Examine individual changes

'{{About|the band|other uses|Weather report (disambiguation)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}} {{refimprove|date=February 2013}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | name = Weather Report | image = Weather_Report_19810611_shinjuku_fn23.jpg | caption = Weather Report live June 11, 1981 | background = group_or_band | landscape = yes | alias = | origin = [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States | genre = [[Jazz fusion]], [[world music]], [[jazz-funk]], [[free jazz]] | years_active = 1970–86 | label = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]] | associated_acts = [[Jaco Pastorius]], [[The Zawinul Syndicate]], Wayne Shorter Quartet, [[Joni Mitchell]] | website = | current_members = | past_members = [[Joe Zawinul]]<br />[[Wayne Shorter]]<br />[[Jaco Pastorius]]<br />[[Miroslav Vitouš]]<br />[[Alphonse Mouzon]]<br />[[Don Alias]]<br />Barbara Burton<br />[[Airto Moreira]]<br />[[Muruga Booker]]<br />[[Dom Um Romão]]<br />[[Eric Gravatt]]<br />[[Greg Errico]]<br />[[Alphonso Johnson]]<br />Ishmael Wilburn<br />Skip Hadden<br />Alyrio Lima<br />Chuck Basemore<br />[[Narada Michael Walden]]<br />[[Chester Thompson]]<br />[[Alex Acuña]]<br />[[Manolo Badrena]]<br />[[Peter Erskine]]<br />Erich Zawinu<br />[[Robert Thomas, Jr. (percussionist)|Robert Thomas Jr.]]<br />[[Omar Hakim]]<br />[[Victor Bailey (musician)|Victor Bailey]]<br />Jose Rossy<br />[[Mino Cinelu]]<br />Frank Cuomo<br /> [[Steve Gadd]] }} '''Weather Report''' was an American [[jazz fusion]] band of the 1970s and early 1980s. The band was initially co-led by the Austrian-born keyboard player [[Joe Zawinul]], the American saxophonist [[Wayne Shorter]] and Czech bassist [[Miroslav Vitouš]]. Due to creative and financial disagreements Vitouš left the band after a few years. Zawinul took increasing control and steered the band towards a more funk, R&B oriented sound. Other prominent members at various points in the band's lifespan included bassists [[Alphonso Johnson]], [[Jaco Pastorius]] and [[Victor Bailey (musician)|Victor Bailey]]; and drummers/percussionists [[Peter Erskine]], [[Alex Acuña]], [[Airto Moreira]] and [[Chester Thompson]]. Alongside [[Miles Davis]]'s electric bands, the [[Mahavishnu Orchestra]], [[Return to Forever]], and [[The Headhunters|Headhunters]], Weather Report is considered to be one of the pre-eminent early jazz fusion bands. As a continuous working unit, Weather Report outlasted all of its contemporaries despite (or perhaps because of) frequent changes of personnel, with a career lasting sixteen years between 1970 and 1986. However, the band was nearly always a quintet of keyboards, sax, bass, drums, and percussion. ==Musical style== Over a 16-year career, Weather Report explored various areas of music, centered on jazz (including both the "[[free jazz|free]]" and "[[Latin jazz|Latin]]" varieties), but also including various elements of [[art music]], [[ethnic music]], [[R&B]], [[funk]], and [[rock music|rock]]. While their work was often categorized as "jazz fusion", the band members themselves generally rejected the term. From the start, Weather Report took the unusual and innovative approach of abandoning the traditional "soloist/accompaniment" demarcation of straight-ahead jazz and instead featuring opportunities for continuous [[improvisation]] by every member of the band. This position remained consistent throughout the life of the band. From the mid-1970s, individual solos became more prominent, but were never allowed to overwhelm the music's collective approach. Initially, the band's music featured a free, extended improvisational method (similar to [[Miles Davis]]'s ''[[Bitches Brew]]''-period work), but by the mid-1970s, this had moved towards more groove-oriented and prestructured music (as epitomized by their hit single [[Birdland (composition)|"Birdland"]]). Joe Zawinul's playing style was often dominated by quirky melodic improvisations (simultaneously [[bebop]]-, ethnic-, and pop-sounding) combined with sparse but rhythmic big-band chords or bass lines. Having originally made his name as a pioneering [[electric piano]] player, he went on to consistently develop the role of the [[synthesizer]] in jazz during his time with Weather Report. Working with companies such as [[ARP Instruments, Inc.|ARP]] and [[Oberheim]], Zawinul developed new ways of voicing and patching electronic tones for textures, ensemble roles (including emulations of traditional band instruments) and soloing. In Weather Report, he often employed a [[vocoder]], as well as recorded sounds played (i.e., filtered and transposed) through a synthesizer, creating a very distinctive, often beautiful, synthesis of [[jazz chord|jazz harmonics]] and "noise" (which he referred to as "using all the sounds the world generates"). On some Weather Report tunes, however, Zawinul's synthesized arrangements dominated the sound. {{Quote box | bgcolor = #EEEEEE | quoted = true | quote = In the beginning let's say Weather Report was a joint thing. Then, after the second album there's no question about it, it became more and more my group. Wayne wanted it like that, but we were always 'partners in crime'. No Wayne, no Weather Report. | source = Josef Zawinul on his gradual takeover of Weather Report<ref>Nicholson, Stuart. "Jazz-Rock: A History". Schirmer Books. 1998.</ref> | width = 30% | qalign = left | salign = center | align = left}}[[Wayne Shorter]] came to the group with a reputation as a dominant role as an instrumentalist, drawn from both his solo work and his contributions to Miles Davis’ "second great quintet" during the 1960s. His choice not to follow the same approach with Weather Report led to some criticism of the group. During his time with Weather Report, Shorter was noted for generally playing saxophone with an economical, "listening" style. Rather than continually taking the lead, he generally added subtle harmonic, melodic, and/or rhythmic complexity by responding to other member's improvisations (although he could and did sometimes exercise a more frenetic style akin to that of [[John Coltrane]] or [[Michael Brecker]]). As a composer, though, he chose a more abstract, sometimes atonal and "free jazz" style of music, opposed to the sometimes flamboyant tunes of Weather Report (written either by Zawinul or Pastorius). Playing both tenor and soprano saxophones, Shorter continued to develop the role of the latter instrument in jazz, taking his cue from previous work by [[John Coltrane|Coltrane]], [[Sidney Bechet]], [[Lucky Thompson]], and [[Steve Lacy]]. Weather Report maintained a consistent interest in a textured sound and developments in music technology and processing. Both Zawinul and original bassist Miroslav Vitouš experimented with electronic effects pedals (as generally used by rock guitarists) with Zawinul using them on electric piano and synthesizers and Vitouš on his [[upright bass]] (which he frequently bowed through distortion to create a second horn-like voice). The band's third bass player, [[Jaco Pastorius]], popularized the use of melodic soloing fretless bass guitar and string harmonics, as well as consolidating the driving R&B pulse in the band's music, which had been brought in by his predecessor [[Alphonso Johnson]]. With the exception of a brief quartet period between 1978 and 1979 (wherein other members could double on various percussion instruments), Weather Report's instrumentation always included both a drummer alongside a percussionist. For its first eight years of existence, the group had difficulty finding a permanent drummer, moving through about one drummer per year until Jaco Pastorius helped to recruit [[Peter Erskine]] in 1978. Erskine and (later on) [[Omar Hakim]] were the only Weather Report drummers who played with the band for more than two years. ==History== ===Inception and formation=== Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter first met and became friends in 1959 while they were playing in [[Maynard Ferguson]]'s [[Big Band]]. Zawinul went on to play with Cannonball Adderley's group in the 1960s, while Shorter joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and then, in 1964, Miles Davis' second great quintet. During this decade, both men made names for themselves as being among the best composers in jazz. Zawinul later joined Shorter in contributing to the initial [[jazz fusion|fusion]] music recordings of Miles Davis, and both men were part of the studio groups, which recorded the key Davis albums ''[[In a Silent Way]]'' (1969) and ''[[Bitches Brew]]'' (1970). In consequence, Weather Report has often been seen as a spin-off from the Miles Davis bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s,{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} although Zawinul was never part of Davis's touring line-up. Weather Report was initially formed to explore a more impressionistic and individualistic music (or, as Zawinul put it, "away from all that eight bars shit and then you go to the bridge...")