Weather Report, “Birdland” (Joe Zawinul), Hollywood, 1976. Wayne Shorter, soprano and tenor saxes; Joe Zawinul, keyboards, piano, vocal, melodica; JacoPastorius, elec. bass, mando-cello, vocal; Alex Acuna, drums; ManoloBadrena, tambourine. [First issue: Heavy Weather, Columbia CK 34418]
Topic: This piece begins with a keyboard introduction by Zawinul. How many bars is this intro? The melody, or “head,” begins at 00:18 and ends at 02:46. How many sections are in this melody? Use letters to designate the sections. How does this group arrange the melody?
Which instrument has the melody in each of the sections? Now listen to Zawinul’s first keyboard solo from 02:47 to 03:08. Does his solo occur over the form of the piece? Describe the vamp or repeated pattern that is played under his solo. Now listen to Shorter’s tenor sax solo. Does his solo occur on the form of the piece? Describe the riffs that are played in the keyboard and sax, starting at 03:36 and ending at 4:59. Zawinul begins to solo again at 05:00. Describe Pastorius’ bass line during this solo? Does it sound like a repeated pattern? Briefly compare and contrast this jazz-rock fusion piece with that of Davis’ “Bitches Brew.” What are the general characteristics of this piece that are different from the hard bop and free groups you have heard?
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