Weather Update was a short-lived jazz rock/jazz fusion project led by piano/keyboard virtuoso Josef ‘Joe’ Zawinul in 1986, shortly after the disbandment of the legendary jazz rock/jazz fusion band Weather Report which he had co-founded along with saxophone virtuoso Wayne Shorter. This brief article includes a great live performance by Weather Update (which, in a particular way, can also be considered as the first continuator of Weather Report, the second being The Zawinul Syndicate or just the Syndicate for the connoisseurs) from the 1986 edition of the Jazz Festival in Antibes, France as well as the background information regarding it.
Legendary jazz rock/jazz fusion keyboardist and maestro Josef ‘Joe’ Zawinul performing live with his second band, Weather Update, at the 1986 edition of the Jazz Festival in Antibes, France. Image source: www.youtube.com
Firstly though, it is important to reiterate the fact that Weather Update was, essentially, a transition musical project of Joe Zawinul who went on to perform with several former bandmates from Weather Report in this then newly established group but not with co-founder Wayne Shorter.
The following live performance was recorded at the 1986 edition of the Jazz Festival in Antibes, France. The line-up of Weather Update for this concert was the following one:
- Josef ‘Joe’ Zawinul (keyboards and vocoder);
- Steve Khan (guitar);
- Victor Bailey (electric bass guitar);
- Peter Erskine (drums);
- Bobby Thomas Jr (percussion).
The setlist for the concert only consists of two songs, both of them composed by Zawinul, namely ‘The Harvest’ and ‘Dr. Honoris Causa/Update’ (the first of which can be traced back to Zawinul’s self-titled studio album that was released in 1970 through Columbia Records, being actually the first track on that record).
Therefore, that being said and without any further needless ado or unwanted spoilers on my behalf, I wholeheartedly recommend integrally listening to and watching the following great live performance by Joe Zawinul and Weather Update at the 1986 edition of the Jazz Festival Antibes in Antibes, France. Enjoy and all the best!
- Zawinul in transition on www.zawinulonline.org
- Band info on www.discogs.com