Weather Report Celebrates 40 Years with “Live in Berlin 1975”
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of Weather Report, by Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter. To help celebrate, the Zawinul estate is releasing Weather Report: Live in Berlin 1975, a comprehensive box set featuring the group’s performance at 1975 Jazzstage Berlin. The CD/DVD set features Weather Report’s 1975 line-up, with Alphonso Johnson on bass, drummer Chester Thompson and percussionist Alex Acuna, with Zawinul and Shorter.
Johnson joined the group the year before, replacing the group’s original bassist, Miroslav Vitous. According to Zawinul, one of the catalysts for the move was his desire to take the group into more of a funk direction.
“Miroslav accepted that he couldn’t play funk,” Zawinul shared. “But Alphonso was a tremendous young bass player. I liked him immediately – he had a solid beat”.
The result of this collaboration was Mysterious Traveler, released in 1974 and marking an undeniable new direction for the band.
The CD/DVD set each contain four tunes from the band’s performance.
Weather Report: Live in Berlin 1975 Track List (DVD & CD)
- Freezing Fire
- Scarlet Woman
- Mysterious Traveller
- Badia / Boogie Woogie Waltz
