To date,
Weather Report has been documented accurately exactly once in a live setting, and that was on a Japanese import called Live in Tokyo in 1972. All of their U.S.-released product, including their double-live set 8:30, was truncated, though it did capture some of the excitement the band was capable of producing at their most effectively intent and focused. Unfortunately,
Live and Unreleased goes no further in demystifying the truly mysterious that elemental process that allowed them to move from one idea to the next no matter how far distant, with no apparent bridges in between. Being a collection of tracks from various live dates from 1975-1983, with wildly varying personnel, that cannot be expected. That said, what does transpire here showcases what an intense -- and accessible -- listening experience
Weather Report could provide in a concert hall at a moment's notice. One of the more confusing aspects of
Live and Unreleased is its sequencing. In trying to showcase the band in as many settings as possible, some continuity is lost. When you begin with a a performance of
Wayne Shorter's "Freezing Fire," recorded in 1975, with
Alphonso Johnson on bass,
Alex Acuna on percussion, and
Chester Thompson on drums, then move directly to
Shorter's "Plaza Real," recorded in 1983 at a much bigger hall (same city, though, London), with
Victor Bailey on bass and
Omar Hakim on drums, and then jump back again to
Joe Zawinul's "Fast City" from 1980, with
Jaco Pastorius on bass and
Peter Erskine on drums, you have traveled a long way in the band's evolutionary process without the regard of context. While
Zawinul and
Shorter were constants and regarded as the band's leaders, no one can question
Pastorius' role as a dominating influence as both a player and as a composer -- not to mention his and
Zawinul's competitive/conflicting energy. That's missing here. Some moments are more smooth than others, as on disc two's transition from "In a Silent Way/Waterfall," both by
Zawinul and recorded in 1978, to the title track from
Night Passage, recorded with virtually the same band --
Pastorius and
Erskine in the rhythm section -- in 1980 and then on to
Shorter's "Port of Entry" from the same date. Here, glimpses are cast into the shadows of the real lightning that could (and often would) strike when the band was -- as most often they were -- on their mettle. And while
Live and Unreleased is perhaps true but misleading in the sense of presenting the band at their live best, there is some wonderful and challenging music here, such as
Pastorius engaging both
Shorter and
Zawinul on "Black Market"; the double-timed "Teen Town," with
Manolo Badrena acting as a wizard of small percussion; "River People," with
Erskine triple timing the beat to get
Shorter's solo out from under the bank of
Zawinul's keyboards and
Pastorius supporting him, the sheer arpeggiattic flights of fancy
Zawinul was capable of in mode such as on "In a Silent Way/Waterfall." All of these are wonderful moments in a collection of tracks that has nothing whatsoever to apologize for and is a more than worthy addition to any fan's library. Ultimately, this still leaves room for Legacy to come up with a live
Weather Report Box, perhaps documenting the
Jaco years. Here's to hoping. ~ Thom Jurek