Weather Report shaded their jazz fusion with subtle bits of world music, like painters using different colors. The ecstatic “Hot Cargo” is fueled by Joe Zawinul's use of Caribbean kettle drums, “Herandu” is a blend of sinewy Middle Eastern melodies and busy African rhythms, and the relaxed “Plaza Real” has synths that echo old-world accordions, all of which evoke rich, vivid images of far-off lands.
