Birdland , Music Exploration Company Live at Augusta March 17.2012

"Birdland" is a jazz-fusion instrumental composition written by keyboardistJoe Zawinul, of Weather Report. The song made its first debut on Weather Report’s 7th studio album, Heavy Weather, in 1977 shortly after the addition of virtuoso bassist, Jaco Pastorius. In previous years, the Weather Report had received a moderate amount of commercial success and achievement, however after the release of Heavy Weather, with Birdland at the helm of the album, the band gained an unearthly amount of media success. Birdland gained a number of awards, as well as a few top rankings on the Billboard 200Music Chart. Briskly after the fusion piece reached the top of the charts, it became known as a Jazz Standard,    and soon entered the set lists of other artists including Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson’s big band, The Manhattan Transfer, Quincy Jones, and The String Cheese Incident.
The song is performed completely in the key of G, however the piece continually flows back and forth utilizing major, minor, blues, and modal (mixolydian) strains-even including a diminished-related strain. The chromatic falling sequence of chords during Wayne Shorter's improvised sax solo are dominant 7th chords with an added minor 9th, thus sounding very similar to a diminished chord.   
                                                                                                                                                                                  From Wikipedia
March 17, 2012
Maebashi Jazz House Augusta
Music Exploration Company
Kotetsu Tigar (g) , H Kohga (key) , M Doki (b) , H Kanazawa


ご存じBirdlandはWeather Reportの 1977年　" Heavy Weather "に収められた敬愛するJoe Zawinulによる名曲。70年代Fusionを探検するために結成された 【音楽探検隊】ことMusic Exploration Companyにとって避けることのできない(苦笑）選曲でした。綿密に計算され、かつ印象的でポップなリフを作ったZawinulは不世出の天才としか言いようがありません。しかし、結構窮屈な曲。後半シャッフルになると抑制から開放されてもう歯止めがきかなくなってしまった。荒っぽい演奏ですが、音楽の会話は楽しい。

2012年３月17日
ジャズハウス オーガスタ/ 群馬県前橋市
Music Exploration Company 【音楽探検隊】
タイガー小鉄(g)、甲賀英明(key)、道木正之(b)、金澤洋幸(d)