of-the-mill jazz-rock fusion band because of the radio-friendly mega hit, "Birdland." Though I never listened to this album as much as its companion, the previous year's, Black Market, I do like it.

Lineup / Musicians:

- Joe Zawinul / Synthesizer [Oberheim Polyphonic, Arp 2600], Piano [Acoustic], Vocals, Melodica, Piano [Acoustic], Electric Piano [Rhodes], Guitar, Tabla 

- Wayne Shorter / Soprano and Tenor Saxophones, Composer (4, 6)

- Jaco Pastorius / Bass, Mandocello (1, 7), Drums (3), Steel Drums (6), Vocals (1), Composer (3, 8)

- Alejandro "Alex" Acuña / Drums, Congas and Tom Toms (5), Handclaps (7)

- Manolo Badrena / Tambourine (1), Congas (3 5, 6), Vocals (4, 5), Timbales (5), Percussion (6, 7)

1. "Birdland" (5:57) iconic (though never a favorite of mine). (8.875/10) 

2. "A Remark You Made" (6:51) beautiful melodies and performances but the song is so dang slow--and it just seems to drag more and more the longer it goes. Almost irritating! Still, that Zawinal synth solo toward the end is great. (13.33333/15) 

3. "Teen Town" (2:51) a Jaco Pastorius showpiece, otherwise it's not much musically. (8.6667/10) 

4. "Harlequin" (3:59) slow, melodic and memorable, this is one of my three favorite songs on the album and perhaps my favorite Weather Report song (that I've ever heard). (9/10) 

5. "Rumba Mama" (2:11) is this where Pat Metheny got the idea to do this expanded percussion section jam so often? Weird that this is a live recording (Why couldn't they have done it in the studio.) (4.25/5) 

6. "Palladium" (4:46) the second best song on the album with all band members in sync and hitting on all cylinders. I wish it were a little more melodic. (9.5/10) 

7. "The Juggler" (5:03) another decent song: it's fairly slow and spacious with lots of individual subtleties woven together but the song never seems to get into full gear. Another top three song. (8.875/10) 

8. "Havona" (6:01) another top three song: the most dynamic song on the album. Jaco and Alex's performances are sublime. This is jazz fusion! (9.5/10)

91.6667 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of full-blown Jazz-Rock Fusion--one my Top 20 Favorites from the "Third Wave" of prog's "Classic Era." 

WEATHER REPORT Mr. Gone (1978)

Line-up / Musicians:

- Joe Zawinul / piano, Rhodes 88, synths (ARP 2600, Oberheim polyphonic & Prophet 5), Mu-Tron Fx, kalimbas, Thumbeki drums, sleigh bells, melodica, hi-hat, voice (1), arrangements & co-producer

- Wayne Shorter / soprano & tenor saxophones, voice (1)

- Jaco Pastorius / bass, drums (1, 2), voice (1, 2, 5), timpani (2), arrangements & co-producer

- Peter Erskine / drums (1, 3, 7), hi-hat (3), voice (1)

With:

- Jon Lucien / voice (1)

- Manolo Badrena / voice solo (1)

- Maurice White / vocals (8)

- Deniece Williams / voice (8)

- Steve Gadd / drums (3, 8)

- Tony Williams / drums (5, 6)

- Alan Howarth / synth programming

The peak Weather Report lineup PLUS guest appearances from Tony Williams, Steve Gadd, Maurice Williams, Deniece Williams, John Lucien, and Manolo Badrena. Needless to say: Expectations are high!

1. "The Pursuit of the Woman With the Feathered Hat" (5:00) the Zawinul sound parade begins. They could do so much better than this! (8.6667/10)

2. "River People" (4:49) live or not, this just sounds like another of the band's endlessly-protracted themes to allow Joe to show off his keyboards' sound possibilities. Throw in the handclaps and disco drums and you get one boring song. (Can't imagine why Jaco would put up with this!) (8.6667/10)

3. "Young and Fine" (6:54) very repetitive, melodic in the quirky, upbeat way that only Weather Report (and maybe Jay Beckenstein's SPYRO GYRA) can be. At least the musicianship of the instrumentalists keep it interesting--on multiple levels. (13.5/15)

4. "The Elders" (4:20) another surprisingly insipid and bare-bones song construct on which the band's parade of "fresh" sounds gets put on display. (This song would seem to support the theory that by now all of the band members have caught M. Zawinul's "look at me" bug.) (8.6667/10)

5. "Mr. Gone" (5:20) the opening minute of this song sounds like something from the soundtrack of a 1970s Italian horror film. Then it turns to "bizarre circus environment" for the second and third minutes, using lots of "old" sounds and 1960s "robotic" sounds and noises to make their music. Interesting, entertaining, and laughable. (8.6667/10)

6. "Punk Jazz" (5:07) Finally! Jaco breaks free of his master's chains, leading Tony Williams on a journey worthy of his talents. But that's only the first minute, after that they break into an odd organ-backed sax solo like the femme fatale's theme in an old Guy Noir 1960s "Whodunnit?" film. The circus plodding that follows in the third and fourth minutes is unfortunate despite some nice play from Wayne and Jaco, but they've only gone and wasted the talents of one of the most skilled and dynamic drummers of all-time. (Twice in a row: two consecutive songs!) Still, it's kind of likable. (8.875/10)

7. "Pinocchio" (2:25) fade in fade out = a scrap of music from an extended jam that was deemed "worthy" of being included (to fill space). Steve Gadd's performance is amazing! (4.5/5)

8. "And Then" (3:20) like a gentle "good-bye" song--or even a lullaby. The contributions of EW&F's Maurice White and newcomer Deniece ("I've Just Got to Be Free") Williams seems totally wasted. (8.75/10)

Total Time: 37:15

Yeah, the fade in, fade out tactic only shows me that the band was just jamming, most likely exploring without structure, goals, or end in sight. Also, I fin myself annoyed and saddened that band-leader Joe Zawinul is still stuck in his "see what I can do" mode of changing the sound programs on his synthesizer keyboard every 20 seconds, trying to cram as many "new" and "unusual" sounds that he can into each and every song (without ever repeating them!) This tactic often serves only to make each song--or each section of a song--ridiculously drawn out. Two good songs in a band's prime years does not make for a great album. Making it through this album is like 37 minutes of waiting for a plane that's only later found out to have been cancelled. Mr. Gone! Too bad!

87.86 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars; a disappointing collection of song offerings from a lineup of many Jazz-Rock Fusion all-stars--a lineup that seemed to promise something wonderful, could've been so much better.

My Rankings of Weather Report's 1970s Albums:

1. Sweetnighter (1973) (92.22)

2. Heavy Weather (1977) (91.667)

3. Mysterious Traveller (1974) (90.25)

4. Tale Spinnin' (1975) (88.63)

5. Black Market (1976) (88.0)

6. Mr. Gone (1978) (87.86)

7. Weather Report (1971) (87.70)

8. I Sing The Body Electric (1972) (86.63)