Weather Report were one of the most influential jazz-fusion bands of their era, outliving many of their contemporaries such as Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Although the musicians changed frequently throughout the band's 16-year history, they still produced groundbreaking music under the aegis of Joe Zawinul
Band members Zawinul, Shorter and Moreira had already played in Miles Davis' bands, so the first incarnation of Weather Report is a direct continuation of Miles' 'In A Silent Way'/ 'Bitches Brew' period. When bassist Jaco Pastorius joined the band in 1976, the band's most successful phase began with 'Black Market'