WEATHER REPORT — Sweetnighter (review)

WEATHER REPORT — Sweetnighter album cover Album · 1973 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Sean Trane
Third album and what I call a hinge-album (as in turning point/cornerstone) when Weather Report is abandoning their early torrid jazz-rock to go into a fusion jazz funk. Indeed the two-bassist formation is absolutely marvellous (catch it on the opening track of each sides), and this album equals Body Electric, in this writer’s book.

Obviously the odd man out was Miroslav Vitous (he would depart after this album), but he’s present on five of six tracks, but twice doubled by Andrew White on electric bass, and to be fair on the English horn as well. Percussion-wise, while Romao is still to be seen on two tracks, Gravatt already makes an appearance (he would be full time on the following Mysterious Traveller), but shares the drum stool with Dwellingham.

Starting out on a delicious “Papa Was A Rollin Stone”-type brass funk, you just know Body Electric is soon to be history as a good deal of the record follows suit, although with varying degrees of funkyness. If the Zawinul-penned Boogie Woogie Waltz is clearly pumped from the afore-mentioned Parliament vein, it is less the case with Manolete, which returns more to Body Electric and the debut, while retaining a clear funky groove, but has a definite experimental edge. The A-side closer Adios is a very ambient track that takes us back to the debut album.

The flipside is build roughly around the same canvas, with a lengthy funky Zawinul-penned opener (125th Street Congress), a shorter more progressive and adventurous piece, the Vitous-written and torrid, sun-roasted Will (my fave on the album) and a short improv closer, Non-Stop Home.

As I said, Sweetnighter is really the hinge-album, separating (or linking) their first two phases, and by itself, it is very excellent album, even if the funk grooves are indeed a little easy for progheads. Nevertheless, this album is thoroughly enjoyable and still very much indicated to progheads
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

6 Eclectic Fusion
KROKOFANT
Buy this album from MMA partners
Spring In Stockholm Live At Konserthuset, 1959 Cool Jazz
GERRY MULLIGAN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikolaj Trzaska, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple vol.3 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikolaj Trzaska, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple, Vol.1 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikołaj Trzaska / Ingebrigt Håker Flaten / Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple Vol.2 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

FASCINATING RHYTHM - The Amazing Keystone Big Band feat. Neima Naouri
THE AMAZING KEYSTONE BIG BAND
snobb· 1 day ago
Alicante
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS
js· 1 day ago
She's Forty with Me
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Tall Tillie's Too Tight
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Rhoda Scott Ladies and Gentlemen - special guest : David Linx
RHODA SCOTT
snobb· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed