Black Market

[Nordude]

Originally posted by Phil W:

Nubian Sundance is so atmospheric and manages to do things to me to alter my perception of time. It features two drummers creating a complex web of time, if I remember correctly. The washes of sound definitely seem to take you on a journey.

 

Black Market is probably my favourite. I never cred for the live versions with Jaco. I love the second half of the tune too much. Alphonso Johnson's playinmg on this tune is my primary influence. The change of rhythm when Ndugu Chancler's drum part is spliced to follow Chester Thompson's in the mid section taked the tune to another level. Also the rhythm chages from straightish to swung sixteeneths.

For me, the Jaco versions (8:30 et al) suit me better. A little faster, nice groove by Jaco and Erskine. Jaco's bass sound is very characteristic for that Black Market bass riff and really adds to the song, IMHO.

 

The drummer in the 2nd half of the studio version is Narada Michael Walden, BTW. Ngudu only played on Tale Spinnin' IIRC.

 

I highly recommend http://www.binkie.net/wrdisc/ for a nice, annotated WR discography.

 

Now, back to Night Passage, which is offered a new chance after my reading of this nice thread.

[Fulc]

Originally posted by Dan South:

I'm sure that you can do this on a K2x00 by putting in a negative value for the pitch factor. Anyone ever try it? I'll bet you could play some AMAZING stuff that way!

The negative value would be -100 cents per key. Yes, I've tried it-- first time I tried it I used two different layers, left hand going the correct way, right hand going backasswards. I got some interesting melodies that way.

 

Then I edited that instrument so that both hands were going backasswards, left hand in a lower range. Interesting melodies in the right hand, interesting chords in the left.

 

I am coming to Zawinul more and more often these days as someone I should have been a lot more aware of a long time ago. I didn't "get" him when I was younger. I have a feeling I've got an interesting road in front of me.

[mate stubb]

I've set my Chroma up with the reversed keyboard, even with one VCO reversed and one normal in the same patch. It's large fun.

[Phil W]

"The drummer in the 2nd half of the studio version is Narada Michael Walden, BTW. Ngudu only played on Tale Spinnin' IIRC."

 

Yes of course, Nordude - I posted in a hurry. I just love the bass and drum groove on the second half of the studio version, it's one of my favourite WR moments.

 

I've always been disappointed by 8.30 (ducks!)

Live and Unreleased is far superior IMHO.

 

Thanks for the Weather Report link. I much enjoyed Zawinul's biography 'In a Silent Way - a Portrait of Joe Zawinul' by Brian Glasser. Well worth checking out.

 

I haven't listened to Night Passage for years, I'll have to hook up the record deck and get back to it.

[Phil W]

http://www.binkie.net/wrdisc/

 

Hey, great site, thanks!

[Analogaddict]

Joe is the MAN. I agree on everything above, and I also really dig the Zawinul Syndicate stuff. "Faces and Places" as well as "World Tour" are among my favorite discs. There's a cool Zawinul spoken overdub on "The Search", the first track on "Faces...", don't miss it!

[cnegrad]

A couple of thoughts:

 

The bassist on the Black Market album was Alphonso Johnson, not Jaco.

 

Zawinul has always interested me in that he came from a rather "inside sonority" while with Cannonball to such an "other worldly" approach with Weather Report and beyond.

 

As a fascinating look inside his head, listen to his treatment of the tune "Can It Be Done" on the Domino Theory album. I mean, it's a given that Joe is respected from a jazz/fusion standpoint. But here he took what would otherwise be a Pop or RnB vocal ballad and gave it an incredible quirky, alien treatment that I adore to this day. And check out the instrumental section in the middle! Who else would come up with something like that?

[cnegrad]

An additional aside:

 

Man, I REALLY miss Jaco. He continues to be such an inspiration, both on the bass and via his big band writing.

 

Just go to youtube.com and watch him. What a genius. Rest In Peace, Jaco. You were far ahead of your time.

[ProfD]

cnegrad, it's funny you mention the youtube.com thing with Jaco because I just watched it earlier today. He was ridiculous on bass and the big band played Giant Steps....ah

[burningbusch]

Originally posted by cnegrad:

A couple of thoughts:

 

The bassist on the Black Market album was Alphonso Johnson, not Jaco.

 

This was Jaco's debut album with WR. He played on two cuts, Cannonball and Barabary Coast (which he wrote). Everything you want to know about Black Market can be found HERE.

 

Busch.

[Phil W]

Come on cnegrad, we already discussed the fact that the Black Market album features both ( and two different rhythm sections), keep up!

 

I think that's a bonus in terms of making it such a great album. It combines the mystery, improvisation and funk of Mysterious Traveller and Talespinnin' with the tightly arranged ensembles, distilled melody and sheer propulsive joy of Heavy Weather.

[Nordude]

Well, listened to Night Passage. It deserved a new chance. It seems that WR (albeit partially) returned to Black Market/Tale Spinnin'/Mysterious Traveller. Some more room for Wayne Shorter, some Tale Spinnin'-esque rambling (Fast City), some more mystery (Forlorn, Madagascar). Port Of Entry and Dream Clock slightly recall the Black Market album. All IMHObservation/Opinion of course.

 

Erskine's drumming is a bit heavier than the earlier albums offer and this evolves further on Weather Report 1982, as can be heard on Volcano For Hire.