Weather Report | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Weather Report started out as a jazz equivalent of what the rock world in 1970 was calling a "supergroup." But unlike most of the rock supergroups, this one not only kept going for a good 15 years, it more than lived up to its billing, practically defining the state of the jazz-rock art throughout almost all of its run. Weather Report also anticipated and contributed to the North American interest in world music rhythms and structures, prodded by keyboardist/co-founder Joe Zawinul. And WR, like many of jazzs great long-lived groups, proved to be an incubator for several future leaders who passed in and out of the band in a never-ending series of revolving-door personnel changes. The original members of the band were Zawinul, Wayne Shorter (saxophones), Miroslav Vitous (electric bass), Airto Moreira (percussion) and Alphonse Mouzon (drums), with only Zawinul and (until 1985) Shorter remaining in place throughout the bands lifespan. Zawinul, Shorter and Moreira all had experience playing in and influencing the studio and live electric bands of Miles Davis -- and at first, WR was a direct extension of Miles In a Silent Way/Bitches Brew period, with free-floating collective improvisation and interplay, combining elements of jazz, rock, funk, Latin and other ethnic musics. With the release of Sweetnighter in 1972, Zawinuls influence upon the bands direction began to deepen; the groove became more important, structures were imposed upon the material (though the group continued its freewheeling interplay in live gigs). When the innovative bassist Jaco Pastorius replaced Alphonso Johnson in 1976, WR entered its most popular phase, with Pastorius becoming a flamboyant third lead voice, Shorters sax receding into more epigrammatic form, and Zawinul rediscovering his commercial touch and sharpening his electronic sophistication. The best-selling Heavy Weather album (1977) actually served up a hit song that became a jazz standard ("Birdland"), and with the entry of Peter Erskine on drums (1978), the group finally had a stable lineup for awhile. Contrary to accepted wisdom, the departures of Pastorius (who died tragically from injuries sustained in a beating in 1987) and Erskine in 1982 led to a recharging of WRs batteries; their replacements Victor Bailey (bass), Omar Hakim (drums), Jose Rossy and later, Mino Cinelu (percussion) were more amenable to Zawinuls deepening inclinations for Third World rhythms, sounds and textures. This edition of WR rattled off three more albums, including the outstanding Procession. But Shorter, who had gradually ceded nearly total artistic control to Zawinul, was getting restless; he took a leave of absence in 1985 and later that year, left WR for good. This Is This (1985), in which Erskine returns and Shorter plays only a limited role, was WRs swan song. Zawinul would tour in 1986 with a revamped version called Weather Update (a prelude to the keyboardists own Zawinul Syndicate), and there was talk in 1996 about Zawinul and Shorter reuniting in the studio for a new edition of WR, but Zawinul later deflated the speculation. Although a Weather Report reunion failed to materialize, many of the groups core members stayed busy. Zawinul continued to perform and record up until his death from a rare form of skin cancer in 2011 at age 75. Shorter also remained active, forming a highly lauded acoustic outfit with pianist Danilo Perez in the 2000s and receiving a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. In 2015, drummer Erskine was integral in producing the four-disc Weather Report box set The Legendary Live Tapes, 1978-81, which featured previously unreleased concert recordings. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 27 Title: Weather Report Released: 1971-05 Tracks: 8 Duration: 39:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Milky Way (02:33) 2 Umbrellas (03:24) 3 Seventh Arrow (05:21) 4 Orange Lady (08:42) 5 Morning Lake (04:24) 6 Waterfall (06:19) 7 Tears (03:24) 8 Eurydice (05:44) |
 | Album: 2 of 27 Title: Live in Tokyo Released: 1972-01-13 Tracks: 5 Duration: 1:28:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Medley: Vertical Invader / Seventh Arrow / T.H. / Doctor Honoris Causa (26:13) 2 Medley: Surucucu / Lost / Early Minor / Directions (19:19) 1 Orange Lady (18:13) 2 Medley: Eurydice / The Moors (13:49) 3 Medley: Tears / Umbrellas (10:53) |
| Live in Tokyo : Allmusic album Review : While side two of I Sing the Body Electric gives us heavily edited glimpses of Weather Report as heard live in Tokyo, this two-disc Japanese import contains entire group ensembles from that concert -- and as such, it is a revelation. Now we can follow the wild, stream-of-consciousness evolution of early Weather Report workouts, taking the listener into all kinds of stylistic territory -- from Joe Zawinuls lone acoustic piano to dissonant free form and electronic explosions -- with lots of adjustments of tempo and texture. The pulse of jazz is more evident in their work here than on their American albums, and the example of Miles Davis circa the Fillmore concerts directs the fierce interplay. In his subsequent recordings with Weather Report, and as a leader, Wayne Shorter would rarely equal the manic intensity he displayed in Tokyo. All of the music is encapsulated in five lengthy "medleys" of WRs repertoire, three of which contain elongated versions of themes from the groups eponymously titled debut album from 1971. This would be the radical apogee of Weather Report on records, though they could retain this level of fire in concert for years to come. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 27 Title: I Sing the Body Electric Released: 1972-05 Tracks: 7 Duration: 47:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Unknown Soldier (08:00) 2 The Moors (04:43) 3 Crystal (07:19) 4 Second Sunday in August (04:12) 5 Medley: Vertical Invader / T.H. / Dr. Honoris Causa (10:39) 6 Surucucu (07:41) 7 Directions (04:34) |
