"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."
Joe Zawinul – Yamaha grand piano, vocal, melodica
Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone
Jaco Pastorius – bass guitar, mandocello, vocals
Manolo Badrena – Tambourine
Alex Acuña – Drums
Awards and recognition
Following the release of Heavy Weather, the Weather Report gained a number of awards and honors in recognition of their musical achievements related to Birdland. These include
Grammy Nomination, Best Instrumental Composition (1978 ceremony)
Grammy Nomination, Best Jazz Soloist, Jaco Pastorius, Heavy Weather (1978 ceremony)
- 1 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart (1977)
- 30 on the Billboard 200 chart (1977)
- 33 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart (1977)
Jazz Album of the Year and Jazz Group of the Year at the 42nd Down Beat Readers Poll
Record of the Year at the Jazz Forum People's Poll
Swing Journal's Silver Disc Award
Playboy's Jazz Record and Jazz Band of the Year
Record World's Instrumental Group of the Year
Cash Box's Record of the Year
Other artists have also been awarded for their own versions of the song:
The Manhattan Transfer — Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance (1981)
Janis Siegel (of The Manhattan Transfer) — Grammy Award for Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices (1981)
Quincy Jones, et al. — Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement (1991)
Discotheque Ideale: 25 Original Jazz Albums
Jazz Fusion, Vol. 2 [Nectar]
Heavy Weather
Jazzrock-Anthology, Vol. 2: Crossover
Live in Offenbach 1978
Young and Fine Live!
8:30 [Japan 2CD]
Jazz Rocks
Classic Jazz-Funk, Vol. 4 [Mastercuts]
Jazz on a Summer's Day [Castle]
That's Jazz [EMI Classics]
Je N'Aime Pas le Jazz: Mais Ça J'Aime Bien!
This Is Jazz, Vol. 10
Jazziz: December 1997
Jazz: The Definitive Performances
Sony Music 100 Years: Soundtrack for a Century
Ken Burns Jazz: The Story of America's Music
Harmony Jazz: Le Chant Des Rêves
Jazz Collection
Smooth Jazz [Sony]
The Best of Weather Report
Punk Jazz: The Jaco Pastorius Anthology
Capital Gold Jazz Legends
Cool Summer Jazz
Guitar & Bass
Very Best of Smooth Jazz, Vol. 1
Funky Fusion
Music: Its Role and Importance in Our Lives
Forecast: Tomorrow
Jazz [Apace]
The Essential Jaco Pastorius
Jazz Funk
Collections
101 Running Songs, Vol. 1
Feel the Difference of the Blu-Spec CD: Jazz Selection
Playlist: The Very Best of Weather Report
Jazz Roots: The Music of the Americas
Jazz: The Smithsonian Anthology
The Perfect Jazz Collection, Vol. 2: 25 Original Albums
Pure... Jazz
Back on the Block (Quincy Jones)
Class of '78 (Buddy Rich) – Album later re-issued as "The Greatest Drummer That Ever Lived With 'The Best Band I Ever Had'"
