This
Bob Belden-produced compilation includes nothing earlier than
Sweetnighter and nothing later than
Night Passage. A previous
Weather Report compilation,
This Is Jazz, Vol. 10, reaches back farther, giving listeners "The Moors" and "Orange Lady." While this one is a bit narrower historically, it still serves as a good introduction to an incredible band. (That said, a volume of post-1980 material may not be a bad idea.) Alongside obligatory classics like "Birdland," "Black Market," and "A Remark You Made" are more obscure goodies like "The Elders" from the unfairly maligned
Mr. Gone album and "Blackthorn Rose," the marvelous piano/soprano sax duet from
Mysterious Traveller. Another thing that recommends this and Columbia's
Weather Report reissues in general: meticulous, track-by-track personnel listings, which weren't always made available on the original releases. ~ David R. Adler