Listen again to Birdland, the famous jazz-rock fusion piece by
Weather Report: Wayne Shorter, soprano and tenor saxes; Joe
Zawinul, keyboards, piano, vocal, melodica; Jaco Pastorius, electric
bass, mando-cello, vocal; Alex Acuna, drums; and Manolo Badrena,
tambourine, and address the following questions:
1. The order of solos in this piece is: Zawinul, Shorter, Zawinul.
Provide counter numbers for the beginnings and ends of these
solos.
2. Describe the keyboard and piano accompaniment during
Shorter’s solo. How would you compare/contrast the solo style
of Shorter in Birdland with his tenor solo in Miles Davis E.S.P.?
3. How would you compare/contrast the solo style of Zawinul in
Birdland with that of Herbie Hancock in E.S.P.?
4. Do you detect any ties between these jazz-rock fusion soloists
and hard bop or free jazz?
