"Boogie Woogie Waltz" was oftentimes inwards the band's alive sets through the 1970s, as well as a alive version from 1978 appeared on the album 8:30. Also inwards 1978, Vitouš recorded a novel version of "Will" alongside Terje Rypdal as well as Jack DeJohnette on their collective album for ECM.
Right from the start, a vastly dissimilar Weather Report emerges here, 1 that reflects co-leader Joe Zawinul's developing obsession alongside the groove. It is the groove that rules this mesmerizing album, leading off alongside the irresistible 3/4 marathon deceptively tagged every bit the "Boogie Woogie Waltz" as well as proceeding through a diversity of Latin-grounded hip-shakers. It is a tape of regain for Zawinul, who augments his Rhodes electrical pianoforte alongside a funky wah-wah pedal, unveils the ARP synthesizer every bit a melodic musical instrument as well as sound-effects device, as well as often coasts along on 1 chord. The 1 time fiery Wayne Shorter has been tamed, for he at nowadays contributes by as well as large sustained ethereal tunes on soprano sax, his musical note sometimes doubled for a pleasing octave effect. The wane of freewheeling ensemble interplay is to a greater extent than than offset past times the large growth inwards rhythmic push; bassist Miroslav Vitous, drummer Eric Gravatt, as well as percussionist Dom Um Romao are at nowadays cogs inwards 1 of jazz's slap-up swinging machines.
“I don’t know what the side past times side tape volition be,” Josef Zawinul said inwards the summertime of 1972, “but it’ll endure something else! We’ve been learning every night, as well as we’re withal growing.”
Indeed, Sweetnighter was something else. Zawinul began to assert greater command of band, steering it away from the collective improvisation that marked its alive performances toward to a greater extent than structured compositions emphasizing funk as well as groove. This was exemplified past times the album’s 2 dominant tracks, “Boogie Woogie Waltz” as well as “125th Street Congress,” every bit good every bit the closer, “Non-Stop Home.” Other tracks were reminiscent of Weather Report’s previous albums, making Sweetnighter a transition from the band’s firstly stage to what 1 mightiness telephone vociferation upwards its mature phase.
The 1970's was a real interesting fourth dimension for Jazz music. The 1 time traditional fundamentals of Jazz were at nowadays existence ignored, every bit musicians began incorporating aspects of other genres into their music. These novel heretical ideas expanded the conventions of Jazz alongside improvisatory as well as experimental approaches, providing the genre alongside endless possibilities for novel techniques as well as alterations. The Weather Report is 1 of the few musical groups that fully examined all of the dissimilar templates that served every bit defining characteristics of early on Jazz Fusion. Their firstly 2 albums, Weather Report as well as I Sing The Body Electric, explored the to a greater extent than progressive aspects of Jazz Fusion, every bit the musical orchestrations embraced the usage of ambient effects as well as complex instrumental passages.
Sweetnighter, on the other hand, is a reflection of a novel tendency that was firstly to acquire real prominent inwards the Jazz Fusion scene. Albums similar Miles Davis' On The Corner as well as Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters began incorporating Funk elements into their typical Jazz routines, introducing a audio that emphasized to a greater extent than on rhythmic grooves rather than elaborate soloistic musicianship. In "Boogie Woogie Waltz", nosotros regard a completely dissimilar musical mode that nosotros had never heard inwards the previous efforts past times The Weather Report. Joe Zawinul's synthesizer straightaway asserts itself every bit the centerpiece of the music, deploying an eminent usage of Wah-wah effects to create a propulsive rhythmic framework for the other instruments. Wayne Shorter's saxophone sets out on its ain musical expeditions, delivering solos that non alone compliment Joe Zawinul's synthesizer, but too manages to distinguish itself past times voyaging along on its ain melodies. The vocal too features a dominating percussive arrangement, using maracas as well as conga drumbeats to assist render a real Latin-influenced groove.
