I Sing The Body Electric - Weather Report

Apr

9

I Sing The Body Electric - Weather Report

≡ Category: 1970s, Essential, Fusion, Post Bop, Reviews |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING

Rating:

I Sing The Body Electric was the last hurrah for the founding edition of Weather Report before Joe Zawinul started to emphasize R&B rhythms and simpler structures, but what a way to go out!

Zawinul and company are painting on a much larger canvas than on their debut recording. The opener, Unknown Soldier, includes Andrew White on English horn, Hubert Laws on flute, Wilmer Wise on piccolo trumpet, a bevy of background singers, and even some futuristic sequencer from Zawinul, in addition to the regular band of Wayne Shorter on sax, Miroslav Vitous on bass, Eric Gravatt on drums, and Dom Um Romao on percussion. In concept, it’s a lot like the compositions on Weather Report’s debut album. Themes and through composed sections blend imperceptibly with free improvisation.

There’s a good story behind The Moors, which features an introductory solo by 12 string guitarist Ralph Towner. Zawinul was familiar with Towner’s playing and was of the opinion that Towner was at his best when he was simply free associating, so he pretended to be setting up and turned on the tape recorder without Towner’s knowledge. While he was waiting, Towner noodled around on his 12 string. After a while, Towner asked when they were going to start. “We’re done,” said Zawinul. And sure enough, the result is some of Towner’s best playing on record.

The studio material is mysterious, meditative, and powerful — gorgeous stuff.

The live material, taken from a concert in Tokyo, is just as fantastic. This is Weather Report at full strength, on a good night. You can’t improve on that.

The band is absolutely ferocious. The grooves from Eric Gravatt and Dom Um Romao are brutal. Miroslav Vitous completes the rhythm section but in a wonderfully idiosyncratic manner, with bizarre note choices that somehow work anyway. At one point, Vitous has a bowed bass solo that’s like a gypsy violinist on acid. Zawinul is at his most aggressive — he revels in the distortion of his keyboards. Wayne Shorter on tenor has a raw nerve urgency to his playing. He’s at his most fiery on Surucucu, which is mostly a free jazz blowout, with some through composed sections.

In concert, this edition of Weather Report gives the impression that they’re going to spin off into the stratosphere at any moment, but they are in complete control.

For anybody interested in the most advanced forms of fusion, where free jazz, 20th Century classical music, rock, and R&B meet, I Sing The Body Electric is absolutely essential. It may not be an easy listen, but it’s about as rewarding as this music gets.