Ravinia 2025 Issue 1

and drummers Alphonse Mouzon, Alex Acuña, Chester Thompson (later a core member of Genesis), and Erskine. The drummer enthusiastically represents his former group and helps to reintroduce and reenergize the band’s musical canon as part of Elling’s daring tribute. “Forty years after the fact, having played this music, it’s an opportunity to revisit it with a fresh look, Erskine told the music website All About Jazz . Weather Report quickly established, defined, and embedded the jazz-fusion category into the musical landscape with its initial offerings: 1971’s avant-garde self-titled album and 1972’s I Sing the Body Electric . Jazz-fusion was furthered in its scope and acceptance by oth- er prized musicians, composers, and groups of the day, including Herbie Han- cock, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola, Jean-Luc Ponty, Spyro Gyra, Jeff Beck, Steely Dan, and Frank Zappa. Zawinul began to steer the band toward an increasingly jazz/funk/groove- based direction, and with the band’s changing lineups, its sound steadily broadened. This helped it gain a solid following among key music critics and a growing number of ardent fans. “The things about Weather Report that were fresh at the time were the experimen- tations [with] synthesized sounds that we’re used to now. For a group of musical artists to be so incredibly articulate as Zawinul, as Wayne, as Jaco, as Peter Er- skine. But all the cats who came through that band were so highly nuanced and fearless. The rock and roll energy coupled with the incredible jazz literacy and the intellectual composition abilities … that was a potent combination to come across in the 1970s,” Elling marveled. Weather Report’s ensuing string of startling, innovative albums like Sweetnighter (1973), Mysterious Traveler (1974), Tale Spinnin’ (1975), and Black Market (1976) made them was one of jazz’s best known and acclaimed outfits. This growing success paved the way for its long-overdue commercial break- through and masterpiece in 1977. Heavy Weather , guided by the prom- inent influence of Pastorius’s unpredict- able genius, vaulted the band on the power of its charging, swinging, flashy, rumba-driven signature hit “Birdland.” Named after the famed New York City jazz club, the song’s jaunting, bright, vigorous vibe is led by Pastorius’s nim- ble bass notes, Zawinul’s pacing electric keyboards, and Shorter’s wailing and intricate sax solos. It earned Weather Report mainstream attention, increased radio play on progressive FM stations, and even television appearances on the ’70s late-night music show The Mid- night Special. These all brought wider attention to the band and the album, which was filled with soon-to-be Weather Report standards: “A Remark You Made,” “Teen Town,” “Havona,” and “Palladium.” The dynamic collection received a five-star review from Downbeat and its readers voted it Jazz Album of the Year. Heavy Weather was striking not only for its sound advancements, unity of performance, and unbridled energy, but for making its mark in 1977 . This was a time when jazz-fusion had lost the luster it enjoyed earlier in the decade, and when the overall music scene was going through a chaotic, confused transition of differing styles like bloated hard rock, cheesy pop, rude punk, and disco all grasping for traction. By the end of 1977, the surprising success of Saturday Night Fever and its steamrolling soundtrack led by The Bee Gees started a music and pop culture revolution. For Weather Report to triumph with Heavy Weather during this period was a testament to the band’s focus and commitment to its mission. However, it also displayed a crucial willingness by the band to bend its sound to tap into the tastes of the moment, as well as add to the jazz palette with electronic keyboards and new textures. A new texture Elling brings to his Weather Report homage is adding lyrics for the first time to Weather Report’s previously all-instrumental works—Shorter gave Elling permission to lyrically embellish the band’s previous numbers. In addition to his vocal exper- tise, Elling is a lauded jazz wordsmith, and this risky component adds a new di- mension to the Weather Report catalog. “I feel particularly privileged to have been given his [Shorter’s] blessing to go ahead and write lyrics to some of his compositions. To bring compositions into the singing realm from the instru- mental realm is a privileged position. “I had to listen deeply to the orig- inals, pay attention to the motivation and the ethos of the artists and com- posers, and come across with con- tent-appropriate lyrics. They also had to rhyme and fit where an improvised solo begins and ends. It’s all an exper- iment. But Wayne Shorter sings words through his horn. His music sounds like lyrics,” Elling related. “I can tell you he’s written some incredible lyrics. What he’s chosen to do is also inspired, and not just the obvious choices. Kurt’s scatting is great. He’s a real hipster and he wears that well in doing this music. Everything he’s bringing to this project makes it so much fun,” Erskine elaborated. Weather Report injected jazz music with an energized shot in the arm and pumped a rush of new blood into its heart and soul. The band broke boundar- ies and opened the music world to differ- ent perspectives, cutting-edge technol- ogies, and unorthodox, creative sounds that later became accepted, mainstream ingredients. The synthesizer-based new wave era of the 1980s, for example, owes a major debt to Weather Report. With “Kurt Elling Celebrates Weath- er Report,” Elling proudly puts a stimu- lating, brave, and invigorating wind of relevancy on Weather Report’s deserv- ing legacy, and perhaps even offers a bright forecast for its future. As Erskine suggests, “It’s fun for people to hear me play this music again because I’m the last man standing from the quartet version of Weather Report. It’s also different enough that it war- rants being done.” James Turano is a freelance writer and a former entertainment editor, feature writer, and columnist for national and local magazines and newspapers. He has written official programs for eight Elton John tours since 2003 and is also a Chicago radio personality and host on WGN 720AM. RAVINIAMAGAZINE • JUNE 6 – JUNE 15, 2025 20 TAMADRUMS