Weather Report

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Ranked #5,779 in Music, #154,608 overall

Weather Report was a influential jazz fusion band of the 1970s and 1980s, pitting jazz with R&B, funk, and rock elements while still retaining an extremely high level of compositional and improvisational skills. Along with other groups that were founded by Miles Davis alumni Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Herbie Hancock's group, WR was one of the greatest innovators of the jazz fusion genre at that time. They were also the most long-lived and perhaps the most artistically successful (as cited by Ken Burns) of the four groups. (source: Wikipedia)

Just released

If you're a Weather Report fan, you'll be delighted to hear there's a new release out featuring WR's music, and not another reorganized box set. This time, it is Zawinul with his WDR Big Band, recorded live Birdland, his club in Vienna, Austria.

For more background, there's a terrific interview with Zawinul on All About Jazz.

Brown Street

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Amazon Price: $18.98 (as of 07/11/2009)

Recent release - with Weather Report live DVD

A new box set of Weather Report recordings was just released. The biggest gem of the set is the previously unreleased DVD of Weather Report live in 1978.

Forecast: Tomorrow

A 3-disc box set with a bonus DVD containing 1978 Weather Report concert footage

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Amazon Price: $44.99 (as of 07/11/2009)

Discography

Weather Report Annotated Discography: Curt Bianchi's Annotated Discography is the most comprehensive Weather Report site on the web.

Band members through the years

Weather Report featured many different musicians since the 1971 debut of the group. Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter co-founded the band and remained the constants throughout the band's existence.

Joe Zawinul: Co-founder and keyboardist, 1971 - 1986
Wayne Shorter: Co-founder and saxophonist, 1971 - 1986
Miroslav Vitous: Bassist, 1971 - 1974
Don Alias: Drummer/percusionist, 1971, 1976
Alphonso Johnson: Bass player, 1975 - 1976
Alex Acuña: Percussionist, 1975 - 1976
Jaco Pastorius: Bass player, 1975 - 1982
Peter Erskine: Drummer, 1978 - 1982
Victor Bailey: Bassist, 1983 - 1986
Omar Hakim: Drummer, 1983 - 1986

Lensography

Jaco Pastorius

In 1976, Jaco burst onto the scene with the release of Jaco Pastorius, his landmark debut album. Over the next ten years, Jaco contributed volumes to the world of music. Not only did Jaco forever change the role of the electric bass, he contributed m...

Wayne Shorter

Wayne Shorter (born August 25 1933) is an American jazz composer and saxophonist. Commonly regarded as one of the more important American jazz sax players and composers since the 1960s, Shorter has recorded dozens of albums as a leader, and appeared...

Joe Zawinul

I first heard Joe Zawinul when I was 14, on a couple of Weather Report albums. I think it was Black Market and Heavy Weather. Although his pop tunes like Birdland were catchy, I was more drawn to his other compositions. And Zawinul's...