HEAVY WEATHER

A landmark in jazz fusion music, Weather Report's Heavy Weather contains masterful and varied music, ranging from the virtuosic to the placid. Each note is infused with feeling; any music lover should experience this album once in his life- though hopefully many more.

"Birdland" Once upon a time, I played guitar in a high school jazz band, and this was one of the first pieces we ever performed. While we were good, I don't think we quite compared to the original! In my opinion, this is a masterpiece of upbeat jazz, full of fun melodies and noteworthy instrumentation. I love the high-pitched instrumentation working alongside the saxophone, as well as the light drumming and masterful fretless bass-playing. It turns out our humble high school jazz band was just one of several crews putting their own spin on Joe Zanwinul's remarkable instrumental, as it has rightfully become a jazz standard.

"A Remark You Made" Weather Report offers a more sensual touch with soft piano, mellow saxophone from the master Wayne Shorter, and bass leading the way at times. Everything is delightfully smooth, so smooth the listener almost melts. A mellow synthesizer solo takes over toward the end, carrying a rich, velvety tone.

"Teen Town" Jaco Pastorious is the star of this piece of this terse, funky piece, occasionally not even playing at all to let everything breathe and highlight the percussion.

"Harlequin" Retaining the sound of the previous track but adopting a gentler pace, this one has prominent bass. Long notes on the saxophone soar over piano runs. Thanks to the drumming, the overall sound becomes fuller, making this a dynamic work.

"Rumba Mama" A throwaway live track, this is like a pimple on an otherwise flawless face. It consists of percussion and shouted Spanish words- a display of Manolo Badrena's talent, to be sure, but nothing more.

"Palladium" Peppy and full of character, this piece grooves around an amazing rhythm section, featuring electric piano, saxophone, and synthesizer all helping one another in toting the melody.

"The Juggler" Though most of the other pieces are amazing jazz works, this one is the true progressive rock stroke of genius. A poised rhythm with dashing percussion allows for a stylish synthesizer lead and gritty saxophone to do their thing. Overall, this is a melodious, almost Medieval piece, bursting with creativity and pleasing moments.

"Havona" The final instrumental begins with a synthesizer bit, and stellar drumming from Alejandro Acuña enters. There are other lead instruments, including fantastic piano and sputtering saxophone, but it's hard not to focus on the bass.