Weather Report

Besides making major contributions to mainstream jazz and jazz-fusion, Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul will always be remembered for Weather Report, rated by many amongst the very best jazz-fusion bands of all time. The albums Black Market (1976) and Heavy Weather (1977) were at the pinnacle of jazz-fusion, and today are uniquely placed in the jazz pantheon. The compositions in those collections were so strong that they moved almost everyone that heard them. As one of the world's great saxophone players, Shorter was never limited to playing in jazz-fusion, but his compositional skills were put to great use in the more conventional jazz mainstream. As one of the great jazz electric keyboard/ synthesiser players, Zawinul moved on to become a leader of the World music genre. Perhaps it was his non-American birthright that, in the end, sealed Zawinul’s role as arguably the most consistent member of the jazz-fusion group of musicians. Besides reviewing the recorded output of Weather Report, this book makes a detailed study of the solo albums of the band’s most prominent members. It includes an extensive discography and index.