WEATHER REPORT

"Heavy Weather" is the seventh studio album of the group, and because it was released in '77, many superstitious types might attribute its commercial success to these numbers. Wrong! The album owes its status entirely to itself. The songs form a colorful whole that you can never get enough of. Compositionally, it all sounds well thought out, and we hear a band that elevates its old sound to radio friendliness. Don't be alarmed; Weather Report consists of phenomenal musicians who do not compromise their art.

Time and again, it's the tasteful keyboard touches of Joe Zawinul, with warm chords from the synth and infectious playing on the acoustic and electric piano, that set the mood. However, he impresses the most with his themes and solos, considering the choices he makes in them. The first two tracks are his compositions, with the opening Birdland having become a major hit. This is quite remarkable for an instrumental band. Birdland has since become a classic and has been covered many times, for example, by Manhattan Transfer, who added lyrics to it.

The following A Remark You Made is a beautiful ballad, allowing ample space for the otherworldly playing of Jaco Pastorius on the fretless bass guitar. Unfortunately, Pastorius passed away in 1987 at the age of 35 after a bouncer at an entertainment venue beat him into a coma, ultimately resulting in his death. He was unbelievably talented, and his style of playing has been an inspiration for many over the years. Another highlight in this lingering track is Zawinul's fast keyboard solo. Everything works here.

In Teen Town, Pastorius really shines. While he was only present in two tracks on the previous album "Black Market", on "Heavy Weather," he is a full-time band member. His soaring playing adds more melody to the music than before, and he is also valuable in terms of rhythm.

What is more beautiful than the combination of ethereal keyboards, fretless bass guitar, and atmospheric saxophone playing? Weather Report boasts one of the world's best saxophonists in Wayne Shorter, forming a dream lineup. Fantastic things happen on the album, although the band isn't in it on Harlequin and Rumba Mamá. The latter track is nothing more than a live-recorded percussion piece by Alex Acuña and Manolo Badrena with annoying vocals. Acuña is also the drummer on "Heavy Weather," and while he is rhythmically competent, he cannot compare to predecessor Chester Thompson. However, this is not insurmountable. Fortunately, Weather Report regains its driving sound in the conga-driven Palladíum, written by Wayne Shorter, featuring a strong saxophone tune. Weather Report's music occasionally has a cinematic quality, beautifully demonstrated in The Juggler, where the keyboard parts stimulate the imagination. And then it's time for the closing track, Havona. In this substantial composition, Jaco Pastorius underscores his class once again. He is like the Chris Squire of jazz, times two. The song also has some intensity. Weather Report manages to balance it in a way that keeps you hooked.

In essence, this last sentence sums up the entire album. "Heavy Weather" is a remarkable masterpiece. The band's ability to package so much talent into such a tasteful whole is truly commendable.

Originally posted on www.progenrock.com

The self titled debut like this live recording can be difficult, veering into free jazz, and while it's objectively very impressive, this can be hard on the ears. Especially when we get those Pharoah Sanders-like horns blasting insanely over top. Not a lot of melody here making this a jazz musician's album in many ways, simply for how complex the music is. I wonder what Miles thought of their debut as both Zawinul and Shorter had left him to form this band. They apparently asked John McLaughlin to be a part of this band but he declined.

All of these musicians were seasoned veterans in the jazz scene before forming this band. Zawinul, like Miles had this desire to pioneer new music but also aiming for public recognition and success beyond the jazz realm. Miroslav Vitous on bass is a monster. Another seasoned musician and composer who created four of the thirteen songs on this double live recording, while Zawinul composed six and Shorter two, with one being a group effort. Vitous had already played with Miles in 1967, then with Chick Corea the following year. Apparently Vitous suggested to Zawinul that they should hire a second bassist to keep time while he did his thing soloing. Not accepted. And my favourite member of the band, drummer Alphonse Mouzon puts on his usual creative effort. They brought in three horn players as guests and they are on the final three tracks of disc one only.