<ref>Silvert, Conrad. "Joe Zawinul: Wayfaring Genius - Part II". Down Beat. June 15, 1978.</ref> Zawinul and Shorter recruited another Miles Davis associate, the classically trained Czech-born bass player Miroslav Vitouš, who had previously played with Zawinul, as well as with Herbie Mann, Bob Brookmeyer, Stan Getz, and Chick Corea (Vitous has subsequently claimed that in fact Shorter and he had founded Weather Report, with Shorter bringing in Zawinul afterwards.)<ref>Jung, Fred. [http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=619&pg=3 "A Fireside Chat with Miroslav Vitous"] (page 3). All About Jazz (allaboutjazz.com). October 10, 2003.</ref> All three men composed, and formed the core of the project. To complete the band, the trio brought in former drummer [[Alphonse Mouzon]] and set about looking for a full-time auxiliary percussionist as they began to record their debut album. The initial recruits were session player [[Don Alias]] and symphony orchestra percussionist [[Barbara Burton]]. During recording, Alias quarreled with Zawinul (allegedly due to Zawinul being too dictatorial over the percussion approach) and the innovative Brazilian percussionist [[Airto Moreira]] (yet another Davis alumnus) was brought in to complete the record. [[John McLaughlin (musician)|John McLaughlin]] was also invited to join the group, but decided to pursue his solo career, instead.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} ===Debut and first concerts=== Weather Report's debut album ''[[Weather Report (1971 album)|Weather Report]]'' (1971) caused a sensation in the jazz world on its arrival, due to the various talents of the group's members and their unorthodox approach to their music.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} The album featured a softer sound than would be the case in later years, predominantly using acoustic bass, with Shorter exclusively playing soprano saxophone. It built on the'' avant-garde'' experiments which Zawinul and Shorter had pioneered with Miles Davis on ''Bitches Brew'', including an avoidance of head-and-chorus composition in favor of continuous rhythm and movement. ''[[Down Beat]]'' magazine described the album as "music beyond category".<ref>(Dan Morgenstern, Down Beat, May 13, 1971). </ref> Although Airto Moreira completed the recording of the debut Weather Report album, his existing commitments to Miles Davis prevented him from performing live with the group.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} Barbara Burton performed at Weather Report's first residency (a week of performances at Paul's Mall in Boston, prior to the album release), but could not come to business terms with Zawinul over tour plans.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} Zawinul subsequently removed both her album credit and that of Alias, leaving Moreira as the only percussionist credited. For the upcoming concerts, former [[Brazil '66]] member [[Dom Um Romão]] was recruited as the group's new percussionist on Moreira's own recommendation.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} After further gigs in Philadelphia, Weather Report went on to a tour of Europe.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} Following disagreements on tour, Mouzon was replaced by another former [[McCoy Tyner]] drummer, Eric Gravatt. In 1972, Weather Report released its second album, ''[[I Sing the Body Electric (album)|I Sing the Body Electric]]''. The first side featured new studio recordings, while the second side was taken from live recordings of a concert in [[Tokyo]], featuring the full-band lineup of Zawinul, Shorter, Vitouš, Gravatt, and Um Romão (and later available in full as the Japan-only double album ''[[Live in Tokyo (Weather Report album)|Live in Tokyo]]'').<ref name=ALLMUSIC>[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=weather-report-mn0000243527|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic Biography]</ref> The studio side used extended versions of the band including various guest performers, suggesting that Weather Report was not necessarily an integral jazz band, but might possibly work as an expandable project set up to realise the music of its three composers. The album also featured Zawinul's first use of a [[synthesizer]] (an instrument with which he would become synonymous within jazz) and of sound effects. ''I Sing the Body Electric'' also showed the first signs of a shift in the balance of control within the band, away from the more collective approach of the debut album. The following year had this tendency develop further. ===Move towards jazz funk=== On 1973's ''[[Sweetnighter]]'', Weather Report began to abandon the primarily acoustic group improvisation format, and the band started to take a new direction. Primarily at Zawinul's instigation, Weather Report became more [[jazz funk]]- and groove-oriented, drawing more heavily on [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] influences and dense electric keyboard work while adding more structure to both the prewritten and the improvisational sections. {{Quote box | bgcolor = #EEEEEE | quoted = true | quote = [Miroslav] loved funk, and he tried to play it, but he wasn't a funk player. It wasn't where he came from. He didn't connect up with how to go there. He could listen to it, talk about it, and he admired it, but that's not what came out of him, so that was something that held back where Joe wanted to go at the time I was with them. Melodically and rhythmically, Miroslav was great; what he did do, in terms of where I was coming from, was very unique. Miroslav was still playing acoustic, and it was an odd kind of a funk. It was very... interesting! | source = Weather Report touring drummer Greg Errico on [[Miroslav Vitouš]]<ref name=inasilentway>Glasser, Brian. "In a Silent Way". Sanctuary Publishing Limited. 2001.</ref> | width = 30% | qalign = left | salign = center | align = right }}The change in approach affected the band deeply. Playing more [[Repetition (music)|repetitive]], [[funk]]y bass [[Vamp (music)|vamps]]{{clarify|date=April 2012}} did not suit Miroslav Vitouš' particular talents, and Zawinul also judged Eric Gravatt's approach to be unsuitable for certain of the new pieces he had written. [[Andrew White (saxophonist)|Andrew White III]] had returned to play occasional [[cor anglais|English horn]] on the album, but Zawinul also employed him on [[bass guitar]] on three tracks to get the style of funk playing required.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} For similar reasons, the studio-based drummer/composer Herschel Dwellingham played drums on four of the album's six tracks, replacing Gravatt entirely on three of them: on "Non-Stop Home", Dwellingham and Gravatt played together, with Gravatt the sole drummer only on "125th Street Congress". [[Muruga Booker]] also contributed percussion to the sessions alongside Dom Um Romão.) Gravatt took his replacement in the studio sessions badly and quit the band at the end of recording, moving to [[Minneapolis]] to join the band Natural Life. Many years later, Zawinul paid tribute to Gravatt's skills and stated that he had been the finest of the band's "pure jazz" drummers<ref>Armbruster, Greg. "Joe Zawinul Interview". Keyboard Magazine. March 1984.