Weather Report were one of the prime pioneers and most famous representatives of the fusion music in the seventies. They were known for their funk, R&B and world music oriented sound, created under the leadership of Joe Zawinul, the keyboardist and music director of the group. A lot of legendary musicians played in the band such as bassists Alphonso Johnson, Jaco Pastorius, and Victor Bailey; saxophonist Wayne Shorter and drummers/percussionists Peter Erskine, Alex Acuña, Airto Moreira and Chester Thompson. As a continuous working unit, Weather Report outlasted all of its contemporaries (the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever, and Headhunters) despite (or perhaps because of) frequent changes of personnel, with a career lasting sixteen years between 1970 and 1986.
But Weather Report as a band was initially co-led by the Austrian-born keyboard player Joe Zawinul, the American saxophonist Wayne Shorter and Czech bassist Miroslav Vitouš. 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...") They 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). With their 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 R&B influences and dense electric keyboard work while adding more structure to both the pre written and the improvisational sections.
The change in approach affected the band deeply. Playing more repetitive, funky bass lines did not suit Miroslav Vitouš' particular talents. Due to creative and financial disagreements Vitouš left the band after a few years, but they recorded three albums together and dozens of live recordings. The video in the background is one of those recorded performances which showcases the group’s early style (much closer to Miles’ fusion music). It was recorded live in Germany in 1971 and presents the original lineup of the band in their finest effort.
