Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 1976 (2006)

Weather Report report

Taped live at this historic jazz festival in 1976. Equally historic are the personnel and the ever-evolving, trend setting band that was Weather Report.
Jaco had just joined up with Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter along with Alex Acuna and Manolo Badrena. These guys are slamming!
This was part of the "Black Market" tour. You can hear Joe working with the "Birdland" theme later in the set. A year later they would release "Heavy Weather".
What a joy to see and hear these guys! Jaco was just out of the gate having released his astounding "Jaco Pastorius" and having also recorded "Bright Size Life" w/Pat Metheny and "Hijeira"(sorry misspelled?)
with Joni Mitchell. Wayne and Joe were moving around rhythm section players with Weather Report. Alphonso Johnson left to work on a project with George Duke. It was perfect timing for Joe and Jaco to connect.
Being a jazz player and teacher, I highly recommend this to all players, especially the younger guys/gals. This is extremely well crafted, harmonically and rhythmically composed and improvised music performed by some of the best players in the history of jazz.
There are not many shows like this on video. This is of excellent quality for the time.
This band/music shedds a positive light on the genre that is jazz-rock "fusion".
I give this a 5(000,000) star rating!

Brian Derek, bassist/composer September 24, 2008

AWESOME PERFORMANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are familiar with the "Jaco" era of this band and want to hear what they sounded like LIVE IN THEIR PRIME....look no further...this is it....visually and audibly remastered to deliver the best quality ever...

This was recorded right after Jaco joined the band in 1976...He and the band are all fired up and full of enthusiasm....You can see and hear it...and wish you were there in person...

There are so many videos floating around from different shows they did thru 1976-82...and for the most part...the qualities are hit and miss.....but THIS ONE is the one you REALLY need to have in your collection...

Lately the price for this is fetching far less than the cost of a single CD....So what are you waiting for....GO FOR IT!!

You wont be disappointed.. September 9, 2008

Jaco fans Stay Away!!!!

If you are a true WR Fan, skip it. It's very disappointing in two integral aspects.
One, Alex Acuna is on drums, and he's all over the place in his playing.
Two, Jaco must have pissed off the camera men, or they just didn't like all the attention he usually gets, because in the entire program I think he is shown maybe five minutes straight. You hear him for sure, but he's no where to be seen. The cameramen rather show his fingers than a waist up shot even during his solos. August 9, 2008

oldie but really good

It is very nice to have this material available on dvd. sit back and enjoy !!!!!!!! April 10, 2008

Rumba Mama Revelation

No need to repeat what others have said, but perhaps my personal anecdote will resonate with some WR fans.

I was always crazy for the "Rumba Mama" Acuna / Badrena track on the "Heavy Weather" album, and its genuine audience ambience. On vinyl, it was an outstanding opener for side 2. On CD and vinyl, the segue from "Rumba Mama" into "Palladium" has always been, for me, one of modern music's high points.

Fast forward 30+ years and I'm watching this DVD for the first time. I hear the identical track (unedited) and see it performed LIVE. THAT was a revelation. All the visual "blanks" were filled in and everything fit just perfectly. Just for that experience, enough reason to buy the DVD. March 26, 2008

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