</ref> as well as being "from the jazz side... my favorite of them all."<ref>Woodard, Josef. "Weather Report: Storm Surge". Down Beat. January 2001. pp. 22–28.</ref> With Gravatt gone and Dwellingham unavailable for touring, former [[Sly & the Family Stone]] drummer [[Greg Errico]] played on the ''Sweetnighter'' tour, but did not stay with the band afterwards. ===Split with Miroslav Vitouš=== Zawinul wished to continue further along the road to funk and was at creative loggerheads with Miroslav Vitouš, who preferred Weather Report's original approach. Retrospectively, Zawinul accused Vitouš of being unable to play funk convincingly (something which Greg Errico corroborated) and claimed that he had not provided enough music for the band. Vitouš countered that he had in fact brought in compositions, but that Zawinul had been unable to play them. Vitouš has also accused Zawinul of having been "a first-class manipulator" primarily interested in commercial success.<ref name=conversationvitous>Kot, Jake. [http://www.bass-musician-magazine.com/General/bass-musician-magazine-detail.asp?year=2009&month=8&article-id=517801068 "Conversation with Miroslav Vitous"]. Bass Player Magazine. August 1, 2009.</ref><ref name=innerviewsvitous>Prasad, Anil. [http://www.innerviews.org/inner/vitous.html "Miroslav Vitous: Freeing the muse"]. Innerviews webzine. 2004.</ref> When Shorter sided with Zawinul, the original three-man partnership broke down acrimoniously and Vitouš left Weather Report. His final contribution to the band was to play bass on a single track, which appeared on the band's 1974 album ''Mysterious Traveller'' ("American Tango", which he had co-written with Zawinul). Vitouš went on to an illustrious career as a composer and to lead his own band. He has subsequently accused both Zawinul and Shorter of having used foul play to edge him out of the band, to deny the scale of his contribution to Weather Report's history and creative approach, and to cheat him out of remuneration.<ref name=conversationvitous/><ref name=innerviewsvitous/> Vitouš' departure marked the end of the first phase of Weather Report and the shift of overall creative dominance of the band to Josef Zawinul, although Shorter remained an integral, influential, and vital part of the project. Miroslav Vitouš' replacement was the Philadelphian electric bass guitarist Alphonso Johnson (formerly a sideman for the pop-fusion player [[Chuck Mangione]]). Recruited by Shorter, Johnson was a supple player more than capable of providing the funk element which Zawinul desired. He was also an early advocate of the [[Chapman Stick]], which he can be heard playing on some of the live Weather Report recordings of the period. Weather Report's breakout album was 1974's ''[[Mysterious Traveller]]'', which also featured the debut of new drummer Ishmail Wilburn. The album continued ''Sweetnighter''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s process of reducing the free-jazz elements of previous albums, but also showed a more fully developed compositional technique. Zawinul exploited improvements in synthesizer technology on the recording and began to add processed sound effects such as cheering crowds, child-like cries and noises reminiscent of science-fiction aliens. ''Mysterious Traveller'' was the second of Weather Report's albums to win ''Down Beat'''s "Album of the Year" award and the first in their unprecedented run of four such consecutive awards.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} According to Zawinul, Wilburn apparently "lost heart" on tour (despite performing well in the studio). To shore up the music, the band hired another drummer, Darryl Brown, to play alongside him. At the end of the tour, both Wilburn and Brown left the band (as did Dom Um Romão) and Weather Report was, once again, drummerless. For the next set of studio sessions, Weather Report added a new Brazilian percussionist (Alyrio Lima) and a new drummer - Chuck Bazemore of [[The Delfonics]].<ref name=inasilentway/> Bazemore turned out to be unsuitable for the band and departed early in the sessions, with none of his recorded contributions being retained. Instead, the band called in the former [[Herbie Hancock]] drummer, [[Leon "Ndugu" Chancler]], who had been working on another project in an adjacent studio.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} Ndugu recorded with Weather Report for a week and recorded all of the drum tracks for the forthcoming album. However, he declined to join as a permanent member, opting instead to continue with [[Santana (band)|Santana]]. Johnson recommended his friend [[Chester Thompson]] (a former [[Frank Zappa]] [[sideman]]), who joined as drummer in time for the next tour.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} The new album, ''[[Tale Spinnin']]'', was released in 1975. It was the first Weather Report album to feature a consistent rhythm section (rather than a varied set of drummers, percussionists, and bass players) since their debut. The album also made further strides in using technological improvements in synthesizers, even making use of the gigantic studio-based [[TONTO]] array. During the same year, Shorter also recorded ''[[Native Dancer (album)|Native Dancer]]'' under his own name (with the Brazilian composer and vocalist [[Milton Nascimento]]). ''Tale Spinnin{{'}}'' won the ''Down Beat'' best album award for 1975 (the third Weather Report album to do so) and ''Native Dancer'' was the runner-up. ===Departure of Alphonso Johnson and arrival of Jaco Pastorius=== [[File:Weatherreport.jpg|thumb|left|220px|left|Weather Report in Argentina. L to R: Shorter, Erskine, Zawinul, and Pastorius]] By 1976's ''[[Black Market (Weather Report album)|Black Market]]'' album, Weather Report's music had evolved further from open-ended funk jams into more melody-oriented, concise forms, which also offered a greater mass-market appeal. Zawinul further consolidated his use of keyboard synthesizers, while Shorter experimented with an early form of wind synthesizer, the [[Lyricon]]. The new album was also perhaps the most rock-oriented work which the group had produced to date. However, the album was recorded during yet another period of change for the group, with multiple personnel shuffles. Although Alyrio Lima played percussion on one track, he was replaced during the sessions by [[Don Alias]] (his first appearance with the group since the debut album debacle) and by [[Alex Acuña]] (a Peruvian drummer and conga player based in Las Vegas, who had played with [[Elvis Presley]] and [[Ike Turner]], among others).<ref>[http://www.zawinulonline.org/galleries/1977_wr_program 1977 Weather Report Tour Program]</ref> Alphonso Johnson was also worn out from the band's frequent changes of drummers and the strain that put on the rhythm section. During a break in activity halfway through the recording of ''Black Market'', Johnson opted to leave Weather Report to play with the [[Billy Cobham]]/[[George Duke]] Band (which featured a young [[John Scofield]] on guitar). Prior to his departure, Johnson played on all but two of the new album's tracks. His replacement was [[Jaco Pastorius]], a [[virtuoso]] fretless bass guitarist from Florida, who had been in touch with Zawinul for several years, and who came in to play on "Cannon Ball" and his own composition "Barbary Coast". Zawinul and Shorter had assumed that Chester Thompson would be departing alongside his friend Johnson, and for the second set of sessions they replaced him (on Jaco Pastorius' recommendation) with the former [[Mahavishnu Orchestra]] drummer [[Narada Michael Walden]]. Although Walden played on several album tracks, he ultimately proved unsuitable. Thompson returned for the final ''Black Market'' sessions, but left again after failing to gel as a rhythm section with Pastorius (whose style was much busier than that of Johnson). ''Black Market'' continued