Mysterious Traveller
1974 studio album by Weather Report
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Mysterious Traveller is the fourth studio album by the jazz and jazz fusion ensemble Weather Report, released in 1974. This was their final recording with founding bassist Miroslav Vitouš, who left due to creative differences. Vitouš was replaced by Alphonso Johnson. Another addition to the line-up is drummer Ishmael Wilburn. Greg Errico was the drummer for the tour between the previously released Sweetnighter and this album, but declined an invitation to be a permanent member of the band.
| Mysterious Traveller | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 1974 | |||
| Recorded | November 1973 – March 1974 | |||
| Studio | Devonshire Sound Studios, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Jazz fusion | |||
| Length | 48:17 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Josef Zawinul, Wayne Shorter | |||
| Weather Report chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| All About Jazz | (favorable)[1] |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Robert Christgau | B[3] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [4] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [5] |
| Sputnikmusic |  [6] |
The record is the band's first that predominantly uses electric bass and incorporates liberal uses of funk, R&B grooves, and rock that would later be hallmarked as the band's "signature" sound. Also, the more restricted compositional format became evident on this album, replacing the more "open improvisation" formats used on the first three albums. It was voted as the album of the year by the readers of DownBeat for 1974, garnering Weather Report's second overall win in that category, also garnering a five-star review from that publication along the way. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings included the album in its suggested “core collection” of essential recordings.[4]
The album peaked at number 2 in the Billboard Jazz Albums chart, number 31 in the R&B album chart, and number 46 in the Billboard 200.[7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nubian Sundance" | Zawinul | 10:40 |
| 2. | "American Tango" | Vitouš, Zawinul | 3:40 |
| 3. | "Cucumber Slumber" | Johnson, Zawinul | 8:22 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mysterious Traveller" | Shorter | 7:21 |
| 2. | "Blackthorn Rose" | Shorter | 5:03 |
| 3. | "Scarlet Woman" | Johnson, Shorter, Zawinul | 5:46 |
| 4. | "Jungle Book" | Zawinul | 7:25 |
| Total length: | 48:17 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Miroslav’s Tune" | Vitouš | 5:25 |
Personnel
Weather Report
- Joe Zawinul – electric and acoustic piano, synthesizer, guitar, kalimba, organ, tamboura, clay drum, tack piano, melodica
- Wayne Shorter – soprano & tenor saxophone, tack piano
- Miroslav Vitouš – acoustic bass (tracks 2 and 8)
- Alphonso Johnson – bass guitar
- Ishmael Wilburn – drums
- Skip Hadden – drums (tracks 1 & 4)
- Dom Um Romão – drums, percussion
Additional Personnel
- Ray Barretto – percussion (track 3)
- Muruga Booker – percussion (track 1)
- Steve Little – timpani (track 6)
- Don Ashworth – ocarinas & woodwinds (track 7)
- Isacoff – tabla, finger cymbals (track 7)
- Edna Wright – vocals (track 1)
- Marti McCall – vocals (track 1)
- Jessica Smith – vocals (track 1)
- James Gilstrap – vocals (track 1)
- Billie Barnum – vocals (track 1)
Production
- Ron Malo – sound engineer
- Teresa Alfieri – cover design
- Helmut Wimmer – cover artwork
Chart performance
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] | 97 |
| US Billboard 200[7] | 46 |
| US Jazz Albums[7] | 2 |
| US R&B Albums[7] | 31 |
| Canada RPM Top 100 Albums[9] | 57 |