| I Sing the Body Electric : Allmusic album Review : Like the weather itself, this band would assume a new shape with virtually every release -- and this album, half recorded in the studio and half live in Tokyo, set the pattern of change. Exit Airto Moreira and Alphonse Mouzon; enter percussionist Dom Um Romao, drummer Eric Gravatt, and a slew of cameo guests like guitarist Ralph Towner, flutist Hubert Laws, and others. The studio tracks are more biting, more ethnically diverse in influence, and more laden with electronic effects and grandiose structural complexities than before. The live material (heard in full on the import Live in Tokyo) is even fiercer and showcases for the first time some of the tremendous drive WR was capable of, though it doesnt give you much of an idea of its stream of consciousness nature. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 27 Title: Sweetnighter Released: 1973 Tracks: 6 Duration: 44:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Boogie Woogie Waltz (13:05) 2 Manolete (05:58) 3 Adios (03:01) 4 125th Street Congress (12:14) 5 Will (06:20) 6 Non-Stop Home (03:57) |
| Sweetnighter : Allmusic album Review : Right from the start, a vastly different Weather Report emerges here, one that reflects co-leader Joe Zawinuls developing obsession with the groove. It is the groove that rules this mesmerizing album, leading off with the irresistible 3/4 marathon deceptively tagged as the "Boogie Woogie Waltz" and proceeding through a variety of Latin-grounded hip-shakers. It is a record of discovery for Zawinul, who augments his Rhodes electric piano with a funky wah-wah pedal, unveils the ARP synthesizer as a melodic instrument and sound-effects device, and often coasts along on one chord. The once fiery Wayne Shorter has been tamed, for he now contributes mostly sustained ethereal tunes on soprano sax, his tone sometimes doubled for a pleasing octave effect. The wane of freewheeling ensemble interplay is more than offset by the big increase in rhythmic push; bassist Miroslav Vitous, drummer Eric Gravatt, and percussionist Dom Um Romao are now cogs in one of jazzs great swinging machines. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 27 Title: Mysterious Traveller Released: 1974 Tracks: 8 Duration: 53:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Nubian Sundance (10:40) 2 American Tango (03:40) 3 Cucumber Slumber (08:21) 4 Mysterious Traveller (07:21) 5 Blackthorn Rose (05:00) 6 Scarlet Woman (05:44) 7 Jungle Book (07:22) 8 Miroslavs Tune (05:25) |
| Mysterious Traveller : Allmusic album Review : Weather Reports fourth recording finds Wayne Shorter (on soprano and tenor) taking a lesser role as Joe Zawinul begins to really dominate the groups sound. Most selections also include bassist Alphonso Johnson and drummer Ishmael Wilburn although the personnel shifts from track to track. "Nubian Sundance" adds several vocalists while "Blackthorn Rose" is a Shorter-Zawinul duet. Overall the music is pretty stimulating and sometimes adventurous; high-quality fusion from 1974. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 27 Title: Tale Spinnin’ Released: 1975 Tracks: 6 Duration: 43:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Man in the Green Shirt (06:29) 2 Lusitanos (07:25) 3 Between the Thighs (09:33) 4 Badia (05:20) 5 Freezing Fire (07:30) 6 Five Short Stories (06:56) |
| Tale Spinnin’ : Allmusic album Review : Weather Reports ever-changing lineup shifts again, with the somewhat heavier funk-oriented Leon "Ndugu" Chancler dropping into the drummers chair and Alyrio Lima taking over the percussion table. As a result, Tale Spinnin has a weightier feel than Mysterious Traveller, while continuing the latters explorations in Latin-spiced electric jazz/funk. Zawinuls pioneering interest in what we now call world music is more in evidence with the African percussion, wordless vocals, and sandy sound effects of "Badia," and his synthesizer sophistication is growing along with the available technology. Wayne Shorters work on soprano sax is more animated than on the previous two albums and Alphonso Johnson puts his melodic bass more to the fore. While not quite as inventive as its two predecessors, this remains an absorbing extension of WRs mid-70s direction. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 27 Title: Black Market Released: 1976-04 Tracks: 7 Duration: 37:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Black Market (06:31) 2 Cannon Ball (04:37) 3 Gibraltar (07:47) 4 Elegant People (05:04) 5 Three Clowns (03:21) 6 Barbary Coast (03:08) 7 Herandnu (06:35) |
| Black Market : Allmusic album Review : The shifts in Weather Reports personnel come fast and furious now, with Narada Michael Walden and Chester Thompson as the drummers, Alex Acuna and Don Alias at the percussion table, and Alphonso Johnson giving way to the mighty, martyred Jaco Pastorius. It is interesting to hear Pastorius expanding the bass role only incrementally over what the more funk-oriented Johnson was doing at this early point -- that is, until "Barbary Coast," where suddenly Jaco leaps athletically forward into the spotlight. Joe Zawinul or just Zawinul, as he preferred to be billed -- contributed all of side ones compositions, mostly Third World-flavored workouts except for "Cannon Ball," a touching tribute to his ex-boss Cannonball Adderley (who had died the year before). Shorter, Pastorius, and Johnson split the remainder of the tracks, with Shorter now set in a long-limbed compositional mode for electric bands that would serve him into the 1990s. While it goes without saying that most Weather Report albums are transition albums, this diverse record is even more transient than most, paving the way for WRs most popular period while retaining the old sense of adventure. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 27 Title: Heavy Weather Released: 1977 Tracks: 8 Duration: 37:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Birdland (05:59) 2 A Remark You Made (06:55) 3 Teen Town (02:52) 4 Harlequin (04:01) 5 Rumba Mama (02:11) 6 Palladium (04:47) 7 The Juggler (05:05) 8 Havona (05:59) |
