everybodydigs#104 Weather Report – Heavy Weather

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everybodydigs# is a series of posts about Jazz, Funk, Soul & R’n’b albums released from the 20s to the 90s, you can read a brief description/review and listen to a small preview (when it’s possible). everybodydigs# is like when someone tells you “hey you should listen to this album!” and nothing less, enjoy!

Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter didn’t truly fulfill Weather Report’s artistic and commercial potential until they brought on-board a bassist who could function as an equal partner in the musical equation, like co-founder Miroslav Vitous, whose main shortcoming was his inability to play funk. In renegade bassist Jaco Pastorius, the band found a formidable composer and improvisor, who possessed deep roots in funk and R&B, yet was equally at home in modern jazz and Afro-Cuban settings. Not coincidentally, the presence of this innovative fretless bassist on Heavy Weather gave Weather Report the rhythmic/melodic dimension it had been missing since Vitous’s departure, as evidenced by his voice-like declamations on Zawinul’s ballad “A Remark You Made.” On Zawinul’s chart-topping, big band-styled arrangement of “Birdland,” Pastorius provided the kind of big, sweeping orchestral gestures the tune required, while on the shifting canvas of Wayne Shorter’s “Harlequin,” the bassist’s ability to articulate complex chords allowed him to function as a string section unto himself. And on his own “Havona,” Pastorius not only soloed with horn-like artistry, but combined with drummer Alex Acuna and percussionist Manolo Badrena to give Weather Report its funkiest rhythm section ever. –Chip Stern

Rappamelo’s favorite track:

everybodydigs#47 Franco Micalizzi – La Banda Del Gobbo

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everybodydigs# is a series of posts about Jazz, Funk, Soul & R’n’b albums released from the 20s to the 90s, you can read a brief description/review and listen to a small preview (when it’s possible). everybodydigs# is like when someone tells you “hey you should listen to this album!” and nothing less, enjoy!

Soundtrack of italian movie “La Banda Del Gobbo” by Franco Micalizzi, one of the most prolific composers of the Italian Cinema. M° Micalizzi became famous around the world for his OST for the cult Western “Lo chiamavano Trinità ” (1970) (available on Digitmovies CDDM026), but also for his other famous OST of “Poliziotteschi” (Police movies) like “Italia a mano armata” (1976), “Roma a mano armata” (1976), “Napoli violenta” (1976), “Il cinico, l’infame e il violento” (1977). For “La banda del gobbo” Franco Micalizzi wrote a sparse, but effective score based on a main theme introduced by the electric piano then developed by moog, brass and percussions in a funky mood (Tr.1). This motif is reprised several times throughout the score, sometimes with slow, another time with fast renditions (Tr.2, Tr.4, Tr.5, Tr.7, Tr.9, Tr.10, Tr.11, Tr.13, Tr.15, Tr.18). Franco Micalizzi also composed suspense music for strings (Tr.8, Tr.16) and various tracks of Source Music like a Sirtaki (Tr.3), a disco music tune (Tr.6), a romantic ballade for voice and orchestra (Tr.12), church music for organ (Tr.14) and funeral music (tr.17). (Beat Records)

Rappamelo’s favorite track:

everybodydigs#14 Ennio Morricone – Il Gatto

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everybodydigs# is a series of posts about Jazz, Funk, Soul & R’n’b albums released from the 20s to the 90s, you can read a brief description/review and listen to a small preview (when it’s possible). everybodydigs# is like when someone tells you “hey you should listen to this album!” and nothing less, enjoy!

Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack to director Luigi Comencini’s 1977 film with two previously unreleased bonus tracks added, alternate versions of ‘Mariangela E La Seduzione’ & ‘Il Gatto’. 15 tracks total, with all delicately balanced between being refined classical arias and erotic themes.

Rappamelo’s favorite track: