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Jul 7, 2023 · Bass Player. “It was one of the few tunes that the band didn’t try to play live, but it’s definitive Jaco”: Discovering Jaco Pastorius and the making of Havona. By Nick Wells. ( Bass Player ) last updated 7 July 2023. Inside Jaco’s Weather Report audition and the recording of Heavy Weather's standout track.
- Nick Wells
- Side One
- Side Two
- Bonus Tracks
- Review Exceprts
1. Birdland (Zawinul) 5:59
A tour de force for Zawinul and Weather Report. Zawinul knew he had something special from the beginning. “When we rehearsed it the very first time it was easy to see that there was something special there. It’s a wonderful feeling.” [BAM83] Birdland, of course, was the famous New York jazz club that had a great impact on Zawinul’s life. “All of us in Vienna knew about this fabulous place,” Zawinul explained to Leonard Feather in 1990. “Friederich Gulda, the great pianist, played there with a...
2. A Remark You Made (Zawinul) 6:52
“A Remark You Made” is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful ballads Zawinul penned. “I wrote ‘A Remark You Made’ the first day that I had my Oberheim string synthesizer and I found that sound that I use on the song. The next day, Jaco came over and we just did it. I knew it was special right away.” [BAM83] In a 1988 interview, Woodard commented to Zawinul that “in a tune like ‘A Remark You Made,’ the very tone of the bass makes the melody sing.” “I’m a composer who works with so...
3. Teen Town (Pastorius) 2:53
“Teen Town” takes its title from a youth club where Jaco grew up. In addition to composing the tune and playing bass, Jaco also plays drums, explaining to Williamson that he played the drums first, and overdubbed the bass part afterwards. Jaco went on to describe “Teen Town” at length: In In A Silent Way, Zawinul says, “You know what? This bassline is played by both of us! It was the Oberheim eight-voice which doubled his bass, and we played so well together that it sounds like one instrument...
5. Rumba Mama (Badrena/Acuña) 2:12
This recording comes from Weather Report’s July 8, 1976 performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
6. Palladium (Shorter) 4:45
Shorter’s inspiration for this composition was the Latin jazz concerts he attended as a kid at the Palladium Club in New York City. As he explained to Hal Miller:
7. The Juggler (Zawinul) 5:05
In a 1978 Rhodes advertisement, Zawinul described how “The Juggler” came about. Asked how he creates, Joe said, “Sometimes in the usual way–thinking through a melody on my Rhodes and scoring as I go along. But creativity is funny and unpredictable. Take “Juggler” on our album, Heavy Weather. I was just improvising and unknown to me, Brian Risner, our engineer, taped my playing. A year later, he ran the tape for me. I wrote it down exactly and Weather Report recorded it. You never know when yo...
(9). Black Market [Live] (Zawinul) 9:26
This live version of “Black Market” was recorded September 10, 1977 at the Rainbow, London. It was originally released in 2002 on Live and Unreleased, and is included on the version of Heavy Weather that is part of the 2012 boxed set Weather Report The Columbia Albums 1976-1982.
(10). Teen Town [Live] (Pastorius) 6:30
This live version of “Teen Town” was recorded September 10, 1977 at the Rainbow, London. It was originally released in 2002 on Live and Unreleased, and is included on the version of Heavy Weather that is part of the 2012 boxed set Weather Report The Columbia Albums 1976-1982.
(11). Birdland [Live] (Zawinul) 6:36
This live version of “Birdland” was recorded March 2, 1979 at the Karl Marx Theatre, Havana, Cuba, as part of the three-day “Havana Jam.” It is included on the version of Heavy Weather that is part of the 2012 boxed set Weather Report The Columbia Albums 1976-1982.
Jazz Album of the Year, 42nd Annual Down BeatReaders Poll Jazz Group of the Year, 42nd Annual Down BeatReaders Poll Record of the Year, Jazz ForumPeople’s Poll 1977 Silver Disc Award, Swing Journalmagazine. Jazz Record of the Year, Playboy Jazz Band of the Year, Playboy Instrumental Group of the Year, Record World Record of the Year, Cashbox 1977 G...
- March 1977
- Zawinul
- Columbia CK 34418
- 37:39
Weather Report was an American jazz fusion band active from 1970 to 1986. The band was founded in 1970 by Austrian keyboardist Joe Zawinul, American saxophonist Wayne Shorter, Czech bassist Miroslav Vitouš, American drummer Alphonse Mouzon as well as American percussionists Don Alias and Barbara Burton. The band was initially co-led by co ...
Havona is a Jaco Pastorius composition from the classic 1977 Weather Report album titled "Heavy Weather". This solo was recorded during Jaco's peak and is an amazing example of his command and mastery of the fretless bass.