| Heavy Weather : Allmusic album Review : Weather Reports biggest-selling album is that ideal thing, a popular and artistic success -- and for the same reasons. For one thing, Joe Zawinul revealed an unexpectedly potent commercial streak for the first time since his Cannonball Adderley days, contributing what has become a perennial hit, "Birdland." Indeed, "Birdland" is a remarkable bit of record-making, a unified, ever-developing piece of music that evokes, without in any way imitating, a joyous evening on 52nd St. with a big band. The other factor is the full emergence of Jaco Pastorius as a co-leader; his dancing, staccato bass lifting itself out of the bass range as a third melodic voice, completely dominating his own ingenious "Teen Town" (where he also plays drums!). By now, Zawinul has become WRs de facto commander in the studio; his colorful synthesizers dictate the textures, his conceptions are carefully planned, with little of the freewheeling improvisation of only five years before. Wayne Shorters saxophones are now reticent, if always eloquent, beams of light in Zawinuls general scheme while Alex Acuña shifts ably over to the drums and Manolo Badrena handles the percussion. Released just as the jazz-rock movement began to run out of steam, this landmark album proved that there was plenty of creative life left in the idiom. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 27 Title: Mr. Gone Released: 1978 Tracks: 8 Duration: 37:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Pursuit of the Woman With the Feathered Hat (05:02) 2 River People (04:50) 3 Young and Fine (06:54) 4 The Elders (04:21) 5 Mr. Gone (05:25) 6 Punk Jazz (05:08) 7 Pinocchio (02:25) 8 And Then (03:19) |
| Mr. Gone : Allmusic album Review : On Mr. Gone, Weather Report becomes merely a cover name for a Joe Zawinul/Jaco Pastorius jazz/rock/funk record production, with several guest drummers (Steve Gadd, Tony Williams, Peter Erskine), no resident percussionist, and Wayne Shorter as a still-potent solo saxophone threat. This album was denounced in its time as a sellout, probably on the reputation of Jacos pulsating "River People," which is as close as WR ever came to outright disco. But there is lots of diversity and adventure here, as the creative core of the band uses the latest electronics to push out the boundaries of sound while maintaining tight control over structure. "The Pursuit of the Woman with the Feathered Hat" is quintessential Zawinul; the Third World-centered groove is everything, no chord changes to impede this rush of layered electronics, percussion, and voices. Shorters spare "The Elders" flirts with the electronic avant-garde and he retrofits his Miles Davis-era "Pinocchio" in rapid-fire electro-acoustic garb. In other words, the multi-flavored WR stew continues to cook at a fine boil. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 27 Title: 8:30 Released: 1979 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:20:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Black Market (09:50) 2 Scarlet Woman (08:45) 3 Teen Town (06:07) 4 A Remark You Made (08:03) 5 Slang (bass solo) (04:46) 6 In a Silent Way (02:50) 1 Birdland (07:17) 2 Thanks for the Memory (tenor sax solo) (03:34) 3 Badia/Boogie Woogie Waltz Medley (09:34) 4 8:30 (02:37) 5 Brown Street (08:37) 6 The Orphan (03:17) 7 Sightseeing (05:35) |
 | Album: 11 of 27 Title: Night Passage Released: 1980 Tracks: 8 Duration: 48:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Night Passage (06:30) 2 Dream Clock (06:26) 3 Port of Entry (05:09) 4 Forlorn (03:55) 5 Rockin in Rhythm (03:02) 6 Fast City (06:17) 7 Three Views of a Secret (05:50) 8 Madagascar (10:56) |
| Night Passage : Allmusic album Review : All things being relative, this is Weather Reports straightahead album, where the elaborate production layers of the late-70s gave way to sparer textures and more unadorned solo improvisation in the jazz tradition, electric instruments and all. The flaw of this album is the shortage of really memorable compositions; it is more of a vehicle for the virtuosic feats of what is considered by some to be the classic WR lineup -- Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, Robert Thomas, Jr. and Peter Erskine. For Erskine, this is is first full studio album and he amply demonstrates his terrific sense of forward drive unique among the other superb drummers in WR annals. "Port of Entry" is a tour de force for Jaco, who knocks off several of those unbelievably slippery, pointed runs that have made him a posthumous legend. There is also a tremendously fun retro trip to Duke Ellingtons "Rockin in Rhythm," everybody swinging their heads and hands off. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 27 Title: Procession Released: 1983-06 Tracks: 6 Duration: 39:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Procession (08:41) 2 Plaza Real (05:30) 3 Two Lines (07:42) 4 Where the Moon Goes (07:49) 5 The Well (04:00) 6 Molasses Run (05:50) |
