Heavy Weather
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 Acuña 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. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
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Credits »
Bob Belden - Producer
Bob Belden - Reissue Producer
Jaco Pastorius - Composer
Jaco Pastorius - Producer
Wayne Shorter - Associate Producer
Wayne Shorter - Assistant Producer
Weather Report - Main Performer
Keith Williams - Photography
Steven Berkowitz - Director
Steven Berkowitz - Reissue
Joe Zawinul - Composer
Joe Zawinul - Orchestra
Joe Zawinul - Producer
Joe Zawinul - Orchestration
Kevin Gore - Director
Kevin Gore - Reissue
Jerry Hudgins - Engineer
Jerry Hudgins - Assistant Engineer
Ron Malo - Engineer
Mark Wilder - Digital Mastering
John Ephland - Liner Notes
Don Hunstein - Photography
Seth Rothstein - Director
Seth Rothstein - Project Director
Howard Fritzson - Art Direction
Howard Fritzson - Reissue Art Director
Nancy Donald - Design
Brian Risner - Engineer
Brian Risner - Assistant Engineer
Randall Martin - Design
Randall Martin - Reissue Design
Lou Beach - Illustrations
Keith Williamson - Photography
Rene Arsenault - Associate Producer
Rene Arsenault - Production Assistant
Patti Matheny - Artist Coordination
Nicholas Bennett - Packaging Manager
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Miles Davis
