Weather Report

Weather Report
Budokan
Tokyo, Japan
6/7/81

Audience recording>CDR > EAC > WAV > mkw Audio Compression > SHN > FLAC (TLH)

Josef Zawinul - Keys
Wayne Shorter - Sax
Jaco Pastorius - Bass
Peter Erskine - Drums
Robert Thomas, Jr - Perc

Disc 1:

1. Fast City
2. Madagascar
3. Current Affairs
4. Night Passage

Disc 2:

1. Jaco's Bass Solo (inc Continuum)
2. It's about that time
3. Speechless

Disc 3:

1. N.Y.C.
2. Sax Solo ~ Sax & Key Duo
3. Remark you made ~ Rockin in Rhythm
4. Dr & Peter Duo ~ Volcano for hire
- Encore -
5. Birdland

    length     expanded size    cdr  WAVE problems  fmt   ratio  filename
    10:19.00      109191644 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4992  WR810607CD1TRK01.flac
    20:31.01      217150796 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4863  WR810607CD1TRK02.flac
     7:47.51       82498796 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4288  WR810607CD1TRK03.flac
     8:44.37       92520668 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5179  WR810607CD1TRK04.flac
    10:35.15      112049324 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.3905  WR810607CD2TRK01.flac
    21:31.58      227868860 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5090  WR810607CD2TRK02.flac
     9:57.53      105435500 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4483  WR810607CD2TRK03.flac
    12:21.60      130853564 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4775  WR810607CD3TRK01.flac
    17:31.41      185492876 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4115  WR810607CD3TRK02.flac
     6:10.27       65331548 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5046  WR810607CD3TRK03.flac
    11:17.22      119474588 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5017  WR810607CD3TRK04.flac
     9:20.48       98896940 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5127  WR810607CD3TRK05.flac
   146:08.38     1546765104 B                            0.4738  (12 files)




Weather Report
Fumonkan, Tokyo
Japan
1981-06-07

Track 1- Fast City 10:19
Track 2- Madagascar 20:31
Track 3- Current Affairs 7:48
Track 4- Night Passage 8:44
Track 5- Jaco bass solo (includes Continuum) 10:35
Track 6- It's About That Time 21:32
Track 7- Speechless 9:58
Track 8- N.Y.C. 12:21
Track 9- Sax Solo/Sax and Keys Duo 17:31
Track 10- A Remark You Made/Rockin' in Rhythm 6:10
Track 11- Drums/Percussion Duo 4:31
Track 12- Volcano For Hire 6:46
Track 13- Birdland 9:21

Source: Traded cd-R; WAV to FLAC conversion on CD-DA Extractor> TLH >DIME

Joe Zawinul-keys
Wayne Shorter-saxes
Jaco Pastorius-bass
Peter Erskine-drums
Robert Thomas Jr.-Percussion

Pretty rare (to my knowledge) recording of the last incarnation of WR to feature Jaco. Tour came in between the recording of the Night Passage and Weather Report albums. The Weather Report release came out early in 82, so the tracks here from that (Volcano, Current Affairs, N.Y.C., and Speechless) may not even have been recorded yet at the time of this show.
The sound is good, although I have no knowledge of the equipment used or lineage before I got in many years ago in a trade. Enough traders have sought this out from me that I know it's not in many collections, so hopefully it'll be new to many of you. Not sure if it's been on DIME prior to this.
Not sure, but think this might've been Jaco's last tour with WR before his solo era and troubles.
Thanks to the original recorder and trader who made it available to me.
Please support the living members of WR and the heirs of those who've moved on by purchasing all of their commercially available work.

    length     expanded size    cdr  WAVE problems  fmt   ratio  filename
    10:19.00      109191644 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4991  01. Track 1.flac
    20:31.01      217150796 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4862  02. Track 2.flac
     7:47.51       82498796 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4287  03. Track 3.flac
     8:44.37       92520668 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5180  04. Track 4.flac
    10:35.15      112049324 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.3903  05. Track 5.flac
    21:31.58      227868860 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5089  06. Track 6.flac
     9:57.53      105435500 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4482  07. Track 7.flac
    12:21.60      130853564 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4773  08. Track 8.flac
    17:31.41      185492876 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4114  09. Track 9.flac
     6:10.27       65331548 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5046  10. Track 10.flac
     4:31.10       47827964 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4511  11. Track 11.flac
     6:46.12       71646668 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5356  12. Track 12.flac
     9:20.48       98896940 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5127  13. Track 13.flac
   146:08.38     1546765148 B                            0.4737  (13 files)




A Robert Collins Master Recording.

Artist / Title:        Weather Report
Date                   June 21, 1981
Location:              Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, CA
Seats:                 Section-D, ~Row-36, ~Seat-10
Deck:                  Nakamichi 350
Mics:                  Nakamichi CM-300 (L, R)
Source:                A:C Master Tape, 2-Mic Stereo
Sample                 Rate 96Khz, 24-bit (DVDA) (FLAC)
Rating:                A-
Length:                72 Minutes

Extras:
* Seating Chart
* Ticket Stub (previous night)
* Cassette Case

-----

Musicians:
Josef Zawinul               Keyboards
Wayne Shorter               Saxophones
Jaco Pastorius              Bass Guitar
Peter Erskine               Drums
Robert Thomas Jr.           Percussion

-----

About this recording
Even though this recording has been widely circulated, it's never been
officially mastered and released.  It's been 20 years since I listened to
this recording, and I didn't remember how incredible it really was.  The set
list is incredible and every musician is playing at the absolute top of their
ability.  This is a must-have recording for any Weather Report fan.

The master recording is in great shape after all these years.  The original
master has the usual flaws:  a little bit of wind noise, chair squeaks,
an occasional cough, and people talking (it's the Hollywood Bows, and can be
like a social event).  iZotope RX4-Advanced comes to the rescue and helps fix
as many of these flaws as possible.  The only bad tape turn occurred on
Birdland. But thanks again to modern software, Birdland has been put back
together without a missing beat.

Weather Report Memorial Concert Series
This has been long overdue, and will still take a while to complete.
I wanted to release all of my Weather Report, Wayne Shorter, and Jaco
Pastorius recordings as part of a "Memorial" to Weather Report and its
members.  Some of these recordings were given to friends many years ago, but
most have never had a proper mastering or released.  So to most people, I
think these will be completely new recordings.  And when you see how many of
them and how good the recording quality and show quality is, then you'll
probably ask:  WTF...why haven't these ever been released?  Answer is
simple:  time.  I knew releasing this many previously unreleased recordings
was going to take a lot of time.

Some people may have copies of these one or more generations down from the
master.  All of these will be coming to you directly from the master
recordings.