Weather Report's ongoing run of success, selling well and being the fourth of the band's albums to win the album of the year award from ''[[Down Beat]]'' magazine. For the subsequent tour, [[Alex Acuña]] moved from percussion to the drum kit, and Don Alias was replaced by the young Puerto Rican percussionist [[Manolo Badrena]], who had previously played with various Latin rock bands and with [[Art Blakey]]. The band made a very well-received appearance at the [[Montreux Jazz Festival]], which was filmed for future release. ===The Jaco Pastorius years (1976-81)=== [[File:Jaco-Pastorius 1980 1.jpg|thumb|220px|right|Pastorius, reaching to accentuate his bass guitar sound with harmonics]] The recruitment of Jaco Pastorius helped to push Weather Report to the height of its popularity. Already a rising star in his own right, Pastorius brought a very musical, melodic quality to the bass. He could play muscular, lightning-fast groove lines influenced by R&B or funk, as well as demonstrating an extraordinary solo control of tone and string harmonics, often sounding more like a horn player. Pastorius was also a [[multi-instrumentalist]] (contributing drums, [[steel pan]], and [[mandocello]] to the latest recording sessions), a gifted composer (eventually responsible for some signature Weather Report pieces such as "[[Teen Town]]" and "Three Views of a Secret"), and a useful production foil for Zawinul due to his knowledge of recording studios and techniques. Finally, Pastorius' stagecraft and aggressive showmanship helped the band to bring in a new audience. [[File:Weather Report1.jpg|thumb|230px|left|L-R: Zawinul, Pastorius, Shorter]] The band’s next album was 1977’s acclaimed ''[[Heavy Weather (album)|Heavy Weather]]'', which proved to be the band's most successful recording in terms of sales, while still retaining wide critical acclaim. It contained the band's biggest hit, the propulsive and danceable "[[Birdland (composition)|Birdland]]" (highlighting Pastorius' singing bass lines and Zawinul's synthesized ensemble brass), which became a pop hit and later became a [[jazz standard]]. Weather Report appeared on the [[Burt Sugarman]]-produced series ''[[The Midnight Special (TV series)|The Midnight Special]]'', performing both "Birdland" and "[[Teen Town]]". ''Heavy Weather'' dominated Weather Report's disc awards, including their last'' Down Beat ''Album of the Year award. During this period, Pastorius' strong professional connection with [[Joni Mitchell]] (for whom he played bass throughout the latter half of the 1970s) led to another musical connection. Over the next few years, Mitchell hired the Weather Report line-up ''en masse'' (although without Zawinul in each case) to play on her studio albums ''[[Don Juan's Reckless Daughter]]'' (1977) and ''[[Mingus (Joni Mitchell album)|Mingus]]'' (1979). [[File:Weather Report2 (Jaco Pastorius).jpg|thumb|200px|right|Jaco Pastorius, with bass guitar in Toronto, November 1977]] By 1978, the band was once again without either a full-time drummer and percussionist, with Alex Acuña having returned to Las Vegas for a career as a studio musician and [[Manolo Badrena]] having been fired for "non-musical reasons". Shorter had been focusing most of his attention and compositional ideas into his solo work, while Zawinul was sketching out ideas for a solo album of his own, which involved moving away from a raw group sound in favor of constructing a far more orchestrated and experimental studio-based recording with multiple overdubs. However, Weather Report's contract and work schedule required another album, so Zawinul's solo work was absorbed into what became Weather Report's eighth album, ''[[Mr. Gone (album)|Mr. Gone]]'' (1978). The studio sessions made use of a variety of drummers – Pastorius played the kit on two tracks and further contributions came from [[Tony Williams (drummer)|Tony Williams]], [[Steve Gadd]], and [[Peter Erskine]] (the latter an ex-[[Stan Kenton]]/[[Maynard Ferguson]] drummer recruited to the project by Pastorius). Erskine became a full member of the band for the next tour and remained with Weather Report until 1982. The album also featured vocal contributions from [[Deniece Williams]] and [[Earth Wind and Fire]] leader [[Maurice White]]. Notoriously, ''Mr. Gone'' (1978) received only a one-star review rating from ''Down Beat'' after a string of group releases, which had all pulled a five-star rating. The group arranged for a rebuttal interview with the magazine to defend their efforts. Zawinul and Pastorius were defiant in their responses to the interviewer, Shorter more philosophical, and Erskine the most reticent of the four. ===Rock star jazz tours=== [[File:Weather Report2 1980.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Weather Report performing in Amsterdam, in 1980]] By the late '70s, Weather Report was a quartet of Zawinul, Shorter, Pastorius, and Erskine, and (for the first time) had dispensed with the auxiliary percussionist role, which had been integral since the band's inception. Instead, all four members doubled on percussion at various points in live performances. Zawinul commented that this sleeker, less crowded sound provided more listening range and made the music less chaotic now that the band were focusing more on melody and harmony.<ref>Silvert, Conrad. "Joe Zawinul: Wayfaring Genius--Part II". Down Beat. June 15, 1978.</ref><ref>Hunt, Dennis. "Weather Report's Cloudy Image". Los Angeles Times. November 19, 1978.</ref> The larger scale and multimedia staging of the band's tours (complete with stagehands, laser and film projections) began to take on the kind of rock-star proportions mostly unknown in jazz circles. The 1979 double live album ''[[8:30]]'' (which won that year's [[Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance|Best Jazz Fusion Performance]]) was recorded on the ''Mr. Gone'' tour and captured the direct power and energy of this lineup of Weather Report. Zawinul would later describe this lineup as "one of the greatest bands of all time! That band was a ''hummer''!"<ref>Jackson, Blair. "Fusion Giants Weather Report". BAM #157. June 3, 1983.</ref> Between March 2 and 4, 1979, Weather Report traveled to [[Havana]], [[Cuba]], to participate in the historic [[Havana Jam]] festival, a break in mutual Cuban/American political hostilities, which had American artists such as [[Stephen Stills]], the CBS Jazz All-Stars, [[Bonnie Bramlett]], [[Kris Kristofferson]], [[Rita Coolidge]], and [[Billy Joel]] play alongside Cuban artists such as [[Irakere]], [[Pacho Alonso]], [[Tata Güines]], and [[Orquesta Aragón]]. Another featured performance was by the [[Trio of Doom]] (an ill-fated attempt due to Pastorius' substance abuse while playing alongside [[John McLaughlin (musician)|John McLaughlin]] and [[Tony Williams (drummer)|Tony Williams]]). Weather Report's performance featured in [[Havana Jam '79]], [[Ernesto Juan Castellanos]]' documentary celebrating the event. During the year's touring, Shorter began to feel sidelined by the current Weather Report's aggressive drive and the sometimes overly macho musical interplay between Pastorius and Zawinul, which on at least one occasion squeezed him out of band performance.