THIS IS JAZZ 10

I am not a big fan of compilations, but I do happen to own this one. Weather Report is a phenomenal band, and deserves exploration. For the merely curious, this could be a good one to check out. It features songs from seven different albums. "Heavy Weather" has majority representation, with three tracks from that album (a clue as to which one you should really get). This also makes it easy to compare the different lineups. They are all good, but the difference Jaco Pastorius makes becomes quite clear.

Another plus to this package is the history in the booklet. It is informative and concise. Someone unfamiliar with these musicians might be in for a surprise. They have some serious jazz credentials.

It's a decent package, but I feel you would be better off with the actual studio releases. Almost half of "Heavy Weather" is already here. Although, it is good music, and the production is quality. I can't really say this would be for fans only, because fans would have all of the other albums. It is also not a poor release. Keeping in mind that this is for a passing interest, it is good, but not essential.

H.T. Riekels