Herbie Hancock于1940年4月12日出生于芝加哥的一个音乐之家。
Hancock七岁开始学习钢琴,两年以后就开始他的第一次公开演出.高中和大学时期他在一些半专业的乐团中演奏,偶尔有机会为一些造访的爵士乐手伴奏,其中就有Donald Byrd.1961年,Hancock第一次在纽约演出就是和Donald Byrd合作,后来自己建乐团时也和Donald Byrd合作过. 他声名鹊起获得广泛承认的是他加入Miles Davis的五重奏以后.他与Miles共同呆了五年多,在与Davis合作的后期,乐队开始演奏Jazz-rock的风格,Hancock对这种风格十分适应,1968年他自己组了一个六重奏追求自己的演奏观念.他们演奏Hancock原创的作品,乐队成为70年代早期最受欢迎和最具影响力Jazz-Rock乐队. 从1969年开始,Hancock广泛使用电钢琴和其他电子乐器,包括合成器.1973年迫于经济压力Hancock将他的乐队削减为四重奏,其中包括特色乐手Bennie Maupin.新乐队的风格还是Fusion,但这次更多偏向于Jazz-Funk.Hancock四重奏的首张专辑Head Hunters被刚萌芽的Disco乐界广泛接受而且赢得巨大的销量.整个七十年代其余的时间，Hancock的音乐始终关注于这个领域.期间他也制作了数张传统爵士专辑,其中有与Chick Corea一起的以及他自己乐队V.S.O.P。
Hancock在音乐中展现了一种影响深远的创造性,为流行唱片工业设立了一个标准.音乐在形式上是理性的产物,但其内容却是无法缺少热情的, V.S.O.P.乐队的作品一向以其完整性、强烈的情绪和原创性著称.尽管Hancock最初的兴趣在传统爵士上,但他非常有技巧地将其音乐的探索推向其他的领域,创作出一组激动人心的作品。

CBSソニー移籍第一作である。前作「森羅万象」ではヴォーカルまで担当し、マルチ・ミュージシャン的色彩が見られたが、今作は従来のスタイルに戻り、ギターの松本正嗣(亭主)と共にキーボード中心のライト・フュージョンを創り出している。

Remastered CD and MiniDisc reissue of the album.

Heavy Weather is the seventh album by Weather Report, released in 1977 through Columbia Records. By 1991, the release had sold 1,000,000 copies in the US alone; it would prove to be the band's most commercially successful album and one of the best sellers in the Columbia jazz catalog. DownBeat magazine gave Heavy Weather a five-star review, and later its readers voted it jazz album of the year.

The lineup for the album consisted of Weather Report founders Joe Zawinul (keyboards, synthesizers) and Wayne Shorter (saxophone), alongside Jaco Pastorius (bass), Alex Acuña (drums), and Manolo Badrena (percussion). It was produced and orchestrated by Zawinul, with additional production by Shorter and Pastorius, and engineered by Ron Malo.


Manufactured By – Columbia Records
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Copyright © – Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Recorded At – Devonshire Studios
Mastered At – Sony Music Studios, New York City

A&R [Columbia Jazz Reissue Series] – Kevin Gore, Steve Berkowitz
Art Direction [Reissue Art Direction] – Howard Fritzson
Co-producer – Jaco Pastorius
Coordinator [A&R Coordination] – Patti Matheny
Coordinator [Project Director] – Seth Rothstein
Design – Nancy Donald
Design [Reissue Design] – Randall Martin
Engineer – Ron Malo
Engineer [Assistant Engineer] – Brian Risner, Jerry Hudgins
Illustration – Lou Beach
Liner Notes [July 1997] – John Ephland
Management [Packaging Manager] – Nicholas Bennett
Mastered By [Digitally Mastered By] – Mark Wilder
Other [Chief Meteorologist] – Brian Risner
Photography By – Keith Williams*
Photography By [Liner Photography] – Don Hunstein
Photography By [Page 4] – Sony Music Archives
Producer [Assistant Producer] – Wayne Shorter
Producer [Original Producer], Orchestrated By [Orchestrator] – Joe Zawinul
Producer [Production Assistance] – Rene Arsenault
Reissue Producer [Produced For Reissue By] – Bob Belden

© 1997 Sony Music Entertainment Inc./ ℗ 1977 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Disc(s) made in Germany. Packaged in USA.

1981年LP再版