{{Citation needed|date=April 2012}} At one point, he claimed to a journalist that he would be leaving the band within a few months. In the event, Shorter resolved his major differences with his bandmates - but the near-split appeared to inform Weather Report's next development, which was a step back towards a purer jazz approach. ===''Night Passage'' (1980) and ''Weather Report'' (1982)=== [[File:Bobby Thomas jr. and Wayne Shorter.jpg|thumb|left|220px|Drummer Thomas, left, and Shorter, performing in Amsterdam, in 1980]] At the beginning of 1980, Pastorius recruited hand-drummer [[Bobby Thomas (jazz drummer)|Bobby Thomas, Jr.]] (a fellow Floridan, with whom he had jammed previously) into the band. Thomas featured on the 1980 album ''[[Night Passage (album)|Night Passage]]''. A tighter and more traditional recording than previous releases, the record featured a more prominent role for Shorter, a strong element of [[bebop]], and a nod to jazz's golden age via a high-speed cover of [[Duke Ellington]]'s "Rockin' in Rhythm" (showing off Zawinul's pioneering and ever-increasing ability to create synthetic big-band sounds on his synthesizers). By now, Pastorius was displaying signs of the mental instability and substance abuse problems, which ultimately wrecked his career, and the close relationship between Zawinul and him was becoming strained, as Zawinul tired of Pastorius' showmanship onstage (beginning to feel that it detracted from the music). Towards the end of the year, Pastorius began working on his long-delayed second solo album (''[[Word of Mouth (Jaco Pastorius album)|Word of Mouth]]'') (1981) in New York, while Zawinul worked on new Weather Report material in California. Weather Report's next album ''[[Weather Report (1982 album)|Weather Report]]'' (1982) - their second eponymous release following their 1971 debut - was recorded in 1981, although it was not released for another year. Zawinul's dominance as instrumentalist and composer (as well as group director) was even more pronounced on this album. Much of the band's music was increasingly written out rather than improvised. In the event, Pastorius spent more of his creative attention on the ''Word of Mouth'' project, with his only writing for the Weather Report album being his contribution to a single group-composed piece. Shorter (who only contributed one whole composition to the 1982 album beyond group-written work) was already taking a more philosophical approach. He later commented, "for a long time in Weather Report, I abstained. I elected not to do things." ===Departure of Pastorius, Erskine, and Thomas=== The delay in releasing the 1982 ''Weather Report'' album had the side effect of breaking up the current line-up of the band. By late 1981, Pastorius was putting together the ''Word of Mouth'' Big Band (which included Erskine) for concert dates in Japan, on the assumption that 1982 would be a Weather Report rest year. However, previously canceled tour dates had left the band open to potentially crippling lawsuits and an obligation to play replacement concerts. When scheduled, these clashed with the'' Word of Mouth'' concerts and led to Pastorius leaving Weather Report, albeit relatively amicably. As Zawinul put it, "We had no choice. We had to find another bass player... Basically, Jaco went his way and we had to go ours."{{Citation needed|date=April 2012}} Erskine's own commitment to ''Word of Mouth'' (and a subsequent summer commitment to ''[[Steps Ahead]]'') meant that he, too, had to be replaced, while Robert Thomas, Jr., was simply dismissed. Down to a duo and with tour commitments looming, Zawinul and Shorter were obliged to quickly assemble a new band. ===Recruiting a new band=== On the recommendation of [[Michał Urbaniak]],{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} Zawinul and Shorter recruited the 23-year-old drummer [[Omar Hakim]], a talented session player and multi-instrumentalist, who had played with a variety of musicians (including [[Mike Mainieri]], [[David Bowie]], and [[Carly Simon]]). Hakim was immediately entrusted with recruiting the rest of the new rhythm section. Having failed to secure [[Marcus Miller]] as bass guitarist,{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} he selected [[Victor Bailey (musician)|Victor Bailey]] (a recent graduate from the [[Berklee College of Music]], with whom Hakim had played while backing [[Miriam Makeba]]). Hakim also recruited percussion/concertina player José Rossy, with whom he had worked in [[Labelle]]. The new Weather Report went straight onto tour. The music developed on tour was later recorded for the 1983 album ''[[Procession (album)|Procession]]'', which showed the band beginning to make something of a return to the "world music",{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} which it had pioneered in the mid-1970s, and featured a cameo appearance from [[The Manhattan Transfer]]. Continuing with the same lineup, Weather Report recorded the ''[[Domino Theory (album)|Domino Theory]]'' album in 1984, with Hakim stepping into Jaco Pastorius' old role as Zawinul's co-producer. The album was Weather Report's first album to employ drum machines and samplers (the [[Emulator]]), furthering developing the band's involvement with technology, and also featured a guest vocal from [[Carl Anderson (singer)|Carl Anderson]]. The band was beginning to suffer from the revival of more traditionally styled jazz at the time, which made it harder to market jazz fusion.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} Percussionist and singer [[Mino Cinélu]] replaced Rossy in the spring of 1984 and appeared on the band's video release ''Live in Japan'' (reissued on DVD in 2007). The same lineup played on 1985's ''[[Sportin' Life (Weather Report album)|Sportin' Life]]'' album, which included a cover of [[Marvin Gaye]]'s "[[What's Going On (song)|What's Going On]]" and appearances by [[Bobby McFerrin]] and Carl Anderson. In keeping with Zawinul's technological curiosity, the album heralded the arrival of [[MIDI]], which allowed him to rapidly and inexpensively write, demonstrate, and record music via a set of synthesizers. By the time of the album's release, Shorter and Zawinul had opted not to tour the material.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} Instead, they took a break for long-delayed solo projects. The principals claimed that the band was still together (despite Hakim's involvement with [[Sting (musician)|Sting]]'s band and Bailey's with [[Steps Ahead]]), but Weather Report's contract with [[Columbia Records]] had just expired, leaving both parties open to other options.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} Despite Zawinul and Shorter's claims, both were finding that the refreshing nature of other projects was more satisfying and generally felt that the band had run its course.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} However, Columbia Records was contractually owed one more Weather Report record,{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} resulting in the 1986 creation of ''[[This Is This!]]''. In comparison to previous records, ''This Is This!'' was assembled during gaps in various players' schedules.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} With Hakim now too busy with Sting to play on more than one of the album's tracks, Zawinul recruited Peter Erskine to play the rest. Cinelu and Bailey were both flown in for a few days to record, and contributed one composition each, with the remainder being written by Zawinul. Shorter spent little more time on the project than Bailey or Cinelu, contributed no compositions at all, and was not even present on many of the album's tracks. Zawinul instead brought in guitarist [[Carlos Santana]] to contribute. ===Split and Weather Update=== In February 1986, the ''San Diego Union-Tribune'' announced that Shorter had left the band to concentrate on solo work.<ref>Varga, George. "Shorter Departs Weather Report". San Diego Union-Tribune. February 28, 1986.</ref> Having reluctantly agreed with Shorter that he would no longer use the band name, Zawinul attempted to reform the ''Sportin' Life'' lineup (minus Shorter but plus guitarist [[John Scofield]], and with Peter Erskine again replacing Hakim) under the new name Weather Update. Guitarist [[Steve Khan]] and former Weather Report percussionist Robert Thomas, Jr., replaced Scofield and Cinelu, respectively, before this band appeared onstage.<ref>Bianchi, Curt. [http://www.zawinulonline.org/articles/weather_update/ "Weather Update: Zawinul in Transition"]. Zawinul Online website. 2001.