Weather Report's biggest-selling album is that ideal thing, a popular and artistic success -- and for the same reasons. For one thing, Joe Zawinul revealed an unexpectedly potent commercial streak for the first time since his Cannonball Adderley days, contributing what has become a perennial hit, "Birdland." Indeed, "Birdland" is a remarkable bit of record-making, a unified, ever-developing piece of music that evokes, without in any way imitating, a joyous evening on 52nd St. with a big band. The other factor is the full emergence of Jaco Pastorius as a co-leader; his dancing, staccato bass lifting itself out of the bass range as a third melodic voice, completely dominating his own ingenious "Teen Town" (where he also plays drums!). By now, Zawinul has become WR's de facto commander in the studio; his colorful synthesizers dictate the textures, his conceptions are carefully planned, with little of the freewheeling improvisation of only five years before. Wayne Shorter's saxophones are now reticent, if always eloquent, beams of light in Zawinul's general scheme while Alex Acuńa shifts ably over to the drums and Manolo Badrena handles the percussion. Released just as the jazz-rock movement began to run out of steam, this landmark album proved that there was plenty of creative life left in the idiom.
Jurassic BassesBy Mikael Jansson & Scott Malandrone | January, 2000There’s no doubt Leo Fender forever changed the world of bass in 1951, when he launched his Precision Bass. But a couple of recent finds have cast his innovations in a new light.Sure, many had tried to amplify the double bass before Fender performed his feat: Ampeg, Rickenbacker, Regal, and Vega all made production-model solidbo.
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Get the Jaco Newsletter | Spread the word Pastorius Family Q&A | Guest Artist Series | Writings | Interviews 3 Views, Remembering a Brotherby Gregory Pastoriusdaddy,just daddy to meby Mary Pastorius 20 YearsIt was 20 years ago today that Jaco Pastorius was tragically taken away from us. Even though he only lived 35 years he still left us with so many gifts. His music... his pl...
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!http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070911/capt.af1e5599042a4a4fa50d474ed16d1d9b.austria_zawinul_obit_vie103.jpg?x=180&y=142&sig=OM4j7tUhe0v44stMlhTmOw--!By VERONIKA OLEKSYN, Associated Press Writer Tue Sep 11, 2:47 PM ET VIENNA, Austria - Joe Zawinul, the jazz keyboardist who soared to fame as one of the creators of jazz-rock fusion with the band Weather Report, has died, a hospital official...
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Back in July I posted a classic Joe Zawinul track to celebrate his 75th birthday and wished him many more. Sadly, that wish was not to be. Only a matter of weeks later, he died of skin cancer at his home in Malibu.Here's my favorite all-time Zawinul composition from the amazing "Heavy Weather" album.R.I.P. Joe, thank you for all the wonderful music. You will be sorely missed.
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Birdland |
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| 2 A Remark You Made |
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| 3 Teen Town |
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| 4 Harlequin |
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| 5 Rumba Mamá |
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| 6 Palladíum |
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| 7 The Juggler |
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| 8 Havona |
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 "Heavy Weather")
