Weather Report with Alphonso Johnson: Badia/Boogie Woogie Waltz and Mysterious Traveller (Live, 1975)
One of the major highlights for me at the 2015 NAMM Show was finally getting the chance to meet the great Alphonso Johnson. Alphonso deserves way more credit than I think he gets – in my opinion and many others.
Going back through the wealth of music he’s been a part of just offers up more proof, including this 1975 performance with Weather Report in Berlin.
Jaco was not Weather Report’s first bassist, of course. But he also wasn’t Weather Report’s first fretless bassist.
In this clip, the band performs “Badia/Boogie Woogie Waltz” and “Mysterious Traveller” (one of my all-time favorite Weather Report tunes).
Enjoy.
Holy smokes! Even the look of that action made my fingers hurt
Cucumber Slumber baby! I realize this is blasphemous, but WR stopped grooving like this when Alphonso was replaced by Jaco.
…not “blasphemous…”THE TRUTH” !!! Alfonso “Slim” Johnson played the science and laid the groove at the same time!!!
ALFONSO…YA`LL….recognize.
Straight up old school cool!
killing
Looking forward to the upcoming podcast. Be sure to ask him about his Chapman Stick work.