| Weather Report (1982) | |
| Type: | Studio album |
| Artist: | Weather Report |
| Cover: | WR2ndLP.jpg |
| Released: | January 1982 |
| Recorded: | July – August 1981 |
| Studio: | The Power Station (New York City) Sound Castle (Los Angeles, California) |
| Genre: | Jazz fusion |
| Length: | 42:13 |
| Label: | ARC/Columbia |
| Producer: | Joe Zawinul, Jaco Pastorius, Wayne Shorter |
| Prev Title: | Night Passage |
| Prev Year: | 1980 |
| Next Title: | Procession |
| Next Year: | 1983 |
Weather Report is the tenth studio album by the American jazz fusion band Weather Report, released in January 1982; there was some confusion among consumers and retailers upon its release as the band's first album (1971) was also self-titled. It is the final album featuring bass guitarist Jaco Pastorius and drummer Peter Erskine in the rhythm section.
The album features an increasingly heavy use of synthesized orchestration from Josef Zawinul, who had been becoming even more dominant within the band's sound. Zawinul was by now frequently doubling the basslines on Quadra synthesizer, something which annoyed and alienated Pastorius, who also had reservations about Zawinul's electronic big band sound (and who was himself increasingly working on a side career with a mostly acoustic band).
The vast majority of the album was composed by Zawinul, with the exception of one Wayne Shorter piece and one collectively composed item assembled from a group jam. The center piece of the album is the three part "N.Y.C." The three movement suite starts with 41st Parallel, a bouncing groove showing off Erskine's unique touch on the drums. The second movement, The Dance, is a more traditional swing feel, but with Zawinul's synthesizer orchestration heavily laid on top. The final movement, Crazy About Jazz, is a cordial ending.
Weather Report
Production