SWEETNIGHTER

Weather Report's third album is nice evolution from the preceding albums. The out-worldly atmosphere and the wild free-jazz of I Sing The Body Electric have morphed into a smoother exotic ambience that is still magical in atmosphere but more accessible and even funky in places. It's another remarkable album from a band changing their appearance with each release.

Right from the opener the album sounds closer to Funcadelic then to the previous Weather Report albums. Especially the rhythm section has become downright swinging and groovy. The rousing percussion interplays brilliantly with the bass guitar and the heavily processed piano that almost sounds like a guitar played through a wah wah. The saxophones develop quite an entrancing lead melody. Manolete is quieter and moodier, and slowly grooves on a downbeat funk rhythm. The band's jamming is very inspired and hypnotizing. Adios rounds off the first side with an dreamy introspective piece.

125th Street Congress gets us back into the groove. The band enlisted 4 drummers/percussionist for this album but despite the abundant percussion, they never overstate things, and always settle for a refrained approach. Will is an entirely different piece, rather uneventful on the surface but with a smouldering fire underneath. The album ends with the funkiest piece of the album and keyboards supplying a wild and dissonant flair.