Biography of Weather Report

Weather Report fired some of the first shots in the fusion revolution, and, for the majority of the decade and a half of its existence, were its premier exponents. Founded by Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter, two key participants in Miles Davis's initial fusion breakthrough, the duo was joined by a host of rhythm-section members throughout the band's duration. At the outset, Weather Report remained firmly within jazz structures while working with voicings borrowed from rock. Miroslav Vitous's upright bass quickly gave way to Alphonso Johnson's electric work. Zawinul's Rhodes piano would ultimately be replaced by polyphonic synthesizers, further altering the texture of the group's sound. The arrival of bassist Jaco Pastorius not only gave Weather Report a dazzling new voice, but also gave the group another excellent composer. It was during this period that the group enjoyed its greatest popularity, breaking from the often-impressionistic style of its earlier work to a more open, pop-influenced direction. Still, Weather Report always avoided the pitfalls of many of their contemporaries, never resorting to mundane funk workouts. The considerable skills and musicianship of Zawinul And Shorter kept Weather Report well above the rest. ~ Steve Aldrich