Here's what to expect in the series, and in the order to be released:

Date 		Artist 			Venue 								Recording 	Show 	Release status
1980-02-29	Weather Report		Perkins Palace, Pasadena California				B	A-	Previously unreleased
1981-06-21	Weather Report		Playboy Jazz Festival, Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood California	A-	A	Re-seed
1982-06-01	Weather Report		Starlight Bowl, San Diago California				A	A+	Previously unreleased
1982-06-19	Weather Report		Playboy Jazz Festival, Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood California	B	TBD	Previously unreleased
1983-04-15	Weather Report		Universal Amphitheatre, Universal City California		A	TBD	Previously unreleased
1984-06-16	Weather Report		Playboy Jazz Festival, Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood California	A-	TBD	Remastered
1988-07-08	Zawinul Syndicate	Hollywood Palace, Hollywood California				A	TBD	Previously unreleased
1990-08/25	Zawinul Syndicate	Concord Pavilion, Concord California				A-	TBD	Previously unreleased
1997-08-31	Zawinul Syndicate	Yoshi's, Oakland California					A+	A	Previously unreleased
1998-09-12	Zawinul Syndicate	Yoshi's, Oakland California					A+	TBD	Previously unreleased
1999-09-02	Zawinul Syndicate	Yoshi's, Oakland California					A+	TBD	Previously unreleased
2000-05-06	Zawinul Syndicate	Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco California			A-	TBD	Previously unreleased
1979-09-16	Joni Mitchell		Greek Theatre, Los Angeles California				B+	A	Remastered
1982-01-10	Jaco Pastorius		Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles California		A-	A-	Remastered
1982-04-15	Jaco Pastorius		Rissmiller Country Club, Reseda California			B+	A-	Previously unreleased
1983-11-20	Jaco Pastorius		Beverly Theatre, Los Angeles, California			A	TBD	Previously unreleased
1984-06-17	Jaco Pastorius		Playboy Jazz Festival, Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood California	A	Note*	Previously unreleased
1997-09-04	Hancock / Shorter	Villa Montalvo Mountain Winery, Saratoga California		A-	A-	Re-seed

Note:  This is the "rumored" Jaco recording written about in a Jaco biography.
The author writes about a "rumored" recording made at the Playboy Jazz Festival
when Jaco tore the stage apart and his own musicians eventually refused to play
for him.  Playboy Jazz promoters eventually turned the stage on Jaco to put an
end to his set.  This is the recording referenced in the book.  It's
depressing.

-----

Lineage:
AUD> Nakamichi 350
---> Nakamichi Dragon (playback)
---> Korg MR1000 (5.6 Mhz, 1-bit master tape)
---> Down sample to 96Khz, 32-bit using Korg Audiogate
---> iZotope RX-Advanced (noise reduction, spectral editing, azimuth adjustment)
---> Melodyne pitch detection
---> Time Factory pitch correction
---> WaveLab 8.5 (DVD-Audio)
---> FLAC

-----

Sound Samples:
Sample-1 (Night Passage):
http://www.rcollins.org/concerts/mp3/WR-19810621-Sample-1.mp3

Sample-2 (Slang - Jaco Solo):
http://www.rcollins.org/concerts/mp3/WR-19810621-Sample-2.mp3

Sample-3 (A Remark You Made):
http://www.rcollins.org/concerts/mp3/WR-19810621-Sample-3.mp3

-----

       Start           End        Length  Name
------------  ------------  ------------  --------------------------
00:00:00.000  00:03:17.760  00:03:17.760  Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin
00:03:17.760  00:10:38.720  00:07:20.960  Fast City
00:10:38.720  00:23:03.288  00:12:24.568  Madagascar
00:23:03.288  00:29:33.568  00:06:30.280  Current Affairs
00:29:33.568  00:37:23.200  00:07:49.632  Night Passage
00:37:23.200  00:44:38.357  00:07:15.157  Slang (Jaco Solo)
00:44:38.357  00:47:32.352  00:02:53.995  Drums & Percussion Solo
00:47:32.352  00:53:46.197  00:06:13.845  Volcano for Hire
00:53:46.197  00:57:17.013  00:03:30.816  Sax Solo / Sophisticated Lady
00:57:17.013  01:00:04.309  00:02:47.296  A Remark You Made
01:00:04.309  01:04:10.880  00:04:06.571  Rockin' In Rhythm
01:04:10.880  01:11:47.360  00:07:36.480  Birdland

FFP Fingerprints:
01. Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin.flac:88e6585bf2e393a58a282376b41acf33
02. Fast City.flac:782111081b09f266315e07284de9c445
03. Madagascar.flac:c9134b3ef0c5895f23553c631b207fe0
04. Current Affairs.flac:eb4bb16ca0ebbd822b2f34cbf9f82cba
05. Night Passage.flac:299d8fdb165f8061633e17fb181269a1
06. Slang (Jaco Solo).flac:154930bc97213910087d73ab6d08d4ef
07. Drums & Percussion Solo.flac:f446daaf1ce5d991e697a58d6144b01d
08. Volcano for Hire.flac:9e0c75a0410fd2af503b156d77547a91
09. Sax Solo, Sophisticated Lady.flac:87cbd8f09e38612ef0ade75cb689232e
10. A Remark You Made.flac:5c782673de4beaadfdd52a0dfb4d4518
11. Rockin' In Rhythm.flac:8f66224ce0ce36bed1ab74d8ffd963e5
12. Birdland.flac:ec35faffd4f8148d9ecdfaa12b214b09


    length     expanded size    cdr  WAVE problems  fmt   ratio  filename
     3:17.760     113909804 B   cxx   --   ---xx   flac  0.6076  01. Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin.flac
     7:20.960     253993004 B   cxx   --   ---xx   flac  0.6337  02. Fast City.flac
    12:24.568     428871212 B   cxx   --   ---xx   flac  0.6259  03. Madagascar.flac
     6:30.280     224801324 B   cxx   --   ---xx   flac  0.5817  04. Current Affairs.flac
     7:49.632     270508076 B   cxx   --   ---xx   flac  0.6303  05. Night Passage.flac
     7:15.157     250650668 B   cxx   --   ---xx   flac  0.5995  06. Slang (Jaco Solo).flac
     2:53.995     100220972 B   cxx   --   ---xx   flac  0.6189  07. Drums & Percussion Solo.flac
     6:13.845     215334956 B   cxx   --   ---xx   flac  0.6436  08. Volcano for Hire.flac
     3:30.816     121430060 B   cxx   --   ---xx   flac  0.5737  09. Sax Solo, Sophisticated Lady.flac
     2:47.296      96362540 B   cxx   --   ---xx   flac  0.6052  10. A Remark You Made.flac
     4:06.571     142024748 B   cxx   --   ---xx   flac  0.6352  11. Rockin' In Rhythm.flac
     7:36.480     262932524 B   cxx   --   ---xx   flac  0.6438  12. Birdland.flac
    71:47.360    2481039888 B                            0.6200  (12 files)





A Robert Collins Master Recording.

Artist / Title:        Weather Report
Date                   June 21, 1981
Location:              Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, CA
Seats:                 Section-D, ~Row-36, ~Seat-10
Deck:                  Nakamichi 350
Mics:                  Nakamichi CM-300 (L, R)
Source:                A:C Master Tape, 2-Mic Stereo
Sample                 Rate 44.1Khz, 16-bit (CD) (FLAC)
Rating:                A-
Length:                72 Minutes

Also Available:
* DVD-Audio, 96 Khz, 24-bit version of this show is also available.

Extras:
* Seating Chart
* Ticket Stub (previous night)
* Cassette Case

-----

Musicians:
Josef Zawinul               Keyboards
Wayne Shorter               Saxophones
Jaco Pastorius              Bass Guitar
Peter Erskine               Drums
Robert Thomas Jr.           Percussion

-----

About this recording:
Even though this recording has been widely circulated, it's never been
officially mastered and released.  It's been 20 years since I listened to
this recording, and I didn't remember how incredible it really was.  The set
list is incredible and every musician is playing at the absolute top of their
ability.  This is a must-have recording for any Weather Report fan.

