Recorded on June 29 and July 12-13, 1980
When I was working on my 1970s jazz blog, I was firmly convinced that the early version of Weather Report that made Live in Tokyo was the most interesting incarnation of the band.
But after digging more deeply into the band's subsequent studio albums, reading Curt Bianchi's excellent book, Elegant People: A History of the Band Weather Report (Backbeat, 2021), and -- perhaps most importantly -- listening to the band's archival release, The Legendary Live Tapes: 1978-1981 (Legacy, 2015), my perspective has changed. Now, I would put the five-member version of the band that made Night Passage right up there with the Live in Tokyo group. And, in some ways, the Pastorius-Erskine(-Thomas) group may be even more impressive.
As Curt Bianchi notes on his informative Weather Report: The Annotated Discography (which preceded his book): "The music for Night Passage was honed during the tours of 1979-1980, following the release of 8:30. Whereas 8:30 relied largely on the music of the past, on the ’79-’80 tours the Pastorius-Erskine-Thomas edition of Weather Report developed its own unique identity independent of earlier work."
Bianchi's site also notes how one reviewer described the band's shattering effect during a performance at London's Hammersmith Odeon in 1980: "Loath as I am to say it (their egos have grown beyond all recognition as it is), but Weather Report prove that the jazz universe is still expanding... Their second night at Hammersmith was simply awesome -- no sycophantic bleat from someone who usually prefers the freer end of jazz. They played a grueling set of nigh on three hours, themes from Mr. Gone and early works looming and receding in an improvised set, and not once did they take an easy route or lazy option."
Lastly, I would suggest that anyone who remains unconvinced by the Pastorius-Erksine band check out the The Legendary Live Tapes mentioned above. The third and fourth discs from thi set captures the quintet that made Night Passage in full flight. Any negative impressions you might have about this band -- whether it's a sense that they were "dumbing down" the music to reach a broader audience or a notion that the music is somehow cold and sterile -- will quickly be dispelled. This band burned, and their ability to improvise was second to none. ... Of course, one has to accept the band's electric instrumentation. For some listeners, synthesizers and electric basses still remain a obstacle. To those folks, I would suggest one thing: Stop listening to the sounds and let go of your notions about what those sounds represent. Instead, listen to the music. It's glorious. There has never been another band quite like Weather Report.
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