Sportin' Life (Weather Report album)

Sportin' Life is the thirteenth studio album by American jazz fusion band Weather Report which was released in June 1985 through Columbia Records. Although featuring many more vocal performances than any of their previous studio albums, words are rare and most vocals are chants from guest musicians such as Bobby McFerrin or Carl Anderson. The album is named after a character from Porgy and Bess. Sportin' Life was to be the last Weather Report studio album, but due to contractual obligations with Columbia the band had to release a follow-up, This Is This!, in 1986.

Sportin' Life
Studio album by Weather Report
Released	June 25, 1985
Recorded	August – September 1984
Genre	Jazz fusion
Length	39:09
Label	Columbia
Producer	Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter
Weather Report chronology
Domino Theory (1984) Sportin' Life (1985) This Is This! (1986)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[2]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Joe Zawinul; except where indicated.

1. "Corner Pocket" – 5:46
2. "Indiscretions" – 4:05
3. "Hot Cargo" – 4:41
4. "Confians" (Mino Cinélu) – 5:07
5. "Pearl On the Half Shell" (Wayne Shorter) – 4:06
6. "What's Going On" (Renaldo Benson, Alfred Cleveland, Marvin Gaye) – 6:29
7. "Face on the Barroom Floor" (Wayne Shorter) – 3:59
8. "Ice-Pick Willy" – 5:00

Personnel

Weather Report

• Joe Zawinul – keyboards
• Wayne Shorter – saxophones
• Omar Hakim – drums, background vocals (track 4)
• Victor Bailey – bass, background vocals (track 4)
• Mino Cinélu – percussion, lead vocals and acoustic guitar on (track 4)

Additional musicians

• Bobby McFerrin – vocalist (tracks 1, 3, 5, 8)
• Carl Anderson – vocalist (tracks 1, 3, 8)
• Dee Dee Bellson – vocalist (tracks 1, 3, 8)
• Alfie Silas – voice (tracks 1, 3, 8)

Production

• Howard Siegel – engineer
• Tony Lane, Nancy Donald – art direction
• Jerry McDonald – album artwork