</ref> Weather Update toured before Zawinul dissolved the band in 1987. Zawinul went on to form the world music/jazz ensemble Zawinul Syndicate. ==Lineups== {| class="toccolours" border=1 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="float: width: 375px; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #E2E2E2;" width=99% |- ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Late 1970 - Early 1971 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Early 1971 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Early 1971 – Mid 1971 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Mid 1971 – Early 1972 |- | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano saxophone * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos * '''[[Miroslav Vitouš]]''' - acoustic and electric basses * '''[[Alphonse Mouzon]]''' - drums, vocals * '''[[Don Alias]]''' - percussion * '''Barbara Burton''' - percussion | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano saxophone * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos * '''[[Miroslav Vitouš]]''' - acoustic and electric basses * '''[[Alphonse Mouzon]]''' - drums, vocals * '''Barbara Burton''' - percussion * '''[[Airto Moreira]]''' - percussion | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano saxophone * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos * '''[[Miroslav Vitouš]]''' - acoustic and electric basses * '''[[Alphonse Mouzon]]''' - drums, vocals * '''Barbara Burton''' - percussion | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano saxophone * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos * '''[[Miroslav Vitouš]]''' - acoustic and electric basses * '''[[Alphonse Mouzon]]''' - drums, vocals * '''[[Dom Um Romão]]''' - percussion |- ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Early 1972 - End 1972 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | End 1972 - Early 1973 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Early 1973 - End 1973 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | End 1973 - Mid 1973 |- | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer * '''[[Miroslav Vitouš]]''' - acoustic and electric basses * '''[[Eric Gravatt]]''' - drums * '''[[Dom Um Romão]]''' - percussion | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer * '''[[Miroslav Vitouš]]''' - acoustic and electric basses * '''[[Andrew White (saxophonist)|Andrew White]]''' - English horn, electric bass * '''[[Eric Gravatt]]''' - drums * '''Herschel Dwellingham''' - drums * '''[[Dom Um Romão]]''' - percussion * '''[[Muruga Booker]]''' - percussion | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer * '''[[Miroslav Vitouš]]''' - acoustic and electric basses * '''Greg Errico''' - drums * '''[[Dom Um Romão]]''' - percussion | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, organ, percussion, guitar * '''[[Alphonso Johnson]]''' - electric bass, chapman stick * '''Ishmail Wilburn''' - drums * '''[[Dom Um Romão]]''' - percussion |- ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Mid 1973 - Mid 1974 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Mid 1974 - End 1974 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | End 1974 - Mid 1975 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Mid 1975 - End 1975 |- | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, organ, percussion, guitar * '''[[Alphonso Johnson]]''' - electric bass, chapman stick * '''Ishmail Wilburn''' - drums * '''Darryl Brown''' - drums * '''[[Dom Um Romão]]''' - percussion | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, organ, percussion, guitar * '''[[Alphonso Johnson]]''' - electric bass, chapman stick * '''Chuck Bazemore''' - drums * '''Alyrio Lima''' - percussion | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, organ, percussion, guitar * '''[[Alphonso Johnson]]''' - electric bass, chapman stick * '''[[Leon "Ndugu" Chancler]]''' - drums * '''Alyrio Lima''' - percussion | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, organ, percussion, guitar * '''[[Alphonso Johnson]]''' - electric bass, chapman stick * '''[[Chester Thompson]]''' - drums * '''Alyrio Lima''' - percussion |- ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | End 1975 - Start 1975 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Start 1975 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Start 1975 - Early 1975 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Early 1975 - Spring 1978 |- | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones, lyricon * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, organ, percussion, guitar * '''[[Alphonso Johnson]]''' - electric bass, chapman stick * '''[[Chester Thompson]]''' - drums * '''[[Don Alias]]''' - percussion * '''[[Alex Acuña]]''' - percussion | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones, lyricon * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, organ, percussion, guitar * '''[[Jaco Pastorius]]''' - electric bass * '''[[Narada Michael Walden]]''' - drums * '''[[Don Alias]]''' - percussion * '''[[Alex Acuña]]''' - percussion | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones, lyricon * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, organ, percussion, guitar * '''[[Jaco Pastorius]]''' - electric bass * '''[[Chester Thompson]]''' - drums * '''[[Don Alias]]''' - percussion * '''[[Alex Acuña]]''' - percussion | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones, lyricon * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, organ, percussion, guitar * '''[[Jaco Pastorius]]''' - electric bass, drums, percussion * '''[[Alex Acuña]]''' - drums, percussion * '''[[Manolo Badrena]]''' - percussion |- ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Spring 1978 - Early 1980 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Early 1980 - Start 1982 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Start 1982 - Spring 1984 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Spring 1984 - Early 1986 |- | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones, lyricon, percussion * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, organ, percussion, guitar * '''[[Jaco Pastorius]]''' - electric bass, drums, percussion * '''[[Peter Erskine]]''' - drums, percussion | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones, lyricon, percussion * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, organ, percussion, guitar * '''[[Jaco Pastorius]]''' - electric bass, drums, percussion * '''[[Peter Erskine]]''' - drums, percussion * '''[[Robert Thomas, Jr. (percussionist)]]''' - percussion | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones, lyricon, percussion * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, organ, percussion, guitar * '''[[Victor Bailey (musician)|Victor Bailey]]''' - electric bass * '''[[Omar Hakim]]''' - drums, percussion, guitar * '''José Rossy''' - percussion, concertina | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones, lyricon, percussion * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, organ, percussion, guitar * '''[[Victor Bailey (musician)|Victor Bailey]]''' - electric bass * '''[[Omar Hakim]]''' - drums, percussion, guitar * '''[[Mino Cinélu]]''' - percussion, vocals, acoustic guitar |- ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | Early 1986 - February 1986 ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | February 1986 - 1986 (As Weather Update) ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | 1986 - 1987 (as Weather Update) ! