Celebrating The Music Of
Weather Report
(Telarc)
by Ray Redmond
Josef Zawinul and Wayne Shorter, both part of Miles Davis’ jazz-rock experiments, formed Weather Report in 1970. I remember it well, since those were my musically formative years and Weather Report was one of my favorite listening choices. This highly successful fusion band remained active for 15 years and the 11 tracks on this CD cover most of the important phases in their evolution, including the chart-topping “Birdland,” “Elegant People,” “Badia,” “Young and Fine,” “Cannonball,” “Pursuit of the Woman with the Feathered Hat,” “Mysterious Traveller,” “Harlequin,” “Man in the Green Shirt,” “Palladium” and “Cucumber Slumber.”
Celebrating the Music of Weather Report has almost everything that made the original Weather Report great: first-rate musicianship, creative interplay and hip arrangements with a sense of the modern. So what’s missing? The rest of the Band! Part of the attraction of Weather Report was the interplay of the musicians and the unique sound that was Weather Report. The sound and style of Weather Report helped usher in a new era of jazz, achieving critical respect and mainstream commercial success.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a first rate album filled with masterful compositions performed by an impressive cast of players including Weather Report alumni Victor Bailey on Bass and Omar Hakim on drums. They are joined by an all-star ensemble that includes the Brecker Brothers, Marcus Miller, David Sanborn, Steve Gadd, Andy Narell, Joe Sample and many, many more! When you put this CD on just remember that it is not Weather Report but rather the celebration of Weather Report’s music…then enjoy!