"125th Street Congress" farther expands on this novel as well as to a greater extent than conventional musical style, but is approached alongside a real dissimilar concept. This time, Miroslav Vitouš' basslines dominate the direction of the music, alongside the other instruments serving to compliment the framework of the groove. This is for certain 1 of the major highlights of the album every bit the music induces a real infectious melodic atmosphere that is but impossible to non lose yourself in. "Manolete" is 1 of the few songs that manages to deviate from the to a greater extent than funkier topic of the album. "Manolete" is, for the most part, a render to the roots of traditional Jazz. Eric Gravatt dictates the beat of the vocal alongside around actually captivating as well as bombastic drumbeats. Wayne Shorter's saxophone takes the atomic number 82 every bit it carries us along, spell mesmerizing us alongside such exquisite musicianship. But every bit nosotros approach the climax, nosotros get down to regard the vocal acquire inwards into a to a greater extent than abstract territory, alongside Joe Zawinul providing around actually disorienting psychedelic flourishes.
"Non-Stop Home" serves every bit a genuinely mesmerizing postlude. This is 1 of the few times that The Weather Report channel the experimental tendencies of their previous albums. It is a descension into a real progressive environment, indulgently exuding a feel of psychedelia from every pore. Joe Zawinul, yet again, steals the spotlight alongside around genuinely innovative synthesizer effects that stimulate a perceptually overwhelming feel of surrealism. In the end, Sweetnighter proves to endure the exact type of album that everyone has been anticipating from The Weather Report. It's content is highly accessible, emphasizing on a to a greater extent than jubilant atmosphere, as well as leaving behind all of the esoteric as well as tentative musical procedures of their previous albums.
“Weather Report isn’t the firstly band to attempt the multi-percussion trip but as well as then far it has been the most successful. The Grávátt-Dewllingham-Romão-Muruga squad plays to a greater extent than than polyrhythms. It blows percussion alongside the same creativity as well as crispness that Shorter brings to his horns, Zawinul to his keyboards, Vitous to the bass. Perhaps to fifty-fifty the give away of tune players versus percussionists, Andrew White has been added on English linguistic communication horn… One interesting affair nearly Weather Report is that this is a band that lives betwixt categories. There are things here, every bit on the previous albums, that volition pick out receive got of a jazz audience, a stone audience, or an audience that is into classical music. And yet Weather Report is of none of these worlds–truly a band for which at that topographic point is no dove hole.”
“In the twelvemonth since I Sing the Body Electric, Weather Report has added an ethereal electronic character to its acoustic soundscape. Their music is at nowadays colored past times eerie synthesized qualities, haunted past times saxophone lyricism as well as nervous South American rhythms. Musical thoughts are every bit much implied every bit real, likewise the suggestions of unusual places are both geographical as well as neurological. Thus, Sweetnighter is strictly a travelogue of the Seventies… Weather Report’s truthful musical peers are groups similar the Mahavishnu Orchestra as well as the Herbie Hancock Sextet. Like them, they fuse rock, jazz as well as electronics into a descriptive music that is brilliantly innovative as well as accessible. In this they seem to me the image of a meaning avant-garde trend.”
Track listing
"Boogie Woogie Waltz" (J. Zawinul)– 13:06
"Manolete" (W. Shorter)– 5:58
"Adios" (J. Zawinul)– 3:02
"125th Street Congress" (J. Zawinul)– 12:16
"Will" (M. VitouÅ¡)– 6:22
"Non-Stop Home" (W. Shorter)– 3:53
Personnel
Josef Zawinul – pianoforte (2-6), electrical pianoforte (1-5), synthesizer (1-2-6)
Wayne Shorter – saxophone
Miroslav VitouÅ¡ – bass (acoustic 1-2-4 & electrical 3-5)
Andrew White - bass (electric 1-4-6), english horn (3-5)
Herschel Dwellingham - drums (tracks 1-2-4-6)
Eric Gravatt - drums (tracks 2-4-6)
Moroccan Clay - drums (tracks 1-2)
Roller Toy - drums (track 3)
Israeli Jar - drums (track 4)
Muruga Booker - drums
Dom Um Romão - percussion, forest flute
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