| Procession : Allmusic album Review : A new Weather Report lineup makes its debut here, with Victor Bailey filling Jaco Pastorius shoes, Omar Hakim on drums, Jose Rossy on percussion, and Joe Zawinul now thoroughly in charge. But contrary to the conventional wisdom which claims that WR went downhill after the departure of Pastorius/Erskine, the new lineup actually recharged WRs creative batteries; the material here is superior to that of the previous two albums at least. Bailey, while not Jacos technical equal, is mobile enough to project through the texture, and Hakim has the versatility and swinging Third World rhythmic influences that must have appealed to Zawinul. "Procession" itself is a masterly Zawinul tone poem, with moody electronics and voices building to an emotional crescendo and ebbing away, a high point in WRs output. Even Wayne Shorters sole composition "Plaza Real" is the most interesting tune he had come up with in a long time. The Manhattan Transfer, the champions of "Birdland," make a fascinating electronically distorted appearance on Zawinuls marvelous "Where the Moon Goes." This is an unjustly overlooked Weather Report treasure, hopefully due for CD reissue soon. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 27 Title: Domino Theory Released: 1984-02 Tracks: 7 Duration: 45:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Can It Be Done (03:57) 2 D♭ Waltz (11:12) 3 The Peasant (08:12) 4 Predator (05:20) 5 Blue Sound – Note 3 (06:53) 6 Swamp Cabbage (05:19) 7 Domino Theory (04:46) |
| Domino Theory : Allmusic album Review : Heres more proof that Weather Report actually became a more potent, life-affirming musical force after the departures of its best-known sidemen. Things begin on an oddly commercial note with a pop song "Can It Be Done," sung by Carl Anderson, that actually lays out Weather Reports credo, searching for sounds never heard before. Then Joe Zawinul and company get down to business with the funky "D-Flat Waltz," marked by Omar Hakims flamboyantly complex drumming. Zawinuls synthesizer textures become thicker and more flexible with the help of newly-introduced digital instruments, and the funk element in general becomes more pronounced than on any record since Tale Spinnin. Victor Bailey (bass), who spins his wheels on the title track, and Jose Rossy (percussion) remain on board (though Rossy left shortly thereafter) and Wayne Shorters tenor sax has a rawer, tougher edge than it has in awhile. Though not quite as triumphant as Procession, a triumph nonetheless. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 27 Title: Sportin’ Life Released: 1985-03 Tracks: 8 Duration: 39:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Corner Pocket (05:44) 2 Indiscretions (04:05) 3 Hot Cargo (04:40) 4 Confians (05:05) 5 Pearl on the Half‐Shell (04:06) 6 What’s Going On (06:28) 7 Face on the Barroom Floor (03:58) 8 Ice‐Pick Willy (05:00) |
| Sportin’ Life : Allmusic album Review : With de facto leader Joe Zawinul now even more set on a world music groove-oriented direction than ever, it is hard to place Weather Report even within the broad electric jazz -- or fusion, if you must -- category at this point. But forget labels; this is another superb WR album where the grooves percolate and thump along in an irresistible surge, rhythmic elements pouring in from the Caribbean, Africa, Middle East and the instrument designers at Yamaha, Korg, etc. There are more vocals than ever, mostly wordless chant by guests Carl Anderson, Bobby McFerrin and others, and there is a total departure in the form of an attractive folk-like song sung and played by the new percussionist/guitarist Mino Cinelu. Almost alone among synthesizer players, Zawinul took the trouble to learn how to swing on these instruments, and by Sportin Life, he had become unstoppable. And Wayne Shorter? His beams of light are still around, as heard most hauntingly in a duet with Zawinuls synths on "The Face on the Barroom Floor." Yet Waynes presence is just another color in Zawinuls multi-band palette, and as a result, their long partnership was coming to a close despite the still sky-high quality of their music. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 27 Title: This Is This Released: 1986-06 Tracks: 8 Duration: 45:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 This Is This (07:08) 2 Face the Fire (02:34) 3 Ill Never Forget You (07:51) 4 Jungle Stuff, Part 1 (04:44) 5 Man with the Copper Fingers (06:13) 6 Consequently (04:56) 7 Update (06:09) 8 China Blues (06:11) |
| This Is This : Allmusic album Review : Or shall we say, that is that, the final album by a group called Weather Report, now captained and guided by Josef Zawinul. The photo of Zawinul and Wayne Shorter shaking hands on the back cover of the LP is definitely a farewell gesture, for Shorter turns up on only three of the eight cuts (having left the band while this record was being made), and the records world-music slant gives it a closer kinship with Zawinuls subsequent albums than with WRs earlier output. Already on the delicate "Ill Never Forget You," Zawinuls synthesizer is replacing Wayne as a simulated solo wind voice. Minu Cinelu is on percussion on vocals, Victor Bailey on bass, and co-producer Peter Erskine returns for one final fling on drums (Omar Hakim handles the sticks on "Consequently"). The best thing on the album is the joyous title track, which swaggers along with the help of guest guitarist Carlos Santanas flashy rock obligatos. Santana also takes the lead on "Man With the Copper Fingers," another preview of textures to come in Zawinuls future bands. A somewhat diffuse passage of transition, This Is This is the weakest link in the impressive string of WR albums (Zawinuls prime material from this period can be found on his solo album Dialects, released only four months before this one). | ||
 | Album: 16 of 27 Title: Best Of, Volume 1 Released: 1990 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:09:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Birdland (05:58) 2 And Then (vocal: Maurice White) (03:18) 3 A Remark You Made (06:53) 4 Second Sunday in August (04:09) 5 Herandnu (06:36) 6 Tears (03:24) 7 Elegant People (05:04) 8 Eurydice (05:44) 9 Man with the Copper Fingers (06:13) 10 Where the Moon Goes (Vocals: Manhattan Transfer) (07:47) 11 Harlequin (03:58) 12 Speechless (05:56) 13 Palladium (04:47) |