The master recording is in great shape after all these years.  The original
master has the usual flaws:  a little bit of wind noise, chair squeaks,
an occasional cough, and people talking (it's the Hollywood Bows, and can be
like a social event).  iZotope RX4-Advanced comes to the rescue and helps fix
as many of these flaws as possible.  The only bad tape turn occurred on
Birdland. But thanks again to modern software, Birdland has been put back
together without a missing beat.


Notes:
Weather Report Memorial Concert Series
This has been long overdue, and will still take a while to complete.
I wanted to release all of my Weather Report, Wayne Shorter, and Jaco
Pastorius recordings as part of a "Memorial" to Weather Report and its
members.  Some of these recordings were given to friends many years ago, but
most have never had a proper mastering or released.  So to most people, I
think these will be completely new recordings.  And when you see how many of
them and how good the recording quality and show quality is, then you'll
probably ask:  WTF...why haven't these ever been released?  Answer is
simple:  time.  I knew releasing this many previously unreleased recordings
was going to take a lot of time.

Some people may have copies of these one or more generations down from the
master.  All of these will be coming to you directly from the master
recordings.

Here's what to expect in the series, and in the order to be released:

Date 		Artist 			Venue 								Recording 	Show 	Release status
1980-02-29	Weather Report		Perkins Palace, Pasadena California				B	A-	Previously unreleased
1981-06-21	Weather Report		Playboy Jazz Festival, Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood California	A-	A	Previously unreleased
1982-06-01	Weather Report		Starlight Bowl, San Diago California				A	A+	Previously unreleased
1982-06-19	Weather Report		Playboy Jazz Festival, Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood California	B	TBD	Previously unreleased
1983-04-15	Weather Report		Universal Amphitheatre, Universal City California		A	TBD	Previously unreleased
1984-06-16	Weather Report		Playboy Jazz Festival, Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood California	A-	TBD	Remastered
1988-07-08	Zawinul Syndicate	Hollywood Palace, Hollywood California				A	TBD	Previously unreleased
1990-08/25	Zawinul Syndicate	Concord Pavilion, Concord California				A-	TBD	Previously unreleased
1997-08-31	Zawinul Syndicate	Yoshi's, Oakland California					A+	A	Previously unreleased
1998-09-12	Zawinul Syndicate	Yoshi's, Oakland California					A+	TBD	Previously unreleased
1999-09-02	Zawinul Syndicate	Yoshi's, Oakland California					A+	TBD	Previously unreleased
2000-05-06	Zawinul Syndicate	Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco California			A-	TBD	Previously unreleased
1979-09-16	Joni Mitchell		Greek Theatre, Los Angeles California				B+	A	Remastered
1982-01-10	Jaco Pastorius		Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles California		A-	A-	Remastered
1982-04-15	Jaco Pastorius		Rissmiller Country Club, Reseda California			B+	A-	Previously unreleased
1983-11-20	Jaco Pastorius		Beverly Theatre, Los Angeles, California			A	TBD	Previously unreleased
1984-06-17	Jaco Pastorius		Playboy Jazz Festival, Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood California	A	Note*	Previously unreleased
1997-09-04	Hancock / Shorter	Villa Montalvo Mountain Winery, Saratoga California		A-	A-	Re-seed

Note:  This is the "rumored" Jaco recording written about in a Jaco biography.
The author writes about a "rumored" recording made at the Playboy Jazz Festival
when Jaco tore the stage apart and his own musicians eventually refused to play
for him.  Playboy Jazz promoters eventually turned the stage on Jaco to put an
end to his set.  This is the recording referenced in the book.  It's
depressing.

-----

Lineage:
AUD> Nakamichi 350
---> Nakamichi Dragon (playback)
---> Korg MR1000 (5.6 Mhz, 1-bit master tape)
---> Down sample to 96Khz, 32-bit using Korg Audiogate
---> iZotope RX-Advanced (noise reduction, spectral editing)
---> Melodyne pitch detection
---> Time Factory pitch correction
---> Har-Bal (Harmonic Balancing Equalizer)
---> Sound Forge (put the concert back together)
---> iZotope RX-Advanced (downsample, dither)
---> CD Architect (CD Audio)
---> EAC
---> FLAC

-----

Sound Samples:
Sample-1 (Night Passage):
http://www.rcollins.org/concerts/mp3/WR-19810621-Sample-1.mp3

Sample-2 (Slang - Jaco Solo):
http://www.rcollins.org/concerts/mp3/WR-19810621-Sample-2.mp3

Sample-3 (A Remark You Made):
http://www.rcollins.org/concerts/mp3/WR-19810621-Sample-3.mp3

-----

Disc-1:
       Start           End        Length  Name
------------  ------------  ------------  --------------------------
00:00:00.000  00:03:17.760  00:03:17.760  Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin
00:03:17.760  00:10:38.720  00:07:20.960  Fast City
00:10:38.720  00:23:03.288  00:12:24.568  Madagascar
00:23:03.288  00:29:33.568  00:06:30.280  Current Affairs
00:29:33.568  00:37:23.200  00:07:49.632  Night Passage
00:37:23.200  00:44:38.357  00:07:15.157  Slang (Jaco Solo)
00:44:38.357  00:47:32.352  00:02:53.995  Drums & Percussion Solo
00:47:32.352  00:53:46.197  00:06:13.845  Volcano for Hire
00:53:46.197  00:57:17.013  00:03:30.816  Sax Solo / Sophisticated Lady
00:57:17.013  01:00:04.309  00:02:47.296  A Remark You Made
01:00:04.309  01:04:10.880  00:04:06.571  Rockin' In Rhythm
01:04:10.880  01:11:47.360  00:07:36.480  Birdland

FFP Fingerprints:
Disc-1:
1.01 Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin.flac:358859fc1fdb8cbd669d2bc1fb34f70e
1.02 Fast City.flac:af8fc15f0f11731847fa1f6a839b00b1
1.03 Madagascar.flac:f5150cd040e29fcb5d06ba8cc6e9c24b
1.04 Current Affairs.flac:9ed08e4a94fb5ca49464946733e755cc
1.05 Night Passage.flac:a1bc07de4ea54295313b9745a0ebb8b8
1.06 Slang (Jaco Solo).flac:dd6113847b1a49f9f8f709b4a060ad58
1.07 Drums & Percussion Solo.flac:0a4576514a4a4cc8800b6c5fc80f5f54
1.08 Volcano for Hire.flac:ffd56f6baac495f3c5b1b1b856ac72c5
1.09 Sax Solo , Sophisticated Lady.flac:d7d18cbba18eab81b3be7c88b12c407f
1.10 A Remark You Made.flac:c570861f75da54777f12604b56cad999
1.11 Rockin' In Rhythm.flac:7c5d355113eb2ea09c8b4ef8e2f9c4e2
1.12 Birdland.flac:70347518936c97b2e6e348017519312b

    length     expanded size    cdr  WAVE problems  fmt   ratio  filename
     3:17.57       34884908 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4994  1.01 Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin.flac
     7:20.72       77785388 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5728  1.02 Fast City.flac
    12:24.42      131340428 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5441  1.03 Madagascar.flac
     6:30.21       68845436 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4263  1.04 Current Affairs.flac
     7:49.48       82844540 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5534  1.05 Night Passage.flac
     7:15.11       76759916 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4525  1.06 Slang (Jaco Solo).flac
     2:54.00       30693644 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5224  1.07 Drums & Percussion Solo.flac
     6:13.63       65945420 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5894  1.08 Volcano for Hire.flac
     3:30.62       37189868 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.3949  1.09 Sax Solo , Sophisticated Lady.flac
     2:47.22       29510588 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4775  1.10 A Remark You Made.flac
     4:06.43       43495580 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5597  1.11 Rockin' In Rhythm.flac
     7:36.36       80523116 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6033  1.12 Birdland.flac
    71:47.27      759818832 B                            0.5264  (12 files)




