Ever since watching video of the Metropole Orchestra performing the music of Joe Zawinul, I’ve been hoping that these recordings would be officially released on CD, if not DVD. Now such a CD is in the offing.

BHM Records has announced that it will release Fast City, a tribute to Joe Zawinul performed by the Metropole Orchestra under the direction of Vince Mendoza. The release is scheduled for Germany in October. If past practice is an indicator, a US distributor won’t pick it up until many months later, although AbstractLogix frequently stocks import CDs for purchase in the US.

I wrote about the orchestra’s Zawinul tribute in April 2009. The orchestration and performances are amazing. Mendoza is a gifted orchestrator and his empathy for Zawinul’s compositions makes for transcendent music. Songs such as “Peace,” “Jungle Book” and “Nubian Sundance” are noteworthy both because one wouldn’t expect to ever hear them played live, but also for the way in which the Metropole Orchestra reveals layers that extend beyond the original recordings by Joe and Weather Report.

Fast City will consists of six tracks recorded on January 26, 2008 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. The remaining three tracks were recorded live at the North Sea Jazz Festival on July 11, 2008. Guest artists on both occasions included Peter Erskine, Amit Chatterjee, Victor Bailey, and Jim Beard. Alex Acuña plays percussion on the Concertgebouw tracks while Efrain Toro handles percussion on the North Sea recordings.

More in October.

Track List

1. “Jungle Book” (07:39) – Joe Zawinul/ arr. Vince Mendoza. Recorded January 26, 2008 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

2. “Orient Express” (09:32) – Joe Zawinul/arr. Vince Mendoza. Recorded July 11, 2008 at the North Sea Jazz Festival.

3. “The Juggler” (05:24) – Joe Zawinul/ arr. Vince Mendoza. Recorded July 11, 2008 at the North Sea Jazz Festival.

4. “Nubian Sundance” (10:29) – Joe Zawinul/ arr. Vince Mendoza. January 26, 2008 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

5. “Dream Clock” (07:37) – Joe Zawinul/ arr. Vince Mendoza. January 26, 2008 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

6. “Fast City” (06:07) – Joe Zawinul/ arr. Vince Mendoza. Recorded July 11, 2008 at the North Sea Jazz Festival.

7. “Peace” (11:05) – Joe Zawinul/ arr. Vince Mendoza. January 26, 2008 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

8. “Tower Of Silence” (06:47) – Joe Zawinul/ arr. Vince Mendoza. January 26, 2008 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

9. “In A Silent Way” (04:20) – Joe Zawinul/ arr. Vince Mendoza. January 26, 2008 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.