 | Album: 17 of 27 Title: The Collection Released: 1994-11-07 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:16:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Birdland (06:05) 2 Teen Town (02:55) 3 The Juggler (05:05) 4 The Pursuit of the Woman With the Feathered Hat (05:03) 5 The Elders (04:21) 6 Punk Jazz (05:08) 7 And Then (03:22) 8 Black Market (live) (09:36) 9 A Remark You Made (live) (07:47) 10 Night Passage (06:30) 11 Rockin in Rhythm (03:02) 12 Fast City (06:17) 13 Madagascar (10:56) |
 | Album: 18 of 27 Title: This Is Jazz 10 Released: 1996-04-30 Tracks: 9 Duration: 56:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Birdland (06:01) 2 A Remark You Made (06:55) 3 Black Market (06:32) 4 Man in the Green Shirt (06:29) 5 Young and Fine (06:54) 6 The Moors (04:43) 7 Mysterious Traveller (07:24) 8 Orange Lady (08:42) 9 Teen Town (02:52) |
| This Is Jazz 10 : Allmusic album Review : Because most diehard Weather Report enthusiasts already have everything included on this addition to Legacy/Sonys This Is Jazz series of compilations, the "best of" CD serves primarily as an introduction to the fusion innovators breakthroughs of the 1970s. While hardly the last word on the band, This Is Jazz isnt a bad introduction at all. Naturally, the disc contains Weathers best-known piece, the infectious "Birdland." But equally captivating are the eerie yet funky "Mysterious Traveler," the intriguing "Man in the Green Shirt," the congenial "Young and Fine," the hauntingly abstract "The Moors" and the Asian-influenced "Black Market." Boasting improvisatory, risk-taking and imaginative gems full of blues feeling, This Is Jazz 10 is jazz in the truest sense of the word. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 27 Title: This Is Jazz 40: The Jaco Years Released: 1998-05-04 Tracks: 10 Duration: 55:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Punk Jazz (05:08) 2 River People (04:50) 3 A Remark You Made (08:01) 4 Havona (05:59) 5 Three Views of a Secret (05:54) 6 Teen Town (06:07) 7 Speechless (05:58) 8 Port of Entry (05:09) 9 Barbary Coast (03:08) 10 Slang (Bass Solo) (04:48) |
| This Is Jazz 40: The Jaco Years : Allmusic album Review : The second volume in Columbias This Is Jazz series to focus on Weather Report narrows the scope to the five-year period Jaco Pastorius spent on bass. His virtuoso playing and gigantic personality gave him a reputation rarely equaled in jazz, and this collection features all of his best moments with the band. It includes each of the six compositions Pastorius contributed to the band, plus his incredible solo workout "Slang" and high-profile roles on three other tracks written by Joe Zawinul or Wayne Shorter. Its a good complement to his solo albums, though its difficult to envision too many Jaco Pastorius fans who dont have this material yet. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 27 Title: The Best of Weather Report Released: 2002-06-04 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:14:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Birdland (05:59) 2 Mysterious Traveller (07:21) 3 Boogie Woogie Waltz (13:05) 4 The Elders (04:21) 5 Night Passage (06:30) 6 Freezing Fire (07:30) 7 A Remark You Made (06:55) 8 Elegant People (05:04) 9 Man in the Green Shirt (06:29) 10 Blackthorn Rose (05:00) 11 Black Market (06:31) |
| The Best of Weather Report : Allmusic album Review : This Bob Belden-produced compilation includes nothing earlier than Sweetnighter and nothing later than Night Passage. A previous Weather Report compilation, This Is Jazz, Vol. 10, reaches back farther, giving listeners "The Moors" and "Orange Lady." While this one is a bit narrower historically, it still serves as a good introduction to an incredible band. (That said, a volume of post-1980 material may not be a bad idea.) Alongside obligatory classics like "Birdland," "Black Market," and "A Remark You Made" are more obscure goodies like "The Elders" from the unfairly maligned Mr. Gone album and "Blackthorn Rose," the marvelous piano/soprano sax duet from Mysterious Traveller. Another thing that recommends this and Columbias Weather Report reissues in general: meticulous, track-by-track personnel listings, which werent always made available on the original releases. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 27 Title: Live & Unreleased Released: 2002-10-01 Tracks: 18 Duration: 2:11:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Freezing Fire (08:13) 2 Plaza Real (07:03) 3 Fast City (06:48) 4 Portrait of Tracy (05:56) 5 Elegant People (04:27) 6 Cucumber Slumber (11:39) 7 Teen Town (06:29) 8 Man in the Green Shirt (10:30) 1 Black Market (09:26) 2 Where the Moon Goes (12:05) 3 River People (06:57) 4 Two Lines (08:15) 5 Cigano (03:59) 6 In a Silent Way / Waterfall (05:45) 7 Night Passage (05:53) 8 Port of Entry (08:08) 9 Rumba Mama (01:15) 10 Directions / Dr. Honoris Causa (08:37) |
