The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra tour the music of Weather Report later this month joined by Peter Erskine, a former member of the highly influential band that came to be synonymous with jazz-rock in the 1970s and 80s. Erskine, 57, who was born in Somers Point in New Jersey, became a member of Weather Report in 1978 and for four years played with the band co-founded by Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter and which issued its debut album seven years earlier. He appears on the albums Mr Gone, 8:30, Night Passage, Weather Report and This Is This!, their final studio album. The SNJO, directed by saxophonist Tommy Smith, which won mainstream band of the year at last year’s Scottish Jazz Awards, includes, besides Smith, Brass Jaw trumpeter Ryan Quigley, Tom Macniven, Cameron Jay, Lorne Cowieson, Ewan Mains, Newt trombonist Chris Greive, Phil O’Malley, Michael Owers, Lorna McDonald, Brass Jaw saxophonists Konrad Wiszniewski and Paul Towndrow, Martin Kershaw, and Bill Fleming, pianist Steve Hamilton, Kit Downes Trio bassist Calum Gourlay, Karma drummer Alyn Cosker, guitarist Kevin Mackenzie, and also from Karma, Kevin Glasgow. Dates are: Caird Hall, Dundee (Thursday 23 February), Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh (Friday 24 February), Royal Conservatoire, Glasgow (Saturday 25 February), and Macrobert Centre, Stirling on Sunday 26 February.

The orchestra in May will appear at the Jazz sous les pommiers festival in France, and later that month will be joined on tour by another guest, trumpeter Randy Brecker, for a short series of dates playing music in celebration of Randy’s brother, the late great saxophonist, Michael Brecker.

– Stephen Graham

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