It sometimes feels like popular music comes in waves. Just like a tide, a genre will crest and then fall back in on itself becoming nothing more than another fish in the sea. Somewhere in that mixed metaphor is the fact people's tastes can change on a whim and trends in music are such a song can go from being a new release in the morning, a hit at noon, and history by the drive home from work.
While there have always been novelty songs that momentarily capture the public's attention, there have also been styles of music capturing the public's imagination for a short breadth of time, before falling back into the niche where it came from. The fact it no longer gets media attention does not mean a genre has ceased to exist; music has far too much resilience to just disappear. It just means it was superseded by the next "big thing."
In the late sixties, and then throughout the seventies and into the eighties there was one form that showed a remarkable ability to resist being discarded. The Fusion of Jazz and some of the popular music of the time seemed like a natural progression from the work that was being done by people like Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderly and others. While they weren't prepared to make that final step across the line people who worked for them were ready, willing and able to make it happen.
Now-a-days we very rarely hear the term Fusion applied to popular music, mainly because radio formatting has changed so much there are very few stations left that would even consider playing it. F.M. Radio, which had been the preserve of album rock, was the ideal format for presenting this new breed of music. But when album rock gave way to adult easy listening it marked the end of easy public access for Fusion groups and their popularity suffered.
That's not to say Jazz Fusion has ceased to exist, it's just it's listening audience has diminished and is no longer the hot seller it was up to the early eighties. For the majority of the public something may be out of sight out of mind, but for those who care they can still find the music when they want. But who they won't be finding anymore is probably the first of the Jazz Fusion groups: Weather Report.
Article comments
1 - Pico
This sounds like one of those rare box sets that would work well for both the beginners and the long time fans. A pioneering band, indeed. Thanks for an informative write up.
-P
2 - M.K.
The video from the Beogradski Jazz Festival in 1980(if that is the one to which Peter Erskine is referring) does in fact exist. I have a copy, but the quality is not so great. The lineup includes Robert Thomas Jr. on percussion, however, so the author is correct that the Rockpalast is the only professional recording of the quartet band.
3 - Sam
I have been eagerly waiting for a WR Box and this looks like it. Picked it up yesterday. I'm pumped for hours of enjoyable listening. One down note: why weren't the tracks remastered? That would have made purchasing duplicade copies of many of these recordings somewhat worthwhile.
4 - meagan
This is a great site and you guys are great. thanks for everything your music is amazing and it helps me think in school.There is nothing else i listen to but this music
5 - Richard Marcus
M.K.
I don't know if you'll ever check back here again, but I received the following letter from the artistic director of the Belgrade Jazz festival and he would be very interested in obtaining a copy of the video tape you own, as they had assumed only an audio tape existed from that concert.
Here's a copy of the letter and his email address:
Mr. Marcus,
I am the artistic director of Belgrade Jazz festival (which had a 15 years
break, during wartime and started again, successfully, last year).
Radio Television Belgrade (National Broadcasting Company) was involved in the
festival from the beginning (1971-1990, and again this year), with recording
almost every concert from the main stage. But, sometimes, video footage was
not allowed - only audio.
Some tapes were lost long before wartime in Yugoslavia, because some TV
editors didn't feel the importance of keeping them in the archives, so they
used tapes for other purposes. (TV company was not rich to buy new tapes).
So... we do not actually know which shows are recorded and which are not.
There were very few concerts left in Belgrade TV archives now.
In fact, talking with lot of people which were involved in the festival in
1980 (both from Festival production team and Belgrade TV), it seems that
Weather Report concert WAS NOT FILMED but only recorded for radio purposes
(AUDIO). It seems that video footage was not allowed by the band management?
Audio tape exists, and - since I am working at the National radio too for many
years - I had a chance to play it on my radio show.
If TV tape exists too - which is the thing that Mr. M.K. is mentioning in his
comment - this information is of the HIGHEST IMPORTANCE for both the Belgrade
Jazz Festival (we try now to collect as much archives as possible), and
Belgrade TV (there is no such a tape now in their archives), and - last but
not least - me, because this was a REALLY FIRST SERIOUS JAZZ CONCERT that I
ever attended on the festival. I do believe all of those years that Weather
Report Belgrade Jazz Festival 1980 show was a turning point for me in starting
listening into jazz!
Therefore, I am curious to check if this tape which M.K. is mentioning is
trully from Belgrade Jazz festival, plus would like to get a copy of it for
our Festival archives, if this is possible.
I hope that you do understand the importance of having this in our archives
too and kindly ask if you have any idea how to reach Mr. M.K. by email.
Thanks,
Vojislav Pantic
Belgrade
[Personal contact info deleted]
cheers
Richard Marcus
6 - Derrick
I have a decent copy of the belgrade show! It is legendary, just simply amazing.!!!!
7 - vojislav
Oh, God, finally something new and promissing!
[Personal contact info deleted]
8 - Nenad Dinic
I have a great collection of Weather Report videos, and I am surprised with that Belgrade Jazz 1980 video. Never heard before. So Mr Pantic and Mr. Derrick, i would really love to contacat you and eventually get that famous concert. HOw we can do that?
9 - Derrick
This is Derrick everyone!!! I will send you a copy of the concert if we can contact each other by email. We can negotiate. I am interested in getting that master audio version from Marcus.
10 - vojislav
Mr Derrick, Mr. Dinic, others... is there any progress concerning exchanging this Weather Report video from Belgrade Jazz Festival 1980? How it is possible to make email contact? Mr. Dinic, are you living in Belgrade?
11 - Derrick
Yea it's Derrick, contact me by going to amazon's website and type in the weather report box set, fortcast tomorrow. Find my review comment and at the end of it the site gives you an opportunity to comment to my review and we can contact each other that way further.