WEATHER REPORT
June 21, 1981
Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood, CA

Track List (1:08:35):
1.  Opening Fanfare - 0:25
2.  Fast City - 7:24
3.  Madagascar - 12:25
4.  Current Affairs - 6:34
5.  Night Passage - 7:56
6.  Bass Solo - 7:18
7.  Drums and Percussion Duet - 2:57
8.  Volcano For Hire - 6:15
9.  Keyboard - Sax Duet - 3:35
10. A Remark You Made - 2:49
11. Rockin' In Rhythm  - 4:08
12. Birdland - 6:45

Musicians:
Josef Zawinul - keyboards
Wayne Shorter - saxes
Jaco Pastorius - bass
Peter Erskine - Drums
Bobby Thomas Jr. - Percussion

Source:
Nakamichi CM-300 >Nakamichi 350 analog audience recording.

Lineage:
Master analog cassette >standalone CDR >EAC (secure) >CoolEdit Pro 2.0 >FLAC Frontend (level 8, SBE OK)

Notes:
No audio treatment has been applied to this set, which came straight from Robert Collins's master. However, a long classical music (Mahler?) introduction over the PA was shortened significantly, as was almost two minutes of the audience clamoring fruitlessly for more at the very end. Set was also re-tracked using CD Wave.

    length     expanded size    cdr  WAVE problems  fmt   ratio  filename
     0:25.12        4438268 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5899  wr1981-06-21t01.flac
     7:24.51       78441596 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5860  wr1981-06-21t02.flac
    12:25.62      131563868 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5530  wr1981-06-21t03.flac
     6:34.30       69572204 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4644  wr1981-06-21t04.flac
     7:56.03       83973500 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5661  wr1981-06-21t05.flac
     7:18.11       77289116 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4511  wr1981-06-21t06.flac
     2:57.47       31333388 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5249  wr1981-06-21t07.flac
     6:15.64       66300572 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6032  wr1981-06-21t08.flac
     3:35.04       37935452 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4440  wr1981-06-21t09.flac
     2:49.09       29832812 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4845  wr1981-06-21t10.flac
     4:08.05       43759004 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5731  wr1981-06-21t11.flac
     6:45.41       71538476 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5946  wr1981-06-21t12.flac
    68:35.39      725978256 B                            0.5391  (12 files)




Weather Report
June 21, 1981
Playboy Jazz Festival
Hollywood Bowl (Hollywood, CA)

1.  Opening Fanfare
2.  Fast City
3.  Madagascar
4.  Current Affairs
5.  Night Passage
6.  Bass Solo
7.  Drums and Percussion Duet
8.  Volcano For Hire
9.  Keyboard - Sax Duet
10. A Remark You Made
11. Rockin' In Rhythm
12. Birdland

Josef Zawinul: Keyboards
Wayne Shorter: Saxophones
Jaco Pastorius: Bass
Peter Erskine: Drums
Bobby Thomas Jr: Percussion

Source:

Nakamichi CM-300 > Nakamichi 350 analog audience recording.

Lineage:

Master analog cassette > Standalone CDR > EAC > FLAC




wr19810621tr01.flac:a9307823b8c1e4e73d04da630ea693c7
wr19810621tr02.flac:f0a3f5a3c4255777887026e8a19b4280
wr19810621tr03.flac:c7cfb972487b7588516de38967a38aaf
wr19810621tr04.flac:f9f14744bda35b9b9a09eb04aff5380b
wr19810621tr05.flac:197689271ad5d913d78e4475f629f7ad
wr19810621tr06.flac:89bce8dd16aec0ab903120d4c10f0079
wr19810621tr07.flac:bcd069aa670a8a1b3dc8886d94056004
wr19810621tr08.flac:d83f2aac98d3e192713dc9ff7fcc1103
wr19810621tr09.flac:554372a0e2807a1a4df5220a24a49fc4
wr19810621tr10.flac:075dea25a5b3f4134244352f11b0436d
wr19810621tr11.flac:4afa01cff2b602500e5d84e97ae4b439
wr19810621tr12.flac:3ef50a3e521f457c0ff676ae079b601d

    length     expanded size    cdr  WAVE problems  fmt   ratio  filename
     3:20.05       35291804 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4948  wr19810621tr01.flac
     7:24.21       78371036 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5521  wr19810621tr02.flac
    12:25.58      131554460 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5163  wr19810621tr03.flac
     6:34.35       69583964 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4411  wr19810621tr04.flac
     7:56.08       83985260 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5299  wr19810621tr05.flac
     7:18.56       77394956 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4275  wr19810621tr06.flac
     2:56.58       31182860 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5010  wr19810621tr07.flac
     6:17.16       66540476 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5687  wr19810621tr08.flac
     3:32.44       37500332 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4237  wr19810621tr09.flac
     2:50.35       30070364 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4544  wr19810621tr10.flac
     4:11.09       44297612 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5341  wr19810621tr11.flac
     7:39.16       81005276 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5567  wr19810621tr12.flac
    72:26.61      766778400 B                            0.5070  (12



Contrast Clause: This is the same show that minitennis generously posted not too long ago but seems to be a different recording and somewhat better sounding to my ears.

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=553054
******************************************************************************************************

Weather Report
Poplar Creek Music Theatre
Hoffman Estates, IL
June 28th, 1981

Josef Zawinul- keys
Wayne Shorter- sax
Jaco Pastorius- bass
Peter Erskine- drums
Robert Thomas Jr.- percussion

AUD>?>CDr>EAC>WAV>FLAC
Check Samples for quality

CD 1
1. Fast City
2. Madagascar
3. Current Affairs
4. Night Passage
5. JP Solo
6. Percussion Solo
7. Drum Solo>Volcano For Hire

1. Speechless
2. N.Y.C.
3. Keyboard - Soprano Duet
4. A Remark You Made
5. Rockin' In Rhythm
6. Birdland
7. Badia - Boogie Woogie Waltz


After minitennis shared his recording, agalli told me he had what he thought was a different and better sounding recording. he has since sent it to me and here it is (Thanks, agalli!). Not a huge upgrade but a little clearer to me.

