| Description |
Weather Report - Heavy Weather
Audio CD: September 23, 1997
Original Release Date: 1977
Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
Label: Sony
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter didn't truly fulfill Weather Report's artistic and commercial potential until they brought on-board a bassist who could function as an equal partner in the musical equation, like co-founder Miroslav Vitous, whose main shortcoming was his inability to play funk. In renegade bassist Jaco Pastorius, the band found a formidable composer and improvisor, who possessed deep roots in funk and R&B, yet was equally at home in modern jazz and Afro-Cuban settings. Not coincidentally, the presence of this innovative fretless bassist on Heavy Weather gave Weather Report the rhythmic/melodic dimension it had been
missing since Vitous's departure, as evidenced by his voice-like declamations on Zawinul's ballad "A Remark You Made." On Zawinul's chart-topping, big band-styled arrangement of "Birdland," Pastorius provided the kind of big, sweeping orchestral
gestures the tune required, while on the shifting canvas of Wayne Shorter's "Harlequin," the bassist's ability to articulate complex chords allowed him to function as a string section unto himself. And on his own "Havona," Pastorius not only soloed with horn-like artistry, but combined with drummer Alex Acuna and percussionist Manolo Badrena to give Weather Report its funkiest rhythm
section ever. ~ Chip Stern
Besides being perhaps the greatest ever jazz/rock supergroup, Weather Report actually managed to live up to their billings, without reservation.They produced two astoundingly brilliant documents of their prowess, Black Market and Heavy Weather. Of the two--and this is more personal preference than anything clearly discernable - I believe Heavy Weather shines brightest. Why? Their ability to perfom at the highest levels of musical endeavor and innovation and still create a record that would appeal to the largest possible audience. Surely "Birdland" and "Teen Town" are among the very highest accomplishments of what might be dubbed "accessible jazz." Combining simple, catchy melodies with progressive chord voicings and impossibly bubbly rhythms, they lend themselves both to extensive radio play and extended musical contemplation. Quite a feat. The remainder of the disc, featuring a couple of Wayne Shorter's catchier compositions, "Harlequin" and "Palladium," also features "The Juggler," a magically mysterious offering from the pen of Zawinul, and "Havana," a stone rocker courtesy of Jaco Pastorius at the absolute height of his compositional prowess. The absolute pinnacle of jazz/fusion, casually, effortlessly, blowing out of the water the entire jam band scene, Heavy Weather is not to be missed. ~ Jan P. Dennis
This excellent 1977 release opens with the highly popular Birdland, a synthesizer-heavy piece that introduces the awesome talents of the greatest bassist in the world, Jaco Pastorius. As a bass player myself that was heavily influenced by Jaco, I was floored by his incredible technique on this recording, which includes a heady brew of harmonics, false harmonics, chords, and occasional bursts of lightning fast 64th note triplets. This is not to say that Jaco could not lay back - the moody and haunting Zawinul composition A Remark You Made features some very tasteful and restrained playing. The Wayne Shorter tune Harlequin and
Zawinul's The Juggler are also very nice and similar in texture to A Remark You Made. The truly odd track is the the percussion driven piece Rumba Mama, which features a live performance by a duo comprised of excellent drummer Alex Acuna and
percussionist Manola Badrena, who also "sing-shouts" in Spanish at the beginning of the piece. Although I really enjoy the entire disc, for me the highlights of Heavy Weather include Birdland, A Remark You Made, the Jaco tunes Teen Town and Havona, along with Wayne Shorter's superb Palladium. Although Joe Zawinul's use of synthesizers is heavy ( a lot of Oberheim Polyphonic and ARP 2600 ) the sounds are natural and blend well with the jazzier and "straighter" aspects of the music. Then again, I am a huge prog rock fan so the synthesizers probably would not bother me much. If you like this recording, Black Market ( 1976 ) is also superb and in addition to Zawinul and Shorter, features a large and revolving rhythm section including: Narada Michael Walden ( drums ), Chester Thompson ( drums ), Jaco ( bass ), and Alphonse Mouzon ( bass ). ~ Jeffrey J. Park
Weather Report - Heavy Weather Tracks:
01 Birdland
02 A Remark You Made
03 Teen Town
04 Harlequin
05 Rumba Mama
06 Palladium
07 The Juggler
08 Havona
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