| Live & Unreleased : Allmusic album Review : To date, Weather Report has been documented accurately exactly once in a live setting, and that was on a Japanese import called Live in Tokyo in 1972. All of their U.S.-released product, including their double-live set 8:30, was truncated, though it did capture some of the excitement the band was capable of producing at their most effectively intent and focused. Unfortunately, Live and Unreleased goes no further in demystifying the truly mysterious that elemental process that allowed them to move from one idea to the next no matter how far distant, with no apparent bridges in between. Being a collection of tracks from various live dates from 1975-1983, with wildly varying personnel, that cannot be expected. That said, what does transpire here showcases what an intense -- and accessible -- listening experience Weather Report could provide in a concert hall at a moments notice. One of the more confusing aspects of Live and Unreleased is its sequencing. In trying to showcase the band in as many settings as possible, some continuity is lost. When you begin with a a performance of Wayne Shorters "Freezing Fire," recorded in 1975, with Alphonso Johnson on bass, Alex Acuna on percussion, and Chester Thompson on drums, then move directly to Shorters "Plaza Real," recorded in 1983 at a much bigger hall (same city, though, London), with Victor Bailey on bass and Omar Hakim on drums, and then jump back again to Joe Zawinuls "Fast City" from 1980, with Jaco Pastorius on bass and Peter Erskine on drums, you have traveled a long way in the bands evolutionary process without the regard of context. While Zawinul and Shorter were constants and regarded as the bands leaders, no one can question Pastorius role as a dominating influence as both a player and as a composer -- not to mention his and Zawinuls competitive/conflicting energy. Thats missing here. Some moments are more smooth than others, as on disc twos transition from "In a Silent Way/Waterfall," both by Zawinul and recorded in 1978, to the title track from Night Passage, recorded with virtually the same band -- Pastorius and Erskine in the rhythm section -- in 1980 and then on to Shorters "Port of Entry" from the same date. Here, glimpses are cast into the shadows of the real lightning that could (and often would) strike when the band was -- as most often they were -- on their mettle. And while Live and Unreleased is perhaps true but misleading in the sense of presenting the band at their live best, there is some wonderful and challenging music here, such as Pastorius engaging both Shorter and Zawinul on "Black Market"; the double-timed "Teen Town," with Manolo Badrena acting as a wizard of small percussion; "River People," with Erskine triple timing the beat to get Shorters solo out from under the bank of Zawinuls keyboards and Pastorius supporting him, the sheer arpeggiattic flights of fancy Zawinul was capable of in mode such as on "In a Silent Way/Waterfall." All of these are wonderful moments in a collection of tracks that has nothing whatsoever to apologize for and is a more than worthy addition to any fans library. Ultimately, this still leaves room for Legacy to come up with a live Weather Report Box, perhaps documenting the Jaco years. Heres to hoping. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 27 Title: Forecast: Tomorrow Released: 2006-09-19 Tracks: 37 Duration: 3:43:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 In a Silent Way (04:18) 2 Super Nova (04:51) 3 Experience in E (excerpt) (05:44) 4 Milky Way (02:33) 5 Tears (03:24) 6 Eurydice (full version) (10:46) 7 Orange Lady (08:42) 8 Unknown Soldier (08:00) 9 Directions (take 1) (05:31) 10 Surucucu (08:19) 11 Second Sunday in August (04:12) 12 125th Street Congress (12:14) 1 Nubian Sundance (live) (13:07) 2 Blackthorn Rose (05:00) 3 Badia (05:20) 4 Cannon Ball (04:38) 5 Black Market (06:33) 6 Three Clowns (03:24) 7 Havona (06:02) 8 Birdland (05:58) 9 Palladium (04:48) 10 The Pursuit of the Woman With the Feathered Hat (05:02) 11 The Orphan (03:17) 12 Sightseeing (05:35) 1 Dream Clock (06:29) 2 Three Views of a Secret (05:54) 3 Port of Entry (live) (05:08) 4 Dara Factor Two (04:28) 5 Procession (08:42) 6 Plaza Real (05:31) 7 The Well (03:58) 8 D♭ Waltz (11:12) 9 Domino Theory (06:10) 10 Predator (05:20) 11 Face on the Barroom Floor (03:58) 12 Indiscretions (04:08) 13 125th Street Congress (DJ Logic remix) (05:03) |
| Forecast: Tomorrow : Allmusic album Review : In an era when box sets are so plentiful and are basically de rigueur for any major, and some not so major labels, its virtually a wonder that a Weather Report box set didnt appear until the 21st century. Things take as long as they must, evidently, and Legacy has done an outstanding job with this set. Consisting of three CDs and a DVD of a phenomenal live concert from 1978 (with Jaco Pastorius and Peter Erskine on the Heavy Weather tour), this document considers every aspect of the bands career carefully and thoughtfully. It actually commences on disc one with some of Wayne Shorters and Joe Zawinuls pre-Weather Report ensembles, beginning with their joint membership in Miles Davis band during the Bitches Brew era with "In a Silent Way." Zawinul composed it; he and Shorter both played on it. This short version of the tune was recorded by Davis, but according to Hal Millers fantastic liner notes (there should be a Grammy nomination for these), Zawinul never gave Miles the intro for the tune, just the one-chord vamp; his own version is very different. Also here is Shorters "Super Nova," from his Blue Note record of the same name, along with an excerpt of Zawinuls "Experience in E" with the Cannonball Adderley band (from Adderleys Domination). The reason? Both men embraced concepts and tropes that became part of the Weather Reports method of working. The actual Weather Report tunes begin with "Milky Way," from their debut album, and continue with four more from that album, including the full version of "Eurydice." Weather Report was a free and progressive band which took its composers frameworks and built floating, drifting, melding, sparkings of ideas into them; members at this point also included bassist Miroslav Vitous, percussionist Airto Moreira, and drummer Alphonse Mouzon. The bands sound got bigger and stranger on the classic I Sing the Body Electric disc from 1971. Moreira was in transition and Eric Gravatt entered the drum chair as Dom Um Romão became the bands percussionist. There is one of two unreleased cuts from these years: a different version of Zawinuls "Directions" with sparks aplenty. The real emergence of a new