enjoy,

mr_mags

    length     expanded size    cdr  WAVE problems  fmt   ratio  filename
    10:18.48      109128140 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6956  d1Track01.flac
    13:23.21      141698636 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6791  d1Track02.flac
     7:56.66       84121676 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6224  d1Track03.flac
     7:57.27       84206348 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6756  d1Track04.flac
     7:55.14       83822972 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6171  d1Track05.flac
     4:39.41       49312076 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6205  d1Track06.flac
    10:48.28      114373100 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6779  d1Track07.flac
     7:29.51       79323596 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6289  d2Track01.flac
     8:58.31       94976156 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6637  d2Track02.flac
     5:00.00       52920044 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6142  d2Track03.flac
     1:41.22       17868188 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6936  d2Track04.flac
     5:10.16       54721676 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.7369  d2Track05.flac
     9:33.38      101166620 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.7342  d2Track06.flac
    15:23.02      162821948 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6787  d2Track07.flac
   116:15.30     1230461176 B                            0.6698  (14 files)




Weather Report

1981-06-28, Poplar Creek Music Theatre, Hoffman Estates, IL

Josef Zawinul, kbd
Wayne Shorter, ts, ss
Jaco Pastorius, b
Peter Erskine, dr
Robert Thomas Jr., perc

1. Fast City
2. Madagascar
3. Current Affairs
4. Night Passage
5. JP Solo ('Chromatic Fantasy' includes playback from the then upcoming 'Word of Mouth' album)
6. Percussion Solo
7. Drum Solo
8. Volcano For Hire
9. Speechless
10. N.Y.C.
11. Keyboard - Soprano Duet (incomplete)
12. A Remark You Made (incomplete)
13. Rockin' In Rhythm
14. Birdland
15. Badia - Boogie Woogie Waltz

Total time: 01:59:35

Lineage: audience, unknown generation > CD-R trade > cdparanoia > Audacity > FLAC

Edits: tracking, removed entrance music to meet dime's upload policy


    length     expanded size    cdr  WAVE problems  fmt   ratio  filename
    10:25.00      110249976 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5982  track-01.flac
    13:49.33      146313800 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5912  track-02.flac
     8:03.01       85203808 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5341  track-03.flac
     8:18.09       87868052 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5938  track-04.flac
     8:29.59       89925472 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5246  track-05.flac
     4:17.68       45494448 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5201  track-06.flac
     2:51.21       30214064 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5618  track-07.flac
     8:34.23       90723008 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5855  track-08.flac
     7:43.59       81811380 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5130  track-09.flac
     9:17.66       98409436 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5452  track-10.flac
     5:10.64       54833748 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.4949  track-11.flac
     1:42.02       17996688 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5455  track-12.flac
     5:20.48       56561752 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5811  track-13.flac
    10:21.20      109592324 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5798  track-14.flac
    15:10.00      160525020 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5273  track-15.flac
   119:35.22     1265722976 B                            0.5567  (15 files)

xact was used to fix sbe's


    length     expanded size    cdr  WAVE problems  fmt   ratio  filename
    10:24.74      110247692 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5979  track-01-FIXED.flac
    13:49.34      146315612 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5909  track-02-FIXED.flac
     8:03.01       85203596 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5337  track-03-FIXED.flac
     8:18.09       87868412 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5936  track-04-FIXED.flac
     8:29.58       89924060 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5243  track-05-FIXED.flac
     4:17.68       45494780 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5199  track-06-FIXED.flac
     2:51.21       30213836 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5617  track-07-FIXED.flac
     8:34.23       90723740 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5853  track-08-FIXED.flac
     7:43.59       81812012 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5126  track-09-FIXED.flac
     9:17.65       98407724 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5449  track-10-FIXED.flac
     5:10.64       54834572 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4946  track-11-FIXED.flac
     1:42.02       17997548 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5455  track-12-FIXED.flac
     5:20.48       56560940 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5809  track-13-FIXED.flac
    10:21.20      109591484 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5795  track-14-FIXED.flac
    15:10.02      160528748 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5270  track-15-FIXED.flac
   119:35.23     1265724756 B                            0.5565  (15 files)







Weather Report
Eastman Theatre
Rochester, New York
July 1, 1981


Joe Zawinul - Keyboards
Wayne Shorter - Sax
Jaco Pastorius - Bass
Peter Erskine - Drums
Bobby Thomas Jr. - Percussion

AUD>LOW GEN Maxell XLII CASS>NAK DR 10>Sony Stand Alone>CDr>EAC>WAV>FLAC

EX- recording. The quieter sections really shine-IMO.


CD 1

1. Fast City (Zawinul) 9:19
2. Madagascar (Zawinul) 16:16
3. Current Affairs (Zawinul) 7:58
4. Night Passage (Zawinul) 7:40
5. Bass Solo (Pastorius) 9:26
6. Drums and Percussion Duet (Erskine-Thomas) 5:52
7. Volcano For Hire (Zawinul) 8:47


CD 2

1. Speechless (Zawinul) 7:34
2. N.Y.C. (Zawinul) 10:35
3. Keyboard - Sax Duet (Zawinul-Shorter)7:53
4. Keyboard - Sax Duet (Zawinul-Shorter) cont...7:26
5. A Remark You Made (Zawinul) 3:36
6. Rockin' In Rhythm (Ellington/Mills/Carney) 6:05
7. Birdland (Zawinul) 11:54
8. Badia 11:41
9  Boogie Woogie Waltz (Zawinul) 6:21


I did not see this on the bot & thought I would share this EX sounding WR 81' Concert. Whoever recorded this did a GREAT job as it sounds fantastic. The crowd is a very well behaved one compared to some of the beer-ed up WR affairs I have heard. American Rocker dudes crossing over into the Jazz-Rock realm have left their mark on many recordings.I love rock too but... I digress/bemoan.  BTW- RTF has announced their 2011 US Tour dates!

Thanks to agalli for recently sending me this show.

enjoy

mr_mags



    length     expanded size    cdr  WAVE problems  fmt   ratio  filename
     9:19.05       98619404 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6210  d1Track01.flac
    16:16.25      172225244 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6095  d1Track02.flac
     7:58.30       84389804 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5268  d1Track03.flac
     7:40.05       81155804 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5992  d1Track04.flac
     9:26.45       99948284 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5109  d1Track05.flac
     5:52.40       62186924 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5250  d1Track06.flac
     8:47.52       93085148 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5867  d1Track07.flac
     7:34.10       80109164 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5339  d2Track01.flac
    10:35.10      112037564 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5677  d2Track02.flac
     7:53.18       83479580 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5084  d2Track03.flac
     5:26.01       57508796 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5143  d2Track04.flac
     3:36.62       38248268 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5431  d2Track05.flac
     6:05.56       64517756 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5760  d2Track06.flac
    11:54.43      126050780 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5957  d2Track07.flac
    11:41.20      123703484 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5399  d2Track08.flac
     6:21.26       67269596 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5559  d2Track09.flac
   136:28.73     1444535600 B                            0.5630  (16 files)





Weather Report

1981-07-09, Merriweather Post Pavillion, Columbia, MD

Josef Zawinul, kbd
Wayne Shorter, ss, ts
Jaco Pastorius, b
Peter Erskine, dr
Bobby Thomas Jr., perc

1. Madagascar
2. Current Affairs
3. Night Passage
4. JP Solo
5. Percussion Solo (-incomplete)
6. Drum Solo
7. Volcano For Hire
8. Speechless
9. N.Y.C.
10. Sax Solo (-incomplete)
11. Sax - Percussion Duet
12. Sax  - Keyboard Duet
13. A Remark You Made
14. Rockin' In Rhythm
15. Birdland
16. Badia - Boogie Woogie Waltz

