Weather Report - Tale Spinnin' (1975) [2007 Japan Edition]

Weather Report's ever-changing lineup shifts again, with the somewhat heavier funk-oriented Leon "Ndugu" Chancler dropping into the drummer's chair and Alyrio Lima taking over the percussion table. As a result, Tale Spinnin' has a weightier feel than Mysterious Traveller, while continuing the latter's explorations in Latin-spiced electric jazz/funk. Zawinul's pioneering interest in what we now call world music is more in evidence with the African percussion, wordless vocals, and sandy sound effects of "Badia," and his synthesizer sophistication is growing along with the available technology. Wayne Shorter's work on soprano sax is more animated than on the previous two albums and Alphonso Johnson puts his melodic bass more to the fore. While not quite as inventive as its two predecessors, this remains an absorbing extension of WR's mid-'70s direction.

Tracks:

01. Man in the Green Shirt (Zawinul) - 6:30
02. Lusitanos (Shorter) - 7:26
03. Between the Thighs (Zawinul) - 9:33
04. Badia (Zawinul) - 5:22
05. Freezing Fire (Shorter) - 7:31
06. Five Short Stories (Zawinul) - 6:57

Personnel:

Joe Zawinul - Rhodes piano, acoustic piano, melodica, TONTO synthesizer, ARP 2600 synthesizer, organ, steel drums, oud, mzuthra, West African talking drum, xylophone, cymbals, vocals
Wayne Shorter - soprano and tenor saxophones
Alphonso Johnson - electric bass
Leon "Ndugu" Chancler - drums, tympani, marching cymbals
Alyrio Lima - percussion