Night Passage is the ninth studio album by Weather Report, released in 1980. The tracks were recorded on July 12 and 13, 1980 at The Complex studios in Los Angeles (before a crowd of 250 people who can be heard on a couple of tracks), except for "Madagascar", recorded live at the Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan on June 29 of the same year.
The album introduces a new member to the band, namely percussionist Robert Thomas Jr. Night Passage dials back the elaborate production of some of Weather Report's earlier releases (most notably 1978's Mr. Gone). What is lost in overdubs is made up in solo improvisation in the classic jazz tradition.
Trivia
The 7th track on the album "Three Views of a Secret" would be re-recorded for Jaco Pastorius' second solo studio album entitled Word of Mouth (1981).
Critical reception
Richard S. Ginell of Allmusic gave a four out of five stars review saying "All things being relative, this is Weather Report's straight-ahead album, where the elaborate production layers of the late-'70s gave way to sparer textures and more unadorned solo improvisation in the jazz tradition, electric instruments and all." Don Heckman of High Fidelity called Night Passage "one of the finest albums Weather Report has ever made".
Night Passage was Grammy-nominated in the category of Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental.
Track listing
Personnel
Weather Report
Josef Zawinul – keyboards and synthesizers
Wayne Shorter – saxophones
Jaco Pastorius – fretless bass
Peter Erskine – drums
Robert Thomas Jr. – percussion
Production
Brian Risner – engineer
George Massenburg – engineer
Jerry Hudgins – engineer
Joseph Futterer – art direction
Richie Powell – art direction
Nicholas DeVore III – cover photography
Pete Turner – cover photography
References
External links
Weather Report Annotated Discography: Night Passage (1980) Weather Report - Night Passage (1980) album releases & credits at Discogs Weather Report - Night Passage (1980) album to be listened on Spotify Weather Report - Night Passage (1980) album to be listened on YouTube