PROCESSION

With Drummer Peter Erskine and Bassist Jaco Pastorius tied up on other projects and tour dates looming fast Weather Report mainstays Joe Zawinul (Keyboards) and Wayne Shorter (Saxophones) were desperately in need of a new rhythm section. Drummer Omar Hakim came highly recommended and he brought along Bassist Victor Bailey and Percussionist Jose' Rossy. By the time they came to record Procession they'd had the opportunity to tighten up as a band on the road and the new blood seemed to revitalise the band, their previous couple of albums generally regarded as a disappointment.

The title track kicks off the album quietly and subtlely with Zawinal's Synth lines quickly joined by Bass and Drums. Hakim's Drumming is very tasteful and being a guitarist as well gives his playing a very musical feel rather than being simply rhythmic. The track picks up in intensity midway before quietly fading away towards the end. This is a Zawinul composition and he tends to take the front seat here, Shorter's sax playing a secondary roll. Procession is followed by Plaza Real where Shorter does make his presence more felt on this slow Jazz piece; indeed it's his composition.

The explosive Two Lines follows; the band is really on fire on this up tempo track. Each and every band member gets to shine here, particularly Shorter's superb Sax playing and the rhythmic interplay between Bailey and Hakim is excellent. This is eighties Jazz Fusion as good as it got. Seven and a half minutes is not nearly long enough for this brilliance!

Where the Moon Goes is a little unusual. It features the processed voices of vocal group Manhattan Transfer. No doubt the band inspired to use them after their interpretation of the Weather report classic Birdland. The track starts quietly underpinned by a Zawinul synth line with a slow build climaxing with some more excellent Sax from Shorter. The Vocal's are used as another instrument rather than singing a more traditional sort of vocal melody and it works very well. The tempo really picks up towards the end, Hakim really driving the piece home. A bit of light relief in The Well follows, an atmospheric piece featuring only Keyboards and Sax. The album then closes with a Hakim composition, Molasses Run. It's another lively bit of Fusion. Once again some excellent Drums and Bass work and Hakim also plays Guitar too.

If you're looking to discover Weather Report this may not be the best place to start, see their seventies work for that but there's no denying that this is an excellent piece of Jazz/Fusion from one of the seminal bands in the genre and comes highly recommended to fans of this type of music.

The title of "Weather Report" of the album announced in 1982 had and the fact through the name of the band had the settled an account by the band meaning in various meanings. Weather Report would be sure to have started exactly developing the revolution and the new front even if it thought also as an item of Jazz/Fusion after the band rushed into in the 80's. And, the band might have been typing out the impression of which the color of Joe Zawinul went out strongly almost. Peter Erskine and Jaco Pastorius. And, Robert Thomas Jr . It drank and it might not have had a lot of problems for the band though 3 people seceded from the band in the former work.

Peter Erskine hoped for the activity as the freelance. And, to concentrate on the activity of own "Word of Mouth", Jaco Pastorius has parted from the band. The desire and zeal concerning the band might have increased further for Joe Zawinul though the band faced the time of closing of accounts in a sense. The appearance of the desire might be expressed by the content of this album.

It had made remarks on Joe Zawinul immediately before the announcement of this album. ｢It is not necessary to develop smoothness in this album. I wanted the march feeling that went out ahead. ｣It did not know the desire of Joe Zawinul that had started pushing the frontiers exactly became weak. It might be derivative to a part of Album Art that is a little reminiscent of "Black Market" and a new rhythm section.

The member who newly participated in the band in this album is drum player's Omar Hakim. Bass player's Victor Bailey. And, it is percussionist's Jose Rossy. The fact from which this new member is recommended for the band by Michal Urbaniak might be a point that should make a special mention. And, it is also true that these three people blew a new wind to the music character of the band.

Omar Hakim was spoken back recollecting it. ｢The member of the band had a lot of conversations and the discussions. However, the performance was not so rehearsed though it would refrain from live in the near future. The state continued for a while. I had feelings of uneasiness for the state that did not rehearse. And, the state continued for a while. And, I was able to discover it. A part of conversation and the discussion are the extensions of music for a band and pure music. We can talk through music. ｣

Freedom of performance that increases with shape that runs side by side with directionality and idea of band. Proof with the methodology that the band always established might be a part of proof and the room of various ideas and technologies. All those elements are remarkably expressed by this album. And, the idea of Weather Report that pushes the frontiers has leapt further.