Total time: 01:50:51

Lineage: audience, unknown generation cassette > CD-R trade > cdparanoia > Audacity > FLAC

Edits: tracking; dropouts on left channel (track 12, 00:11s - 00:39s) replaced with right channel audio

    length     expanded size    cdr  WAVE problems  fmt   ratio  filename
    14:30.44      153572600 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5145  track-01.flac
     6:44.57       71398732 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.4608  track-02.flac
     7:51.49       83198908 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5223  track-03.flac
     8:01.50       84966644 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.4737  track-04.flac
     3:49.48       40507968 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.4663  track-05.flac
     2:31.22       26688368 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.4885  track-06.flac
     9:45.50      103310964 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5288  track-07.flac
     6:39.05       70395508 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.4604  track-08.flac
    10:01.02      106021680 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.4954  track-09.flac
     2:16.49       24105768 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.4727  track-10.flac
     3:10.45       33621760 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.4839  track-11.flac
     3:18.08       34945724 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.4758  track-12.flac
     3:23.33       35886432 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5035  track-13.flac
     4:28.26       47337560 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5593  track-14.flac
     8:23.32       88804340 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5602  track-15.flac
    15:55.35      168544132 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5253  track-16.flac
   110:51.30     1173307088 B                            0.5065  (16 files)

xact was used to fix sbe's

    length     expanded size    cdr  WAVE problems  fmt   ratio  filename
    14:30.44      153571532 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5142  track-01-FIXED.flac
     6:44.57       71399708 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4605  track-02-FIXED.flac
     7:51.48       83197340 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5220  track-03-FIXED.flac
     8:01.50       84966044 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4734  track-04-FIXED.flac
     3:49.48       40508540 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4661  track-05-FIXED.flac
     2:31.22       26688188 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4884  track-06-FIXED.flac
     9:45.50      103311644 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5286  track-07-FIXED.flac
     6:39.05       70395404 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4601  track-08-FIXED.flac
    10:01.02      106021148 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4951  track-09-FIXED.flac
     2:16.49       24105692 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4726  track-10-FIXED.flac
     3:10.45       33621884 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4837  track-11-FIXED.flac
     3:18.08       34946060 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4757  track-12-FIXED.flac
     3:23.33       35886860 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5034  track-13-FIXED.flac
     4:28.26       47336396 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5592  track-14-FIXED.flac
     8:23.32       88804508 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5600  track-15-FIXED.flac
    15:55.36      168546716 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5249  track-16-FIXED.flac
   110:51.30     1173307664 B                            0.5062  (16 files)




WEATHER REPORT

TITLE: "Never Had It So Good"* [henceforth referred to as "WRB81"]

DATE:  11 July 1981

LOCATION: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

VENUE: Boston Opera House

RECORDING TYPE: Audience ["AR"]

FROM AN OFFICIAL "BLIND" WRB81 PROJECT TEST GROUP LISTENER -

"I could barely keep my jaw off the floor.  I've simply never heard
such an amazing live recording.

The things I said in the previous email about a natural sense of reverb
and decay are even more in evidence in the second sample, and the sense
of dynamics is spectacular, as we neither lose detail in the quiet sections
or get the usual distortion in the louder ones.

Part of my response is also due to the performance--I only have 3 Weather
Report CDs, but none of them prepared me for this.  In some ways, it was
almost more akin to the best King Crimson improvs. Fantastic.

I know I'm gushing, but I've never thought of audience recordings as providing
audiophile experiences. This definitely fits that bill for me. Thanks so
much for all the work you've done on this, and for sharing it. I can't wait
for the release."

A FEW ADDITIONAL WORDS ON THE PERFORMANCE -

It's Weather Report, still with Jaco Pastorius. Even so, an especially
inspired delivery by one of the greatest of all 'progressive' jazz
acts. All the elements of WR's exciting early days are there,
augmented by new blood in the rhythm section.

The band is tight and virtuosic as ever, with all the creativity and
'tease' elements in place putting their approach in the same general
category as otherwise very different acts like Yes and Genesis. Before
I previewed this recording I'd feared WR might have lost their 1970s
'edge', but was ecstatic to find they hadn't. Hopefully you will be
too.

LINEUP:

Joe Zawinul - keyboards
Jaco Pastorius - bass
Wayne Shorter - sax
Peter Erskine - drums
Bobby Thomas Jr. - percussion

SETLIST [for standard 80-minute CDR]:

[Vol. 1]

01V1 - Fast City
02V1 - Madagascar
03V1 - Current Affairs
04V1 - Night Passage
05V1 - Pastorius Solo
06V1 - Erskine-Thomas Jr. Duet
07V1 - Volcano for Hire

[Vol. 2]

01V2 - Speechless
02V2 - NYC
03V2 - Zawinul-Shorter Duet
04V2 - A Remark You Made
05V2 - Rockin' in Rhythm
06V2 - Birdland
07V2 - Badia

TAPER: Barry Rogoff (Balrog)

SOURCE: Nakamichi 550/CM-100/CP-1 [Dolby B encoded] > Maxell UD XLII

LINEAGE: Nak BX 300 [Dolby B out] > Digigram VXPocket V2 > CD quality
wave [44.1, 16 bit] > CD-R > EAC > CEP 2.0/Izotope Ozone > FLAC > Dime

REMASTER SUMMARY: EQ work to reveal - not mix - extant AR detail, as
the audience heard and felt it. No attempts to alter band-crowd-venue
sound balance, except where applause volume near taper between
performance numbers had to be reduced slightly - not generally a
problem with higher decibel rock shows.

Absolutely no compression needed or attempted. Noise reduction was
unavoidable and used reluctantly due to the artist's frequent very
quiet moments being swamped by both broadband and tonal tape noise,
but thanks to an entirely new approach it was actually effective,
harmless to signal and artifact-free. Further detail on the process in
sections to follow.

INDEPENDENT SOUND ANALYSIS: Several trusted 'beta testers', including
Barry, Gromek and others

ORIGINAL ART: Gromek

SOURCE AND AUDIO WORK -

The source is a top shelf pre-1990s AR rivaling any other both for
unbelievable sound capture - and for its own unique remastering
challenges.

WRB81 offers AR detail across the spectrum comparable to many from the
post-1990 DAT era. Even in its case detail was largely hidden by many
layers of tape noise and related issues. Like others it required
months of experimental EQ work and testing of results by multiple
listeners in a wide variety of playback systems.

Every effort was made to reveal all possible detail in each tone of
each instrument as far as it occurred in the band's PA mix, and we're
pleased with the result overall [lower crash cymbal tones are one
important litmus, so too even audience clapping].

PA volume was relatively low and the venue's acoustics absorbed some things,
particularly in the midrange. Some of the resulting 'distant' property
can only be addressed with mixing - antithesis to the very nature of
AR's and what they offer, so not attempted here.

Audience sound, PA system output nuances and venue ambience among many
other things are paramount and should be conserved as carefully as
performance sound unless something enjoys artificially high volume in
the recording, as in an obnoxious, constant yeller right next to
mikes.