That reminds me that the album cover is what moved me to pick this up in the first place. That black and white photo is so cool as we see them being filmed for television. The venue in Berlin that they played at is called Haus des Rundfunks. It opened in the early 30's created by architect Hans Poelzig who was world- renowned for making these acoustic friendly venues. This was the largest radio hall in the world at the time of it's opening, holding many concerts for classical and chamber music orchestras over the decades before WEATHER REPORT came to town.

Two hours of difficult music, and I just seem to have trouble with the live releases of this band. This is the best live recording I have heard from them so far, so there's that.

I don't seem to "get" this band in a live setting. Now the second disc here is the toughest listen for me as I'm not into their later period with Pastorius at all, or the music beyond that. But the first disc does have it's moments, but clearly this is not a 4 star recording for me given my lack of love of most of their music from "Heavy Weather" on.

The opener and closer from disc one are easily my two favourite tracks. Surprisingly both are from "Tale Spinnin'" not exactly a favourite of mine but "Freezing Fire" and "Man In The Green Shirt" stand out above the rest. If your a fanboy of this band you'll probably love this recording, if your just into specific periods of this band you may want to sample this first before buying.

A1 "Milky Way" (2:30) an atmospheric mood-setter by Joe and Wayne. (4.375/5)

A2 "Umbrellas" (3:24) an almost-funky (Miroslav does not quite have the comprehension for that which makes funk bass play yet) composition from the three principle songwriters is saved by a sharp turn in the final 45-seconds. Drummer Alphonse Mouzon and percussionist Airto Moreira are, surprisingly, not much better at bringing the funk. (8.66667/10)

A3 "Seventh Arrow" (5:20) an interesting song that seems to succeed despite not really hitting the funk on all cylinders nor presenting any melodies worthy of "earworm" status. I like Joe's use of experimental sounds from his electronic keyboard (a proclivity that he will continue to feed for the rest of his life). (8.75/10) A4 "Orange Lady" (8:40) soft and spacious (and drumless) sax and Fender Rhodes interplay for the first 3:30. Then spacey electric bass and playful percussives are allowed to join in. Interesting. Alphonse's wordless vocalese can be heard far in the studio background starting at the end of the sixth minute. I don't know if this was composer Joe Zawinul's intention, but the song has a simple, naïve lullaby-like feel. (17.25/20)

B1 "Morning Lake" (4:23) another spacious impressionistic lullaby--this time coming from the mind of Miroslav Vitous. Joe's creatively playful electric piano play is especially noteworthy. (8.75/10)

B2 "Waterfall" (6:18) a composition credited to Joe Zawinul, this one presents a whole-band weave that is the most satisfying on the album for its solid form and generous melody-making. (8.875/10)

B3 "Tears" (3:22) A Wayne Shorter tune, this one actually kicks in and moves--for several teasingly brief passages, dropping back to complete stops every 30-seconds or so each time it does. Alphonse Mouzon's very pleasant voice (again wordless vocalese) works very well here. Nice tune! (9.125/10)

B4 "Eurydice" (5:43) the only things that set this Wayne Shorter composition apart from more conventional jazz songs is its prominent placement of both Airto Moreira's playful percussion work and Joe's equally-prominent placement of his electric piano track despite its mostly-support role. Miroslav's walking basslines are constant and perhaps more critical to driving the song forward than Mouzon's drum play. (8.75/10)

Total Time: 39:55

One of the things that really set Weather Report on its own is present here, from the very start: that is, the lack of guitars. Obviously, Joe and Wayne really wanted to be considered more jazz-oriented (which seems a bit ironic with so many atmospheric/impressionistic songs to their credit) than rock plus, I'm sure, they wanted the sound experimentations of their own instruments to garner all of the attention. Too bad that the electric piano Joe used predominantly at this time sounds so much like that of children's television host Fred Rogers. And too bad that both Kenny G and Najee chose to use Wayne's soprano sax as their main tools.

B/four stars; a nice exposition of fresh ideas from this group of idealistic breakaway artists--two of whom had found a partner for fruitful collaboration that would last for quite some time.