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" valign=top width=25% | |- | valign=top | * '''[[Wayne Shorter]]''' - soprano and tenor saxophones, lyricon, percussion * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, percussion * '''[[Victor Bailey (musician)|Victor Bailey]]''' - electric bass * '''[[Omar Hakim]]''' - drums, percussion, guitar * '''[[Peter Erskine]]''' - drums * '''[[Mino Cinélu]]''' - percussion, vocals, acoustic guitar | valign=top | * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, percussion * '''[[John Scofield]]''' - electric guitar * '''[[Victor Bailey (musician)|Victor Bailey]]''' - electric bass * '''[[Peter Erskine]]''' - drums * '''[[Mino Cinélu]]''' - percussion, vocals, acoustic guitar | valign=top | * '''[[Joe Zawinul]]''' - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, percussion * '''[[Steve Khan]]''' - electric guitar * '''[[Victor Bailey (musician)|Victor Bailey]]''' - electric bass * '''[[Peter Erskine]]''' - drums * '''[[Robert Thomas, Jr. (percussionist)|Robert Thomas, Jr.]]''' - percussion | valign=top | |} ===Timeline=== <timeline> ImageSize = width:1000 height:600 PlotArea = left:150 bottom:120 top:0 right:14 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1970 till:31/12/1986 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1973 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1973 Colors = id:ww value:gray(0.5) legend:Wind_instruments id:key value:red legend:Keyboards id:b value:blue legend:Bass id:db value:darkblue legend:Double_bass id:stick value:skyblue legend:Chapman_stick id:dr value:orange legend:Drums id:perc value:claret legend:Percussion id:alb value:black legend:Studio_releases LineData = at:12/05/1971 color:black layer:back at:26/05/1972 color:black layer:back at:27/04/1973 color:black layer:back at:24/03/1974 color:black layer:back at:01/05/1975 color:black layer:back at:11/03/1976 color:black layer:back at:01/03/1977 color:black layer:back at:01/09/1978 color:black layer:back at:01/09/1980 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1982 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1983 color:black layer:back at:02/02/1984 color:black layer:back at:19/03/1985 color:black layer:back at:11/06/1986 color:black layer:back PlotData = width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,–4) bar:Wayne&nbsp;Shorter from:start till: end color:ww bar:Andrew&nbsp;White from:01/04/1972 till:02/10/1972 color:ww bar:Andrew&nbsp;White from:01/04/1972 till:02/10/1972 color:b width:3 bar:Joe&nbsp;Zawinul from:start till: end color:key bar:Miroslav&nbsp;Vitouš from:start till:16/10/1973 color:b bar:Miroslav&nbsp;Vitouš from:start till:16/10/1973 color:db width:3 bar:Alphonso&nbsp;Johnson from:17/10/1973 till:15/03/1976 color:b bar:Alphonso&nbsp;Johnson from:17/10/1973 till:15/03/1976 color:stick width:3 bar:Jaco&nbsp;Pastorius from:02/01/1976 till:01/01/1982 color:b bar:Victor&nbsp;Bailey from:02/01/1982 till: end color:b bar:Alphonse&nbsp;Mouzon from:start till:01/01/1972 color:dr bar:Eric&nbsp;Gravatt from:02/01/1972 till:15/05/1973 color:dr bar:Herschel&nbsp;Dwellingham from:02/10/1972 till:01/01/1973 color:dr bar:Greg&nbsp;Errico from:16/05/1973 till:01/09/1973 color:dr bar:Ishmail&nbsp;Wilburn from:02/09/1973 till:20/06/1974 color:dr bar:Darryl&nbsp;Brown from:02/09/1973 till:20/06/1974 color:dr bar:Chuck&nbsp;Bazemore from:21/06/1974 till:10/10/1974 color:dr bar:Leon&nbsp;Chancler from:11/10/1974 till:05/06/1975 color:dr bar:Chester&nbsp;Thompson from:06/06/1975 till:25/03/1976 color:dr bar:Michael&nbsp;Walden from:01/01/1976 till:25/03/1976 color:dr bar:Alex&nbsp;Acuña from:01/09/1975 till:09/07/1976 color:perc bar:Alex&nbsp;Acuña from:10/07/1976 till:05/04/1978 color:dr bar:Alex&nbsp;Acuña from:10/07/1976 till:05/04/1978 color:perc width:3 bar:Peter&nbsp;Erskine from:06/04/1978 till:01/02/1982 color:dr bar:Peter&nbsp;Erskine from:06/04/1978 till:01/02/1982 color:perc width:3 bar:Peter&nbsp;Erskine from:01/01/1986 till:end color:dr bar:Omar&nbsp;Hakim from:02/02/1982 till:end color:dr bar:Omar&nbsp;Hakim from:02/02/1982 till:end color:perc width:3 bar:Don&nbsp;Alias from:start till:25/02/1971 color:perc bar:Don&nbsp;Alias from:02/09/1975 till:25/03/1976 color:perc bar:Barbara&nbsp;Burton from:start till:25/03/1971 color:perc bar:Airto&nbsp;Moreira from:01/01/1971 till:25/05/1971 color:perc bar:Dom&nbsp;Romão from:26/05/1971 till:20/06/1974 color:perc bar:Muruga;Booker from:20/12/1972 till:28/04/1973 color:perc bar:Alyrio&nbsp;Lima from:21/06/1974 till:01/09/1975 color:perc bar:Manolo&nbsp;Badrena from:26/03/1976 till:05/04/1978 color:perc bar:Robert&nbsp;Thomas_Jr from:01/01/1980 till:01/02/1982 color:perc bar:José&nbsp;Rossy from:02/02/1982 till:01/03/1984 color:perc bar:Mino&nbsp;Cinelu from:02/03/1984 till:end color:perc </timeline> ==Releases since the band's breakup== In spite of the band's continued popularity, a Weather Report reunion never occurred. The nearest that the band ever came to reuniting was when Zawinul and Shorter both played live with Miles Davis on July 10, 1991, in Paris (the only time when Zawinul is known to have shared a live stage with Davis).<ref name="ALLMUSIC" /> A projected mid-'90s reunion CD for Verve never materialized; according to Zawinul, disappointing sales for Shorter's CD ''[[High Life (Wayne Shorter album)|High Life]]'' may have played a part in ending the idea.<ref name=innerviewszawinul>Prasad, Anil. [http://www.innerviews.org/inner/zawinul.html "Joe Zawinul: Man of the people"]. Innerviews webzine. 1997.</ref> A "post band" Weather Report double CD called ''[[Live and Unreleased (album)|Live and Unreleased]]'' was made available in 2002, featuring vintage live recordings made during the late 1970s/early 1980s with various personnel. In September 2006, Columbia/Legacy released a Weather Report boxed set, ''[[Forecast: Tomorrow]]''. It includes three CDs of mostly previously released material (from 1970 to 1985, excluding ''This is This!'') and a DVD of the entire September 29, 1978, performance (with Erskine and Pastorius) in Offenbach, Germany, not previously available. A DVD video of the 1976 Montreux Jazz Festival performance (featuring the Heavy Weather lineup of Pastorius, Acuna, and Badrena) has become available, as well. Columbia/Legacy have also re-released the 1984 Live in Japan concert on DVD. Zawinul died on September 11, 2007, in Vienna from [[skin cancer]] ([[Merkel cell cancer|Merkel cell carcinoma]]).<ref>{{cite news|first=Ray|last=McDonald|title=Keyboardist Joe Zawinul Dies|date=September 12, 2007|publisher=Voice of America|url=http://voanews.com/english/archive/2007-09/2007-09-12-voa18.cfm|work=VOA News|accessdate=January 2, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/11/AR2007091102289.html|work=The Washington Post|title=Joe Zawinul, 75; Keyboardist Was a Pioneer of Jazz Fusion|first=Matt|last=Schudel|date=September 12, 2007|accessdate=May 6, 2010}}</ref> Before that, the mid-period bass player Jaco Pastorius died on September 21, 1987, following a fatal beating in his hometown of [[Fort Lauderdale]], Florida. In 2011, the Zawinul estate, in conjunction with an independent label, released a 40th-anniversary commemorative trilogy of previously unavailable Weather Report live shows: In March ''Live in Berlin 1975'' was released both on vinyl and as a CD/DVD set; in June the ''Live in Offenbach 1978'' DVD was re-released together with a previously unavailable double CD of the complete show; in October ''Live in Cologne 1983'' was released as both DVD and double CD. ==Discography== {{Main|Weather Report discography}} In a career spanning 16 years from 1970 to 1986, Weather Report released 14 studio albums, two live albums, and five singles. Several other live and compilation albums have been released after the break-up of the band, and many of Weather Report's tracks appear on Various Artists albums.