Product Description

Probably the best fusion album ever made, and the coming together of five precociously talented musicians. Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter assembled the unit with little knowledge that the complex music would become so accessible. Two compostions stand out; the graceful 'A Remark You Made', an evocative love song without words, and the hit single 'Birdland' (so successful it was even used by Akai for a major advertising campaign). On these two Zawinul compostions their genius bass player Jaco Pastorius gives a taste of what he was capable of. He bent the notes to make them talk, and that high octave solo on 'Birdland' is still a treasured moment.

Track Listing

1. Birdland
2. Remark You Made
3. Teen Town
4. Harlequin
5. Rumba Mama
6. Palladium
7. Juggler
8. Havona

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #61870 in Music
• Released on: 1997-10-06
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter didn't truly fulfil 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 improviser, 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

Customer Reviews

Zawinul, Shorter and Pastorious at their best
I am listening to the album (...for the umpthousendth time) as I write this review...
This album really stands on a class on its own. I tend to organize my albums by genre and I have troubles finding this album's spot. I end up listening to it both when I am in a rock mood or in jazzy mood. And didn't get tired of it yet. Zawinul, Shorter and Pastorious are at their best here.
Well worth the money.

I'm not impressed
For some reason I expected a lot from this album, and as someone said, it seems to be one of those albums that everyone says is good and essencial but isn't really. The songs seem to me to be completely unadventurous. They aren't terrible but they aren't good by a long shot. The music is very well behaved and almost tries excessively hard to be agreeable to the listener which might be the reason as to why people consider it 'essencial jazz'.

Being new to the jazz world and having learnt quite a lot in a short amount of time (mainly by Chick Corea) I may be so bold as to say that this actually isn't jazz. There is relatively no swing/grove/fire etc. which I think is essencial to jazz. Some reviewers have called it cheesy. For jazz that is no bold statement by a long shot. You can always have cheese with flare. So if this isn't jazz (or rock/fusion may I add)then what is it? I have invented a new genre... its called 'something'. This music is 'something'.

Yet the thing that I think is a shame is that Weather Report sound as though they could do a lot better or at least have the talent for it as there are brief moments when it shines through. It's a bit of a waste and a pitty really. There are moments when they shine through and it becomes clear that they have potential but for some reason they just chose not to use it.

Unless you lived at the time when this music was relivant and you knew them at the time, there really is no use is knowing them now.

Very Good Fusion Music!
This is an album with several very good singles but some which let it down slightly. There are some excellent musicians who made the album for example, Jaco Pastorius on bass and Wayne Shorter on tenor sax. The best songs on it are the famous 'Birdland' and 'Teen Town.' I would say it is worth the buy if you like sort of fusion jazz!