Weather Report sound began in 1973 with the underrated and classic Sweetnighter. While only "125th Street Congress" is included to round out the first disc, it is a mighty one, clocking in at over 12 minutes and showcasing for the first time the kind of deep funky groove the band was capable of; the song included not only Vitous, but also electric bassist Andrew White, who played English horn on "Unknown Soldier" on their previous album. This is the point where the bass-heavy groove began to dominate the bands sound, and rhythmic groove became the centerpiece not only for improvisation, but composition as well. Disc two kicks off with an unreleased live version of "Nubian Sundance" from 1974, with electric bassist (Vitous had left by this point in time for a solo career) Alphonso Johnson whod also played on Tale Spinnin. Pastorius made his first appearance with the band on "Black Market" and thereafter Weather Report became a different unit. The music became more progressive, funky, and complex, where the groove was decorated with all kinds of syncopated keyboard and saxophone charts, and Pastorius became the centerpiece of the bands sound, and its third composer. (His loss is clearly felt on Procession and Domino Theory, with Victor Bailey replacing him.) This sound becomes paradoxically more and more idiosyncratic and complicated. All the predictable selections are here, from "Birdland," "Three Views of a Secret," "Palladium," "Pursuit of the Woman in the Feathered Red Hat," "Dream Clock," and "Dara Factor Two" from the subsequent studio albums, by which time the trio of Zawinul, Pastorius, and Shorter was aided and abetted alternately by drummers Peter Erskine and Omar Hakim, and percussionists Bobby Thomas, Jr., Mino Cinelu, and Jose Rossy, among others, and there are some live cuts from the 8:30 album, including the stunning "The Orphan," where Shorter and Zawinul played with the West Los Angeles Christian Academy Childrens Choir. There is also a DJ Logic remix of "125th Street Congress," perhaps to illustrate how the bands sound has remained current after all this time. The DVD from the Heavy Weather tour with Pastorius and Erskine is simply outstanding, whether watched or listened to, it is a document that fans and collectors live for; there have been some dodgy boots of the music out there, but nothing matches this sound quality. All assembled, this is a fitting box set that represents a seminal part of jazz and pop/rock history. The only gripes are that some more of the unedited material from Live in Tokyo (the stuff that didnt make it to the flip of I Sing the Body Electric) isnt here, since the album was never issued in the United States, and there isnt more unreleased material. But in sum, this is perhaps really a teaser to induce listeners to dig into the bands catalog. It serves not only as a fitting introduction to Weather Report, but also as a definitive will and testament to a band that was both a critical and popular success for over a decade. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 27 Title: Original Album Classics Released: 2007-11-12 Tracks: 35 Duration: 3:45:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Unknown Soldier (08:00) 2 The Moors (04:43) 3 Crystal (07:19) 4 Second Sunday in August (04:12) 5 Medley: Vertical Invader / T.H. / Dr. Honoris Causa (10:39) 6 Surucucu (07:41) 7 Directions (04:34) 1 Boogie Woogie Waltz (13:05) 2 Manolete (05:58) 3 Adios (03:01) 4 125th Street Congress (12:14) 5 Will (06:20) 6 Non-Stop Home (03:57) 1 Nubian Sundance (10:40) 2 American Tango (03:40) 3 Cucumber Slumber (08:21) 4 Mysterious Traveller (07:21) 5 Blackthorn Rose (05:00) 6 Scarlet Woman (05:44) 7 Jungle Book (07:22) 1 Black Market (06:31) 2 Cannon Ball (04:37) 3 Gibraltar (07:47) 4 Elegant People (05:04) 5 Three Clowns (03:21) 6 Barbary Coast (03:08) 7 Herandnu (06:35) 1 Night Passage (06:30) 2 Dream Clock (06:26) 3 Port of Entry (05:09) 4 Forlorn (03:55) 5 Rockin in Rhythm (03:02) 6 Fast City (06:17) 7 Three Views of a Secret (05:50) 8 Madagascar (10:56) |
| Original Album Classics : Allmusic album Review : Original Album Classics is a curious compilation of five original Weather Report LPs reissued on one CD; true fans of the band might scratch their heads a bit at this one. Included are the definitive albums I Sing the Body Electric, Sweetnighter and Mysterious Traveller. The less essential Black Market and their final official release, Night Passage, made the cut. Sorely missing: their first eponymously titled recording, the definitive Live in Tokyo, as well as Tale Spinnin and Heavy Weather. Some completists might want this, but most devotees already have this material, and have pruned the chaff from the wheat. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 27 Title: Live in Offenbach 1978 Released: 2011-06-17 Tracks: 18 Duration: 2:08:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Black Market (11:13) 2 Scarlet Woman (09:24) 3 Young and Fine (06:46) 4 The Pursuit of the Woman With the Feathered Hat (06:49) 5 A Remark You Made (07:04) 6 River People (07:52) 7 Thanks for the Memories (03:47) 8 Dolores / Portrait of Tracy / Third Stone From the Sun (09:46) 9 Mr. Gone (08:32) 1 In a Silent Way (02:20) 2 Waterfall (01:50) 3 Teen Town (08:08) 4 I Got It Bad and That Aint Good / The Midnight Sun Will Never Set on You (08:50) 5 Birdland (06:49) 6 Introductions (01:47) 7 Fred & Jack (06:16) 8 Elegant People (08:09) 9 Badia (13:29) |