<ref name="Allmusic">{{cite web |url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=weather-report-mn0000243527|pure_url=yes}} |title=Weather Report &gt; Discography &gt; Main Albums |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |format=XHTML |accessdate=2010-09-02}}</ref><ref name="WRAnnotatedDiscography">{{cite web |url=http://www.binkie.net/wrdisc/index.html |title=Weather Report: The Annotated Discography |first=Curt |last=Bianchi |year=2005 |publisher=www.binkie.net |accessdate=2010-09-02}}</ref><ref name="Discogs">{{cite web |url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Weather+Report |title=Weather Report |publisher=[[Discogs]] |format=XHTML |accessdate=2010-09-02}}</ref><ref name="RYM">{{cite web |url=http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/weather_report |title=Albums by Weather Report |publisher=[[Rate Your Music]] |format=XHTML |accessdate=2010-09-02}}</ref> ;Main albums This table shows the main albums released by Weather Report. For more detailed information, please see: [[Weather Report discography]]. {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Album |- | 1971 | ''[[Weather Report (1971 album)|Weather Report]]'' *<small> First studio album * Number 7 on the [[Billboard Magazine|''Billboard'']] Jazz Albums chart (1971) * #191 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart (1971) * Jazz Album of the Year at the 36th ''Down Beat'' Readers Poll * Grand Prix Award, Best Band of the Year, and Best Selling Jazz Album of the Year on the ''Swing Journal'' magazine </small> |- | rowspan="2" | 1972 | ''[[I Sing the Body Electric (album)|I Sing the Body Electric]]'' *<small> Second studio album * Number 147 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart (1972) </small> |- | ''[[Live in Tokyo (Weather Report album)|Live in Tokyo]]'' *<small> Live album recorded on January 13, 1972 at the Shibuya Kokaido Hall, [[Tokyo]], Japan </small> |- | 1973 | ''[[Sweetnighter]]'' *<small> Third studio album * Number two on the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart (1973) * Number 41 on the ''Billboard'' [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|Top R&B Albums]] chart (1973) * Number 85 on the'' Billboard'' 200 chart (1973) * Jazz Group of the Year at the 38th ''Down Beat'' Readers Poll </small> |- | 1974 | ''[[Mysterious Traveller]]'' *<small> Fourth studio album * Number two on the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart (1974) * Number 31 on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B Albums chart (1974) * Number 46 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart (1974) * Jazz Album of the Year and Jazz Group of the Year at the 39th ''Down Beat'' Readers Poll |- | 1975 | ''[[Tale Spinnin']]'' *<small> 5th studio album * Number three on the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart (1975) * Number 12 on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B Albums chart (1975) * Number 31 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart (1975) * Jazz Album of the Year and Jazz Group of the Year at the 40th'' Down Beat ''Readers Poll </small> |- | 1976 | ''[[Black Market (Weather Report album)|Black Market]]'' *<small> Sixth studio album * Number two on the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart (1976) * Number 20 on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B Albums chart (1976) * Number 42 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart (1976) * Jazz Album of the Year and Jazz Group of the Year at the 41st ''Down Beat'' Readers Poll </small> |- | 1977 | ''[[Heavy Weather (album)|Heavy Weather]]'' *<small> Seventh studio album * Number one on the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart (1977) * Number 30 on the'' Billboard ''200 chart (1977) * Number 33 on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B Albums chart (1977) * Jazz Album of the Year and Jazz Group of the Year at the 42nd ''Down Beat ''Readers Poll * Record of the Year at the Jazz Forum People's Poll * ''Swing Journal''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Silver Disc Award * ''[[Playboy]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Jazz Record and Jazz Band of the Year * ''[[Record World]]'''s Instrumental Group of the Year * ''[[Cash Box]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Record of the Year * [[Grammy Award|Grammy nomination]], Best Instrumental Composition, "[[Birdland (composition)|Birdland]]" * Grammy nomination, Best Jazz Soloist, Jaco Pastorius, ''Heavy Weather'' * Grammy award, [[The Manhattan Transfer]] version of "Birdland" </small> |- | 1978 | ''[[Mr. Gone (album)|Mr. Gone]]'' *<small> Eighth studio album * Number one on the'' Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart (1978) * Number 52 on the ''Billboard ''200 chart (1978) * Jazz Group of the Year at the 43rd ''Down Beat'' Readers Poll </small> |- | 1979 | ''[[8:30]]'' *<small> Live album recorded in January–February 1979 during the 8:30 tour except for tracks 10-13, which were recorded in studio * Number three on the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart (1979) * Number 47 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart (1979) * Jazz Group of the Year at the 44th Down Beat Readers Poll * [[Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance]] of 1979 (awarded in 1980)<ref>{{cite web |url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=weather-report-mn0000243527|tab=awards|pure_url=yes}} |title=Weather Report > Charts & Awards > Grammy Awards |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |format=XHTML |accessdate=2010-09-10 |quote=<small>Note: GRAMMY information courtesy of The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences</small> }}</ref> </small> |- | 1980 | ''[[Night Passage (album)|Night Passage]]'' *<small> Live album recorded on July 12 and 13, 1980 at The Complex in Los Angeles, California * Number two on the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart (1980) * Number 57 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart (1980) </small> |- | 1982 | ''[[Weather Report (1982 album)|Weather Report]]'' *<small> Ninth studio album * Number five on the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart (1982) * Number 68 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart (1982) </small> |- | 1983 | ''[[Procession (album)|Procession]]'' *<small> 10th studio album * Number three on the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart (1983) * Number 46 on the'' Billboard'' Top R&B Albums chart (1983) * Number 96 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart (1983) </small> |- | 1984 | ''[[Domino Theory (album)|Domino Theory]]'' *<small> 11th studio album * Number five on the'' Billboard ''Jazz Albums chart (1984) * Number 136 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart (1984) </small> |- | 1985 | ''[[Sportin' Life (Weather Report album)|Sportin' Life]]'' *<small> 12th studio album * Number 13 on the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart (1985) * Number 191 on The ''Billboard'' 200 chart (1985) </small> |- | 1986 | ''[[This Is This!]]'' *<small> 13th and last studio album * Number 13 on the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart (1986) * Number 195 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart (1986) </small> |- | 2002 | ''[[Live and Unreleased (album)|Live and Unreleased]]'' *<small> Live recordings taken from November 25, 1975 to June 3, 1983 * Number 21 on the ''Billboard'' Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart (2002) </small> |- | 2006 | ''[[Forecast: Tomorrow]]'' *<small> 3-CD + 1-DVD career-spanning box set * Number 18 on the'' Billboard ''Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart (2006) </small> |- | 2015 | ''The Legendary Live Tapes: 1978-1981'' *<small> 4-CD box set</small> |} ==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} ==External links== {{Portal|Jazz}} {{Wikipedia books|Weather Report}} {{Commons category||Weather Report}} * [http://www.weatherreportmusic.com Weather Report's official website] <!--======================== {{No more links}} ============================ | PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS IN ADDING MORE LINKS TO THIS ARTICLE. Wikipedia | | is not a collection of links nor should it be used for advertising. | | | | Excessive or inappropriate links WILL BE DELETED. | | See [[Wikipedia:External links]] & [[Wikipedia:Spam]] for details. | | | | If there are already plentiful links, please propose additions or | | replacements on this article's discussion page, or submit your link | | to the relevant category at the Open Directory Project (dmoz.org) | | and link back to that category using the {{dmoz}} template. | ======================={{No more links}}=============================--> {{Weather Report}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Musical groups established in 1970]] [[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1986]] [[Category:Jazz fusion ensembles]] [[Category:American jazz ensembles]] [[Category:Musical groups from New York City]] [[Category:Grammy Award winners]]'