Weather Report Archives - Page 2

One of the major highlights for me at the 2015 NAMM Show was finally getting the chance to meet the great Alphonso Johnson. Alphonso deserves way more credit than I think he gets – in my opinion and many others. Going back through the wealth of music he’s been a part of just offers up more proof, including this 1975...

Over the years, we’ve been treated to some videos of Weather Report’s 1978 performance in Reading and Washington, Pennsylvania. These videos, shared by Rick Suchow, were filmed by Dr. Fred Erskine, the father of drummer Peter Erskine. As Rick shared previously, “The sound came direct from the front-of-house mix board, engineered by Brian Risner, and my dad was using an...

When Jaco Pastorius joined Weather Report, they were close to finishing Black Market, which had been recorded up to that point by bassist Alphonso Johnson. Jaco played on two tracks on that album, which included one of his own compositions, “Barbary Coast”. Here’s a live performance early on in Jaco’s tenure with the band, performing that tune at the Montreux...

Columbia Records “Complete” box set series rolls on this summer with the introduction of another Weather Report-focused release. Weather Report: The Complete Columbia Albums 1971-1975 kicks off with the legendary group’s original line up, anchored by bassist Miroslav Vitous, and ends up the group’s second incarnation, with bassist Alphonso Johnson. The set packages together remastered versions of Weather Report’s first...

In 1976, a relatively unknown bassist by the name of Jaco Pastorius joined Weather Report as a full-time member – an event that brought unprecedented commercial success to the six year old band. Jaco’s impact wasn’t limited to Weather Report either. It was during this same year his solo album debuted – an album which redefined the electric bass in...

Weather Report emerged thanks in large part to the late-60’s music of Miles Davis, particularly Bitches Brew. It was on that session (and In A Silent Way) that the band’s cofounders – Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter – first collaborated. Soon after, the first iteration of Weather Report came together, anchored by bassist Miroslav Vitous. Here’s the band in 1971,...

Here’s Weather Report, soon after Jaco Pastorius joined the band, performing “Badia” live in 1976. This performance was recorded live on July 8, 1976, at the Montreux Casino in Switzerland. Jaco’s tone is like butter. Weather Report’s line up for this performance included Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Jaco, Alex Acuna, and Manolo Badrena. Hard to believe this is 36 years...

Here’s my favorite Weather Report line-up, performing at a concert in Offenbach, Germany on September 29, 1978. Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, and Peter Erskine doing what the band always seemed to be able to do with perfection. Or as Zawinul described it, “everybody solos and nobody solos”. Jaco does it all here – the slides, the funk, the...

Here’s another unearthed gem from Weather Report’s live performances in 1978, with one of the greatest line-ups in the band’s history: Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius and Peter Erskine. In this video, the group performs the beautiful Zawinul tune, “A Remark You Made”, which was quite the showcase for Jaco’s fretless sound, playing off of Shorter’s sax. As we...

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of Weather Report, by Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter. To help celebrate, the Zawinul estate is releasing Weather Report: Live in Berlin 1975, a comprehensive box set featuring the group’s performance at 1975 Jazzstage Berlin. The CD/DVD set features Weather Report’s 1975 line-up, with Alphonso Johnson on bass, drummer Chester Thompson...

A 1971 performance of Weather Report, originally broadcast on the German TV show “Beat Club” has made its way to DVD. Released this week, Weather Report: Live in Hamburg 1971 features the early line-up of the group including bassist Miroslav Vitous, co-founding members Joe Zawinul (keyboards) and Wayne Shorter (sax), with Alphonse Mouzon on drums an Dom Um Romao on...

Yesterday, we featured a video from Joe Zawinul’s later years. Today, we go back 38+ years, to a Weather Report video shot in 1971. This performance took place at the NDR Jazz Workshop, with Zawinul on keys, Miroslav Vitous on bass, Wayne Shorter on sax, Alphonse Mouzon on drums, Dom Um Romao on percussion, Eje Thelin on trombone, John Surman...