"Heavy Weather" is the seventh studio album by the American jazz fusion band Weather Report, released in 1977. Despite the band's jazz roots, it became their most successful album in terms of commercial sales, as it is regarded as a landmark album in the jazz fusion genre.
No stranger to experimentation, Weather Report was known for their improvisation and incorporation of various musical styles, mastering a groundbreaking sound that incorporated elements of electronic music with improvisation and the sophisticated harmonies of jazz. "Heavy Weather" excellently epitomizes these traits.
The album marked the first recording with a then relatively unknown bassist Jaco Pastorius, who brought a significant influence to the band's music with his harmonics-laden fretless bass tone and innovative bass-playing style. Pastorius immediately made his presence felt on the album; he provided the composition for one of the album's most famous tracks, "Teen Town", where he also played both bass and drums.
"Heavy Weather" is comprised of ten tracks and includes hit singles like "Birdland", which has since become a jazz standard, and "Havona". Critically the album was quite well received; reviewers have praised it for its production value, musicianship and composition. It peaked at number 30 in the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart, an unexpected feat for a jazz album.
Overall, "Heavy Weather" is a fusion masterpiece, blending together jazz, rock, funk, and even elements of classical music, delivering a timeless and universally acclaimed album that has left an undeniable impact on the world of music.
