Heavy Weather



Joe Zawinul has died at 75: Zawinul rose to international fame after joining alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley's band in 1961. During his nine-year stint with the band, he composed such tunes as "Walk Tall," "Country Preacher," and most notably the gospel-influenced, soul-jazz anthem "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," his first important recording on electric piano, which climbed the pop charts and won a Grammy for Adderley....Zawinul won acclaim for his keyboard work on chart-topping Miles Davis albums such as "In A Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew," and was a leading force behind the so-called "Electric Jazz" movement.In 1970, Zawinul and saxophonist Wayne Shorter founded Weather Report and produced a series of albums including "Heavy Weather," "Black Market," "I Sing the Body Electric," and the Grammy-winning live recording "8:30."

I have felt guilty since, during my self-imposed blog vacation, I ignored Max Roach's passing. And to tell the truth, in terms of my own music collection and music tastes, Joe Zawinull does not rate all that high. I really like Miles Davis's In A Silent Way album, and I'm a huge fan of just about everything Cannonball Adderley has done, but you aren't going to find me listening to much Weather Report or jazz-rock fusion.

But when I read Zawinul had died on the music blog There Stands The Glass (sidebar), I was struck by these sentences: Perhaps more than any other individual, Joe Zawinul is responsible for my initial interest in jazz. I'd never been exposed to anything quite like "Birdland" when the Weather Report instrumental became a radio hit in 1977. I soon discovered Jaco, Shorter and, of course, Zawinul. That led to Miles and beyond. I don't think it would be totally true for me to say "me too" but I'm in that ballpark, without question. My dad had some Dave Brubeck and Stan Getz records, and when I was in junior high my parents took me to see the Dave Brubeck Quartet (with Paul Desmond!), and those things turned me on to jazz. But I do remember just getting into this stuff and joining the Columbia House Record Club (12 for a penny!) and ordering Bob James, Earl Klugh, Joe Sample, The Crusaders, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Weather Report. I don't know if it's fair or accurate to include Weather Report with all of those other folks or not--probably The Crusaders yes, Bob James no--but at any rate I liked them a lot, once upon a time, and I'm sure I owe it to myself to go back and listen to Zawinul and company again.

I don't have any Weather Report to post here, but I'm sure with a quick search you can find some, and I recommend you do if you aren't familiar with their sound. Here's a couple version of the aforementioned "Mercy Mercy Mercy": both are great, and the ReBirth Brass Band's version gives me a cheap excuse to include a cut with "titties" in the title.


ReBirth Brass Band, Shake Them Titties/Mercy Mercy Mercy


Cannonball Adderley (w/Joe Zawinul), Mercy Mercy Mercy



Posted: Tue - September 11, 2007 at 06:40 PM          

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