Rolling Stone (p.110) - Ranked #5 in Rolling Stone's "The Top 10 Reissues Of 2006" -- "[T]his three-CD history shows how hard Weather Report rocked without being rock."
JazzTimes (p.74) - "[I]t is Zawinul's odd harmonic personality and sonic scope that leave the most lasting impression."
Weather Report: Jaco Pastorius, Joe Zawinul, Peter Erskine, Wayne Shorter.
Recording information: 1969 - 1985.
On this excellent 2006 box set, Columbia Records presents an impressively thorough overview of the revered 1970s/early-'80s jazz-rock fusion group Weather Report. The compilation begins unconventionally, though intuitively, with pre-Weather Report tracks that reveal the band's roots, most notably Miles Davis's serene yet adventurous "In a Silent Way," which features both core Weathermen Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone) and Joe Zawinul (keyboards), and effectively establishes the template for the duo's eclectic and ambitious vision.
A few of FORECAST TOMORROW's many highlights include the moody "Unknown Soldier," the funky "Black Market," and the vibrant "Birdland," which showcase Shorter's deft sax playing and Zawinul's simmering keyboard work, and (on the latter two songs) the fluid bass lines of the young, mercurial Jaco Pastorious. Given the surprising dearth of Weather Report retrospectives, this anthology fills a sizable gap in the ensemble's catalog, and easily stands out as its most comprehensive collection.