Joe Zawinul & WDR Big Band - Leverkusener Jazztage

A loving tribute to the innovative and enduring fusion of Weather Report, whose hit songs seem to carry a kind of universal language that somehow instantly translates to audiences worldwide. Joe Zawinul & WDR Big Band: Leverkusener Jazztage preserves a live jazz concert in WDR, Germany, featuring Zawinul, who was the original keyboardist for Weather Report, and the esteemed German WDR Big Band. They're joined by a very capable international rhythm section. Together, they render note-perfect renditions of a selection of Weather Report classics like "Brown Street" and "Carnavalito," rearranged specifically for this performance by Vince Mendoza, a skilled musical arranger, and performer. With such a strong lineup, the performance, while reverent, certainly doesn't lack a certain ebullience. Joe Zawinul & WDR Big Band: Leverkusener Jazztage is a vital document of what it was like to listen to one of the greatest jazz bands of the 20th century live.