1. "Boogie Woogie Waltz" (13:03) R&B infusing Afto-Caribbean rhythm. I like the loose, airy feel of this: a "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"-like song that feels as if the musicians are adding their contributions in small doses, not constantly or into an already-established weave (other than the percussion play). Also, I see/feel this as a response to Deodato's "Also Sprach Zarathustra." Amazing how consistent is the restraint shown by the four core members: bassist Miroslav Vitous, keyboardist Joe Zawinul, soprano sax player Wayne Shorter, as well as Andrew White's electric bass guitar. Might be a stretch too long, but . . . (23/25)

2. "Manolete" (5:55) a very pleasant Wayne-Shorter soprano sax-led song that shows off some wonderful experimental wah-volume-controlled electric piano play by Joe Zawinul along with some great double bass and percussion play from supplemental percussionists Herschel Dwellingham on drums and Steve "Muruga" Booker on timpani. (9.25/10)

3. "Adios" (2:59) wind-chime-like hand percussives and serene keyboard washes provide the backdrop for Joe and Wayne to issue some very relaxing waves of their own. Nice tune. (9/10)

4. "125th Street Congress" (12:13) based on a free-form funk bass "line" that, for me, seems to preview all of the rap and hip for the next 15 years. Another weave from the percussion section (and two drummers) is surprisingly open and spacious, creating the perfect groove for Miroslav and Wayne to create their magic while at the same time allowing for lots of room for meditation--at least until the fifth minute when Joe chimes in with some rather abrasive and aggressive keyboard "noise." This soon disappears, leaving the groovy percussive groove for Miroslav and Wayne to feed off. Joe's next reentries are a little less alarming and usually a little more reflective of the work that Wayne is doing though for a time becoming part of (or bouncing off of) the "percussion" weave. A very engaging and eminently entertaining song. (22.5/25)

5. "Will" (6:20) a testural weave of percussives, both hand and cymbal play, coupled with Joe Zawinul's steady chord arpeggi of wah-effected electric piano provide the steady foundation for Miroslav and Wayne to play with the presentation of their own inputs: one short bursts of creative bass chords, the other long-held sedating breaths of soprano saxophone. Very hypnotic. (9/10)

6. "Non-stop Home" (3:52) another amorphous exploration of texture built with experimental sounds over the tight drumming of Eric Gravatt. After 80 seconds, Andrew White's deep electric bass, a second drummer, and an uncredited organ accompany the main melody as delivered through Wayne's sonorous (background) soprano sax notes and Joe's electric piano. Interesting. I like it. It's like a sort of étude. (9.25/10)

Total time 44:22

As I gert to know the world and music of Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter I'm coming to believe that their vision is to explore textures more than form--to see how many permutations and combinations of textures they can come up with that will calm and/or soothe the audience/listener into contentment.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of jazz-rock fusion--one that explores the gentler, more hypnotic groovin' side of said fusion.

Heavy Weather was also Weather Report's best selling record. It reached number 30 on the Billboard pop chart, quickly sold nearly half a million copies, and has subsequently gone gold (signifying sales of 500,000 copies). In his January 2001 Down Beat retrospective on the band, Josef Woodard said, "In 2000, Heavy Weather still sounds like a milestone in the cultural unconscious of jazz history. By some accounts, the album is the crowning achievement of the band's recorded output, and therefore, by extension, a towering landmark of 'fusion.'"

Birdland (10/10): Aggressive and gentle jazz with several steady basses and cymbals that warn of the coming rhythmic changes, the beautiful and sensual saxophone accompanying the brilliant melodies of the keyboards and basses. In my opinion, always the most important thing to take into account in an album is the ambience of the beginning... and by God! What a splendid way to start! I was really fascinated with the beauty and magic of the joyful and fantastic sounds that all the instruments made for such a brilliant entrance.

A Remark You Made (5/5): Here we go with a piece, this time, much more sensually intoned, that starts with a bass and a saxophone that, to specify a little, would appear in a movie in which the protagonist arrives tired and desolate of everything to a bar at night, and meets the love of his life for the first time... to give us an idea. A night melody, passionate and as ardent as the summer sun. And how can we forget that excellent piano that acts as an accomplice of the saxophone during the middle of the song, or that synthesizer that enters the scene, about a minute before the end of the song, with those futuristic sounds and so "satirical (to find a suitable term). And Pastorius' unmistakable bass is one thing that drives me crazy when I listen to this again.