While audience volume in WRB81's source is accurate, proportionate and
audience courteous overall, enthusiasm near the deck is reflected at a
higher volume than PA output and gets overwhelming between numbers, so
had to be reduced manually in those sections. It was not touched during
band performance,where it wasn't sonically overwhelming in any case and
in an AR has to be considered part of the event.

For example: During Jaco Pastorius' solo we have some audience members
yelling, but they aren't too near the taper and they're yelling at
each other. It's actually hilariously funny, very real, and very much
part of the document. It's not a soundboard, nor should anyone try to
make it - or any AR - seem like one.

A lower concert volume than we'd have with a Yes or an ELP on the
other hand made some kind of tape noise reduction unavoidable. Despite
its almost miraculous nature the recording has high levels of two
noise types - broadband, or tape hiss; and tonal, in this case a hum
bordering on buzz [most likely ungrounded mikes]

Normally I avoid any kind of dedicated digital noise reduction because
the technology to do it effectively and still have a recording worth
listening to afterward simply doesn't exist yet.

Current [as of May 2008] NR technology uses algorithms that carve flagged
noise out from around signal - it cannot identify, separate and remove noise
from within it. Most applications end up carving into signal, taking
important musical detail out and leaving behind awful digital artifact
as added insult. To avoid signal damage and artifact, settings have to
be extremely gentle - in a range I like to call the 'safe zone' -
requiring numerous and tedious repeat passes to deliver very limited
results.

Some programs at least carve with better digital precision and can be
a bit more effective for it, but WRB81 needed more NR than safe zone
settings by themselves in any platform could possibly deliver. So
something new was needed, and it was decided to try a customized
FFT filter that identifies the exact boundary between musical information
and pure tape noise [in this case music tops out at 18.61 KHz]. A second
FFT filter then uses the info to 'chop off' everything beyond the musical
'event horizon', so there's simply a lot less noise around for EQ work to
inadvertently boost, while entire musical signal range left completely
intact.

Shelf filtering as we call it isn't a new concept - it's sometimes
called a 'haircut' by engineers - but the approach developed for this
recording is unique. Noise wasn't actually reduced, a large percentage
of it just wasn't there anymore to get a lot worse after EQ sessions.
Now enter 3 passes of an actual NR module safe zone setting in a
program with decent enough precision. 90% of what the shelf filter
left behind was gone, with no audible signal loss and no artifact.
What's more, the settings were at the very edge of safe and more than
one pass of them would have generated artifact had there been no shelf
filtering.

So in sum we now have 'quietness' surpassing that of many soundboard
recordings, in an analog AR, and one enjoying commercial grade signal
detail - still intact. As much of what the original audience really
heard as the recording can possibly deliver remains revealed. Though
some hiss and hum do remain they're almost inaudible except at very
high playback volume and they're now well below signal volume, where
even in the raw master they had been swamping quiet signal passages.

A few miscellaneous, untreatable annoyances include some tape stretch
at leaders audible as slight rolling dropout, though the tapes have
low mileage [very little playback since time of recording]. This
recedes very quickly as distance from leaders increases. Jaco
Pastorius is very high in the PA mix, and while not distorted the
lowest bass notes might peak in some playback systems. During a few of
WR's busier moments certain mids and ultrahighs come close to
distortion, but didn't generate any complaints from the test group and
softening them any would suppress important midrange/lower high frequency
detail already compromised by venue acoustics.

At least one for-profit factory bootlegger-issued recording of this
concert has been circulated, either a different taper altogether or
a generational copy of this recording provided by a dishonest trader.
WRB81 is a recent digital transfer of the original and exceptional
master tapes, remastered as an AR should be and with complete lineage
provided for a change.

Many thanks to Weather Report for so much incredible music over so
many years!

Special thanks to Gromek for artwork so perfectly evocative of the
show's energy and this effort.

Endless, endless thanks to Barry for another miraculous AR, the
expertise and bravery it required.

Please share freely but losslessly, and never, EVER even THINK of
selling for any sum anywhere. If you choose to remaster it in any way,
fine, but if it's then redistributed publically in any manner without
this original lineage, documentation and artwork rest assured we will
learn of it and be all over it publically.

Last but not least, this effort is dedicated to the memory of Joe
Zawinul and Jaco Pastorious, whose gifts to us all here and elsewhere
just keep on giving.

*Title inspiration -

"Weather Report have never had it so good. Night Passage brims, almost
bursts with a startling freshness and a tremulous air of expectancy
that the band hasn't captured on record with any regularity since
1974's Mysterious Traveller ... This band must be almost rubbing
shoulders with Zawinul's ideal, one in which solo and ensemble playing
become irrelevant distinctions in the awesome totality. Weather Report
have rarely been a more going or growing concern. Their complete
creative renaissance is unbelievably welcome.

--Angus MacKinnon, New Musical Express, November 22, 1980."

NOTES FROM BARRY:

I don't remember much about taping this show other than knowing that
the low noise level of the jazz audience would be a good test of the
signal to noise ratio of the Nak 550, which was never its strongest
spec. But you wouldn't know that from listening to this remaster.
Lestat has done amazing things with the digital NR technology
available today.

As always, our goal in recording and remastering these shows is to
recreate the experience of being at a concert without the constraints
placed on label-affiliated studio engineers. We're not trying to make
something that sounds good on a $200 home theatre system. Find some
real hifi equipment, crank it up to concert volume, and travel back in
time to the summer of 1981. Sit in my seat and hear what I heard.

Barry

NOTES FROM GROMEK:

Although I am not familiar at all with the music of WR, I do recognize
the musicianship involved, and the influences they had on other bands
and musicians (in some sections I can easily recognize bits that have
influenced Jon Anderson (of Yes) on his Animation album, but also bits
of Yes that in turn must have influenced Weather Report (Yes pieces
like those from the Relayer album, and maybe even bits from the Drama
album).

They are of course my personal listening experiences, but, as I was
told by Lestat (of Lestat Audio Projects), this has been mentioned in
the mainstream media too.

After listening to the samples sent to me by Lestat (as part of the
Beta team) I envisioned a cover for this recording.

At the same time designing the cover art (in which the Yes comparisons
made it easier for me to create something, but maybe not something as
wild as a Yes cover), I also tried to make it a fitting tribute to the
two WR members that are no longer among us, but are playing somewhere
in the higher venues for the pleasure of others, as well as the rest
of the band that gave an amazing performance.

The background image is by Ace Montana Designs, the further layout is
done by myself.

I found that the two white doves were the fitting tribute bit for Joe
Zawinul and Jaco Pastorius, and they are to be found on the back of
the booklet. I found it a gentle and not too present part of the
overall cover art.

That is all I can say, really, for my part in this project, except to
thank all those involved in it, and for their faith in me to
create the right cover art for this extraordinary recording (and
show).

Hope you enjoy the show as much as I did. And for the WR fans out
there: No doubt in my mind, you WILL enjoy the show!

Lestat, you did it again! Again, you have shown us the way it should
be done, and could be done.

All the best to all;
Gromek

NOTES FROM JOE THE DESTROYER - WRITER, MUSICIAN AND ANOTHER PROJECT TEST LISTENER:

Weather Report 1981 "Nephilim"

A famous passage in the original King James Version of the Bible reads "In those days, giants walked the earth." The Hebrew word translated as "giants" ["nephilim"] is actually of unknown meaning, but the phrase came to mind while listening to Jaco's bass solo in this 1981 concert; I think it's a fit phrase for the show as a whole. Where else can we hear such towering power, such effortless grace, over such vast musical terrains? "Giant steps" indeed!

