Sweetnighter

Sweetnighter from 1973 marked a new, more groove-driven approach to the music, and marks the end of the first phase of Weather Report, being the last album Miroslav Vitous played bass on.

Weather Report was one of the most influential jazz-fusion groups of their era and outlasted many of its contemporaries such as Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Despite many personnel changes over its 16-year lifespan, they continued to create groundbreaking music under the guidance of Joe Zawinul. Due to Zawinul's obsession with groove, the band steered towards a funky, edgy sound and incorporated R&B elements. Sweetnighter was the first album on which this new direction was audible. It was their third studio album which was originally released in 1973. The last song on the album, “Non-Stop Home”, foreshadowed the band's developing hallmark sound.