Teen Town (6/10): Something faster and shorter. Ever present haihat and bass throwing out random melodies with the saxophone doing the same as if to give some ambience. This is more pure experimental than anything else, so I didn't find much to analyze, heh. it's good, but it doesn't convince me.

Harlequin (4/5): A slow keyboard start, and then something more groovy and with synthesizers creating a flying atmosphere. Something to highlight is the piano chaperone that finishes and helps the keyboard between verses. Like the previous track, this is also something more ambient and experimental. All very normal... until near the end, when the drums start to "get angry" and there are abrupt and cool breaks and solos that, to be honest, caught me by surprise and made me give the song some extra points.

Rumba Mama (2/5): It would all start with fade-in clapping that continues with what seems to be some strange stomping, and well... the guy yelling things I don't understand is something that was weird and I was kind of dumbfounded. I really like the percussion that follows that weird act. And meanwhile... the guy still yelling weird stuff... he doesn't seem to learn, but admit it made me laugh a little haha. And yes, he concludes the song with more applause.

Palladium (10/10): We continue with the aggressive and super happy funk music. This song is perfect from any point of view. A sweet melody, some rhythm changes and tuning algorithms from another world, the infallible sax and Yaco's bass, the pop atmosphere that is generated in the environment, the softness with which the synth plays with the background percussion .... Really admirable the work of the band. It's been a long time since I heard something so funk that moved me so much, besides, considering what we heard before with "Rumba Mama", it was a very "voluptuous" and sensational change. I felt like I went from listening to "Anarchy in the U.K. (Sex Pistols)" to "Anonymous II (Focus)", in a way.

The Juggler (4.5/5): First thing to note, I was fascinated by the keyboard riff at the beginning. It was very addictive to finish the track and play it again just to hear that. The drums, as always, starring the changes and the fierce speed so provocative to generate all the time super fluid and interesting rhythmic breaks. The atmosphere full of tension that is generated between the drum and the keyboard I loved it.

Havona (4/5): In this last part of the album the synthesizer takes initial prominence, creating chords and hopeful melodies, so to speak, that introduce us to the last track of "Heavy Weather", another aggressive Jazz, this time more accentuated to the intrepid and subtle, rather than to the passionate. A great piece of action and melodic percussion. I really like the clash he makes when he violently combines the pianos and drum with the cymbal.

I'm not a person who listened to a lot of instrumental stuff, but this really captivated and excited me too much, considering as I said before, the immortal beginning of this adventure. I think if it had lyrics, it would be just as fascinating, but meh..... I can't complain, tremendous piece of work!

8/10, 4 stars. Some of the most sensational and funkiest stuff I've heard in a long time.

Although Omar Hakum only performs on "Consequently" and Peter Erskine performs the drums on all other tracks, the remaining part of the core quintet lineup who recorded the two direct predecessors is intact: Joe Zawinul (keyboards/synths), Wayne Shorter (soprano & tenor saxophones), Victor Bailey (bass), and Mino Cinelu (percussion, vocals). Carlos Santana makes a guest guitar appearence on the opening title track and on "Man With the Copper Fingers", and his unmistakable playing style makes those songs stand out quite a bit. It´s not often Weather Report have included guitar on their music.

Stylistically the material on "This Is This" are relatively diverse and the listener is treated to ethnic world music styled fusion, ambient jazz rock/fusion ("I'll Never Forget You"), and a furiously fast played fusion track in "Update". If you´re familiar with the last couple of albums, you won´t be surprised by what "This Is This" has to offer. The musical performances are on a high level on all posts, and the album also features a well sounding production job, so while it´s certainly not the band´s most interesting release, it´s not a bad quality release either. On the other hand the choice to disband was probably the right one, as "This Is This" and the last couple of releases before that, only offer very little new and for the most part the music is lacking the edge of the band´s 70s heyday. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.