Of course, the jazz proficiency implied by referencing John Coltrane is only the beginning, which is why I began with Jaco's bass solo. For jazz (thorny & challenging as it is) comes with heavy historical baggage that few can transcend -- a pool into which you either dip a toe or dive full in, no middle ground accepted.

Enter the giants: tall enough to wade right in but still stand in the open air, equally at home in the realm of fish and bird. Jazz? Oh yeah, they love it. Rock? Right on brother, let's jam! Barrelhouse boogie? Thought you'd never ask. New age space? Ah, that's my main groove, daddy-o.

But it's the air I really want to get back to -- in this case, the air circulating around the Boston Opera House one night in 1981. Oh, you might say, isn't it the same air every night? And you may be right -- except that, on this one particular night, there was an electrical device present in the room, possessed of a small diaphragm that fluttered ever so slightly in response to the smallest & largest movements the air would make. A small spool of magnetized plastic stood at attention nearby, just in case there was anything worth capturing, transforming into static electricity a record of those tiny movements.

For this we can be mighty grateful, as there were many reasons for it to move the way it did: the smack of wood or hand on tempered metal or stretched skin; the pluck of a finger on metal-wrapped-around-metal or the altered voltage of an oscillator, both boosted through paper cones; the ebb and blow of one man's lungs through a sliced reed set into a brass tube. Finally, and not unimportantly, there were the collected lungs & brains & ears of an Opera House full of appreciative listeners.

It has been said about modern physics: if we see further than those before us, it's only because we stand on the shoulders of giants. Let us likewise listen to this marvelous sound capture, and (at least in our minds) walk a little taller ourselves. If you want, you can even mumble the word "nephilim" to yourself after hearing this show; you just might need a new word to describe the experience.

Nephilim Joe

    length     expanded size    cdr  WAVE problems  fmt   ratio  filename
     9:24.00       99490628 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.6584  d101V1.flac
    18:01.27      190752676 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.6288  d102V1.flac
     8:56.33       94628308 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5310  d103V1.flac
     9:43.07      102856852 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.6461  d104V1.flac
     9:32.03      100908172 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5197  d105V1.flac
    10:06.12      106926572 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5577  d106V1.flac
     5:04.59       53764224 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.6618  d107V1.flac
     4:00.00       42336020 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.6715  d201V2.flac
    17:21.34      183712428 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5775  d202V2.flac
    10:00.00      105840020 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.4960  d203V2.flac
     3:47.25       40102072 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.5601  d204V2.flac
     6:04.41       64307216 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.6417  d205V2.flac
    10:17.17      108879052 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.6737  d206V2.flac
    18:07.04      191755724 B   -b-   --   ---xx   flac  0.6129  d207V2.flac
   140:25.38     1486259964 B                            0.5998  (14 files)

xact fixed sbe's by disk (music fades out at end of disk 1 so disk 1 & disk 2 are not seamless)

    length     expanded size    cdr  WAVE problems  fmt   ratio  filename
     9:24.00       99489644 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6579  d101V1-FIXED.flac
    18:01.27      190751948 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6283  d102V1-FIXED.flac
     8:56.33       94628060 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5306  d103V1-FIXED.flac
     9:43.07      102857708 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6456  d104V1-FIXED.flac
     9:32.03      100907900 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5181  d105V1-FIXED.flac
    10:06.12      106926668 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5573  d106V1-FIXED.flac
     5:04.60       53766764 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6615  d107V1-FIXED.flac
     3:59.74       42333692 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6711  d201V2-FIXED.flac
    17:21.34      183712412 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5772  d202V2-FIXED.flac
    10:00.00      105840044 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.4958  d203V2-FIXED.flac
     3:47.26       40103996 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.5596  d204V2-FIXED.flac
     6:04.41       64306076 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6412  d205V2-FIXED.flac
    10:17.17      108878828 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6734  d206V2-FIXED.flac
    18:07.05      191758604 B   ---   --   ---xx   flac  0.6124  d207V2-FIXED.flac
   140:25.39     1486262344 B                            0.5993  (14 files)




SHNID	Date	Venue	City	State
146549	1981-06-07	Budokan	Tokyo	Japan
flac16/44.1khz Audience recording>CDR > EAC > WAV > mkw Audio Compression > SHN > FLAC (TLH)
146550	1981-06-07	Budokan	Tokyo	Japan
flac16/44.1khz Source: Traded cd-R; WAV to FLAC conversion on CD-DA Extractor> TLH >DIME
146545	1981-06-21	Playboy Jazz Festival	Hollywood	CA
flac24/96khz A Robert Collins Master Recording. Seats: Section-D, ~Row-36, ~Seat-10 Deck: Nakamichi 350 Mics: Nakamichi CM-300 (L, R) Source: A:C Master Tape, 2-Mic Stereo
146546	1981-06-21	Playboy Jazz Festival	Hollywood	CA
flac16/44.1khz A Robert Collins Master Recording. Seats: Section-D, ~Row-36, ~Seat-10 Deck: Nakamichi 350 Mics: Nakamichi CM-300 (L, R) Source: A:C Master Tape, 2-Mic Stereo Sample Rate 44.1Khz, 16-bit (CD) (FLAC)
146547	1981-06-21	Playboy Jazz Festival	Hollywood	CA
flac16/44.1khz Early circulating version of Robert Collin's master. Source: Nakamichi CM-300 >Nakamichi 350 analog audience recording. Lineage: Master analog cassette >standalone CDR >EAC (secure) >CoolEdit Pro 2.0 >FLAC Frontend (level 8, SBE OK)
146548	1981-06-21	Playboy Jazz Festival	Hollywood	CA
flac16/44.1khz Source: Nakamichi CM-300 > Nakamichi 350 analog audience recording. Lineage: Master analog cassette > Standalone CDR > EAC > FLAC
146543	1981-06-28	Poplar Creek	Hoffman Estates	IL
flac16/44.1khz AUD>?>CDr>EAC>WAV>FLAC via agalli and mr_mags
146544	1981-06-28	Poplar Creek	Hoffman Estates	IL
flac16/44.1khz Lineage: audience, unknown generation > CD-R trade > cdparanoia > Audacity > FLAC
146542	1981-07-01	Eastman Theater	Rochester	NY
flac16/44.1khz AUD>LOW GEN Maxell XLII CASS>NAK DR 10>Sony Stand Alone>CDr>EAC>WAV>FLAC via agalli and mr_mags
146541	1981-07-09	Meriwether Post Pavilion	Columbia	MD
flac16/44.1khz Lineage: audience, unknown generation cassette > CD-R trade > cdparanoia > Audacity > FLAC
146540	1981-07-11	Opera House	Boston	MA
flac16/44.1khz TAPER: Barry Rogoff (Balrog) SOURCE: Nakamichi 550/CM-100/CP-1 [Dolby B encoded] > Maxell UD XLII LINEAGE: Nak BX 300 [Dolby B out] > Digigram VXPocket V2 > CD quality wave [44.1, 16 bit] > CD-R > EAC > CEP 2.0/Izotope Ozone > FLAC > Dime Remastered by Lestat

Live Concert Database