 | Album: 25 of 27 Title: The Columbia Albums 1971-1975 Released: 2012 Tracks: 45 Duration: 6:11:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Milky Way (02:33) 2 Umbrellas (03:24) 3 Seventh Arrow (05:21) 4 Orange Lady (08:42) 5 Morning Lake (04:24) 6 Waterfall (06:19) 7 Tears (03:24) 8 Eurydice (full version) (10:46) 1 Unknown Soldier (08:00) 2 The Moors (04:43) 3 Crystal (07:19) 4 Second Sunday in August (04:12) 5 Medley: Vertical Invader / T.H. / Dr. Honoris Causa (10:39) 6 Surucucu (07:41) 7 Directions (04:34) 8 Directions (take 1) (05:31) 1 Medley: Vertical Invader / Seventh Arrow / T.H. / Doctor Honoris Causa (26:13) 2 Medley: Surucucu / Lost / Early Minor / Directions (19:19) 1 Orange Lady (18:13) 2 Medley: Eurydice / The Moors (13:49) 3 Medley: Tears / Umbrellas (10:53) 1 Boogie Woogie Waltz (13:05) 2 Manolete (05:58) 3 Adios (03:01) 4 125th Street Congress (12:14) 5 Will (06:20) 6 Non-Stop Home (03:57) 7 125th Street Congress (DJ Logic remix) (05:03) 1 Nubian Sundance (10:40) 2 American Tango (03:40) 3 Cucumber Slumber (08:21) 4 Mysterious Traveller (07:21) 5 Blackthorn Rose (05:00) 6 Scarlet Woman (05:44) 7 Jungle Book (07:22) 8 Cucumber Slumber (live) (11:39) 9 Nubian Sundance (live) (13:05) 1 Man in the Green Shirt (06:29) 2 Lusitanos (07:25) 3 Between the Thighs (09:33) 4 Badia (05:20) 5 Freezing Fire (07:30) 6 Five Short Stories (06:56) 7 Man in the Green Shirt (live) (10:31) 8 Directions / Dr. Honoris Causa (live) (08:31) |
 | Album: 26 of 27 Title: The Essential Weather Report Released: 2013-09-03 Tracks: 26 Duration: 2:37:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Tears (03:23) 2 Orange Lady (08:40) 3 Directions (Take 1) (05:29) 4 Unknown Soldiers (07:57) 5 Vertical Invader / T. H. / Dr. Honoris Causa (Live) (05:08) 6 Non-Stop Home (03:51) 7 125th Street Congress (12:13) 8 Blackthorn Rose (05:00) 9 Mysterious Traveler (07:19) 10 Lusitanos (07:20) 11 Badia (05:18) 12 Man In the Green Shirt (06:27) 1 Black Market (06:31) 2 Elegant People (05:04) 3 Havona (06:02) 4 A Remark You Made (06:52) 5 Birdland (05:56) 6 Palladium (04:46) 7 Punk Jazz (05:08) 8 Young and Fine (06:53) 9 In a Silent Way (Live) (02:42) 10 Brown Street (Live) (08:35) 11 Rockin In Rhythm (03:03) 12 Three Views of a Secret (05:56) 13 Night Passage (06:33) 14 Volcano for Hire (05:24) |
 | Album: 27 of 27 Title: The Legendary Live Tapes: 1978-1981 Released: 2015-11-20 Tracks: 28 Duration: 4:07:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 8:30 (02:16) 2 Sightseeing (07:33) 3 Brown Street (11:16) 4 The Orphan (01:51) 5 Forlorn (04:10) 6 Three Views of a Secret (07:33) 7 Badia/Boogie Woogie Waltz (10:58) 8 Wayne Solo (07:34) 9 Jaco Solo (Osaka 1980) (07:59) 1 Joe and Wayne Duet (Tokyo 1978) (08:37) 2 Birdland (06:17) 3 Peters Solo (Drum Solo) (04:42) 4 A Remark You Made (07:34) 5 Continuum/River People (12:21) 6 Gibraltar (21:07) 1 Fast City (08:36) 2 Madagascar (17:43) 3 Night Passage (10:06) 4 Dream Clock (09:36) 5 Rockin in Rhythm (04:20) 6 Port of Entry (12:34) 1 Elegant People (09:15) 2 Scarlet Woman (11:52) 3 Black Market (13:13) 4 Jaco Solo (Osaka 1978) (08:19) 5 Teen Town (08:58) 6 Peters Drum Solo (03:58) 7 Directions (06:50) |
| The Legendary Live Tapes: 1978-1981 : Allmusic album Review : These four discs offer completely unreleased performances by the Weather Report lineup of keyboardist Joe Zawinul, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Jaco Pastorius, drummer Peter Erskine, and a bit later, percussionist Bobby Thomas, Jr. It was compiled for release by Erskine (whose historical essay and annotated track notes are fantastic) and Tony Zawinul, Joes son. These are mostly soundboard cassettes made by WRs longtime live sound engineer Brian Risner, with choice audience tapes and commercial mobile rig selections mixed in. While it (mostly) sounds like an excellent bootleg, the sound here is remarkable given the root sources. Similar to 2002s Live and Unreleased, the material is not arranged chronologically. Disc one begins with the quintet in 1980/1981; disc four is from the quartet in 1978, and it skips around in between. The sequencing is peculiar to Erskines and Zawinuls personal notions about what best constituted raw evidence of the bands collective ability on any given night of a tour -- warts and all. (An example is the inclusion of an abrupt, incomplete "Jacos Solo" on disc one. Its here as a metaphor for the bassists mercurial personality and the gap his absence leaves, but its too much of a quirk for most listeners. (Thankfully, there is a full, more inspired version on disc four from 1978.) But the many highlights offset these moments. On disc one, "Brown Street" is taken from a rehearsal vastly overdubbed later for 8:30; the root version is revelatory. The scorching medley of "Badia/Boogie Woogie Waltz" is fiery and intense -- tape collectors feel free to compare. Shorters brief quote from "Whats Goin On" in "The Orphan" reveals how much R&B was part of his playing during this period, and his seven-plus-minute solo spot is magnificent. Disc two offers a gorgeous medley of Pastorius "Continuum"/"River People" -- played in his hometown of Philly -- and is followed by a 21-minute, newly discovered "Gibraltar" from Erskines second gig with WR. Disc three by the quintet is from 1980-1981 and contains excellent performances of "Madagascar," followed by a hard-grooving "Night Passage." (The latter tune was eventually dropped from public performance.) These tracks -- plus two more -- are from proper mobile recording equipment and as such they stand out. A spacy bebop reading of Duke Ellingtons "Rockin in Rhythm" precedes a ragged "Port of Entry" -- the only known version recorded by the quartet (just prior to Thomas joining). The final disc offers long, kinetic versions of "Elegant People," "Scarlet Woman," and "Black Market," as well as a raucous "Teen Town" and a spacy, dubby version of "Directions." While The Legendary Live Tapes, 1978-81 is a glimpse of the complex, multifaceted -- and controversial -- persona that was WR, it is a long and fruitful one. It showcases the band at their jazz-funk best with improvisational and collective intuitive chops usually on stun. Hopefully there is more where this came from. | ||