Birdland (Jazz Track)
| Birdland | |
|---|---|
| Weather Report | |
| publication | March 1977 |
| length | 5:57 |
| Genre (s) | jazz |
| Author (s) | Joe Zawinul |
| Label | Columbia Records |
| album | Heavy Weather |
Birdland is an instrumental composition by Joe Zawinul that was first published in 1977 on the Weather Report album " Heavy Weather ".
General
The fusion jazz piece achieved unusual commercial success; it also became a big band standard.
Zawinul emphasized that the catchy composition was still difficult to play:
“The most successful piece I've ever written is Birdland. And it's also the most difficult piece I've ever played. ... There are so many things that I have to do on the keyboards. With the left hand the arrangement, with the right the melodies and the solo. And I have to switch so much, from one sound to another. "
Song title
The title of the song pays homage to the New York jazz club Birdland on 52nd Street in Manhattan and the nickname of jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker ("Bird"). Zawinul had often visited the club as a young musician and it was here that he met his future wife.
Awards, cover versions
The piece was awarded a Grammy in three versions by Weather Report, Manhattan Transfer (Extensions, 1980) and Quincy Jones ( Back on the Block , 1989) . In particular, the Manhattan Transfer version is well known for its vocalese style (text by Jon Hendricks ). Prince didn't release a cover version, but named Birdland one of 55 songs that inspired him musically.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Gunther Baumann: Zawinul - A life from jazz , p. 120, Residenz Verlag 2002, ISBN 978-3701712915