>>I wore out an LP and then a cassette of Weather Report's "Mysterious Traveler" and still listen to it once in a while on CD. That record was *really* out there. It stood out even in rock's most creative period.
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>It's interesting that later works of the members have gone in quite different directions. I thought I'd like Miroslav Vitouš, being Slavic etc, but what I could find of him was exactly what I despise. OTOH, Joe Zawinul is the right kind of crazy. Haven't run into anything by Wayne Shorter or Jaco Pastorius yet, so I wouldn't know.

They have both done some stuff on their own. Shorter was actually the guy who got Weather Report most of their early attention, having been a member of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and then replacing John Coltrane in Miles Davis's group. Miles didn't hire any fools. (Although he did reportedly pay them peanuts, apparently in faith that just being in his band was a career-making move).