Birdland (composition)

"Birdland"
Single by Weather Report
from the album Heavy Weather
Released	1977
Format	7" and 12" single
Genre	Jazz, fusion
Length	05:58
Label	Columbia, CBS, ARC
Writer(s)	Joe Zawinul

"Birdland" is a jazz-fusion instrumental composition written by keyboardist Joe Zawinul of Weather Report. The piece made its debut on Weather Report’s 1977 studio album, Heavy Weather. With "Birdland" at the helm of the album, the song received awards, as well as ranking high on Billboard charts. It became a jazz standard, and entered the set lists of other artists including Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson’s big band, The Manhattan Transfer (whose version added lyrics by Jon Hendricks), Quincy Jones, Niacin and The String Cheese Incident.

"Birdland" marked the peak of Weather Report's commercial career with the release of Heavy Weather. With the addition of Jaco Pastorius, the band was able to push its music to the "height of its popularity", and with that came "Birdland." Weather Report's most commercially successful composition, "Birdland" served as a tribute to the New York City jazz club on 52nd street that housed many famous jazz musicians. The song was also named in honor of the man after whom the club was named, Charlie Parker, the 'Bird' himself. It was this club, which he frequented almost daily, that inspired Zawinul to write the song. Looking back, Zawinul claimed, "The old Birdland was the most important place in my life."

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Wikipedia