It might be a tune that should be able to be called "Procession" is an intro of the band that pushes the frontiers exactly. It might be a boogie-woogie about which Joe Zawinul talked and be an intro as the element of the march. A soft keyboard twines round the rhythm of the shuffle that is reminiscent of "Night Passage" with the line of Bass. The sound of the keyboard is indeed variegated. The sound might be exactly a pronoun of the band. And, Victor Bailey that always shows deference to Jaco Pastorius catches the band from the angle besides Jaco.

"Plaza Real" is a tune that Wayne Shorter wrote. The atmosphere of the tune is exactly reminiscent of middle term. Glossy soprano Sax is impressive. A hard sound of the refined rhythm section has completely changed the impression of the current band. And, consistent Zawinul and Shorter might have room. Vocal Solo of Zawinul in close relation to the melody of Shorter that blows tenor Sax on the way is a masterpiece. The desire of Zawinul will be felt by me.

"Two Lines" exactly continues the dash feeling. The rhythm section dexterously treats various elements. And, the south intention of Zawinul appears remarkably in this tune. Solo of exploding Sax might be splendid. And, the part of the voice processed by the effect might be a patent of the band. This tune might be a flow in which the band is skillful. Robert Thomas Jr . The rhythm also contributes to drinking. Ensemble is exactly integral.

"Where The Moon Goes" has appointed The Manhattan Transfer as a guest. It might be a respect of Zawinul to the tie of "Birdland" to The Grammy Awards. The tune has taken the element of the calypso to the tune. The flow of a slow tune expands the width of the impression of the album. Solo of soprano sax also contributes. The tune heads for the top with steel pans. The last rhythm section of the tune announces the overwhelming might.

"The Well" is Joe Zawinul and a tune by Duo of Wayne Shorter. The flow with glossy soprano sax and the anacatesthesia is impressive. This tune adopts the sound source performed in the region that is called "Nagoya" of Japan in June, 1980. The matter sung that lyrics of "Where The Moon Goes" are "In the rain in Nagoya" appears. It might be an idea made based on the experience in the Japan.

"Molasses Run" is a tune that Omar Hakim offered the band. Very high-quality Fusion is developed in the tune collected to this album. How the band contains freedom might be understood. Flow of rhythm that requires fast development from theme with feature of Bass. Omar Hakim takes charge of the guitar in this tune. The band is contributing to the tune like answering the idea of Omar Hakim. Bass and the drum have gone out of this tune to previous. And, twining of Sax exactly assembles a good flow of Jazz/Fusion. Ensemble might succeed exactly. And, the technology of Bass is overwhelming.

The band rushed into in the 80's : to this album. Therefore, it has evolved further. It might be an album from which the zeal of the band has come to the front exactly.

"Procession" is the 11th full-length studio album by US jazz/fusion act Weather Report. Released in 1983 you could have expected it to have a "typical" artificial eighties sound but fortunately Weather Report is not your average band. Core members and main composers Wayne Shorter (Saxophone) and Joe Zawinul (keyboards, synths) always sought to explore new ground and regardless of how succesful their albums were, they never repeated themselves in an attempt to achive commercial success. The most amazing thing about Weather Report is probably that they made very bad albums in their long career. "Procession" is "just" another high quality release in their discography. There´s been some significant changes in the lineup since the self-titled 10th full-length studio album "Weather Report (1982)" as bassist Jaco Pastorius has been replaced by Victor Bailey, drummer Peter Erskine has been replaced by Omar Hakim and percussionist Robert Thomas Jr. has been replaced by José Rossy.

There are six tracks on the album. All quality jazz/fusion compositions with both memorable melodies, skilled playing and lots of power. Especially "Two Lines" features lots of powerful fusion playing. There´s also lots of atmosphere in the music though and the almost ambient "The Well" is a great example of that. As always on Weather Report´s albums it´s the compositions that come before the technical playing and personally that´s how I like it. There are no unnecessary noodling on "Procession".

The production is excellent. To make an organic sound like this in 1983 and not sound like a seventies dinosaur is quite the achivement.

"Procession" is a great album by Weather Report and while it didn´t exactly blow me away the first couple of times I listened to the album, it still grows on me with every listen and I seem to find new things to enjoy about it all the time. A deserved 4 star (80%) rating.