36m 1s: Lenght

Weather Report - 1971 Vienna Vienna, November 1971. Very good soundboard or radio broadcast? The group had only released their self-titled debut album in May 1971 and this Vienna gig looked like an impressive showcase for the avant-jazz group. Unlike many new groups, saxophonist Wayne Shorter and keyboardist Joe Zawinul were not unknowns nor were they novices. And the “new” group offered them the chance to stretch their musical wings, especially when it came to improvisations. However, they would be saddled with the “jazz-fusion” moniker later but avant-jazz would probably be an apt description for the music they played. 00:00 Tears / Umbrellas 8:08 08:08 Untitled Original 1 6:56 15:05 Eurydice 9:31 24:37 Orange Lady 11:23 Lineup: Wayne Shorter - saxophone Joe Zawinul - keyboards Miroslav Vitous - bass Alphonse Mouzon - drums Dom Um Romao - percussion This Vienna gig would eventually lead to a successful Japan tour in 1972 and the recording and release of the Live In Tokyo album. As with Weather Report’s music, the details are in the intricate interplay between the instruments and readers can get a glimpse of the group’s music through Rolling Stone magazine’s Robert Palmer’s review of the group’s second album, I Sing The Body Electric (1972), the second side featuring live tracks from their Japan tour. Palmer called it a “beautiful, near perfect LP,” and went on to describe the band’s live side as “a group that has reorganized the role of the traditional rhythm section in an unusual way. Joe Zawinul uses his electronic keyboard like a hornplayer… to engage in a dialogue of equals with saxophonist Shorter. Vitous uses his bass as a third voice in this ongoing conversation, which often leaves drummer Gravatt to handle the rhythmic chores, a job he performs with style and grace.” DownBeat’s Gary Giddins declared, “there is no question that Weather Report is into something new and stimulating.”