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JOE ZAWINUL, Keyboardist Extraordinaire! A Brother From Another Part
Apr 5, 2011
The first time I had ever heard of Joe Zawinul (Zah-vee-nool) was on a Cannonball Adderley album called Cannonball Adderley Quintet Live In San Francisco doing a tune called Jive Samba. The chord changes on the acoustic piano for this song were very distinctive, full bodied and funky. And when he took his piano solo, I was wondering WHO IS THIS GUY ON THE KEYS? The group was made up of Joe on acoustic piano, Louis Hayes on drums, Sam Jones on bass, Cannonball on alto sax and his brother, Nat on trumpet. Cannonball was noted by a number of critics as the second coming of Charlie Parker with the speed and agility that he showed on the horn. However, the biggest difference between Cannonball and Charlie Parker was Cannonball's lyrical ability in his solos.
Died at age 75, Sept. 11. 2007, however was young at heart and in his mind. This was not an old man playing jazz.
My brother and I played trumpet and alto saxophone, respectively, so we had already approached playing from the same standpoint as the Adderley Brothers. But that keyboard man was funky. As I became familiar with Mr. Zawinul, I found he was from Vienna, Austria which blew me away because the first question everyone who was into the music was asking, HOW DID THIS GUY BECOME SO SOULFUL? Joe played with Cannonball through 1967. In 1966, Cannonball put out an album that was totally associated with the Black Movement called MERCY, MERCY, MERCY, based on a tune that Joe Zawinul penned. Even Herbie Hancock remarked, "For a white Viennese boy to write a tune that's that black is pretty remarkable," Hancock says. "He just captured the essence of the African-American heritage, just the statement of melody and feeling of that song. Clearly, in some past life, Joe must've been black." This cat was baaaad!
He, Chick Corea, and Herbie Hancock were at the forefront of acoustic piano players who were moving to electronic keyboards. He wrote a number of tunes for the Adderley Quintet that kept them in the forefront of the jazz community in the mid-60’s with tunes like Walk Tall, Come Sunday and Country Preacher.
He left the Adderley Group to extend his musical experience with Miles Davis creating, what I call, one of the most interesting sonatas in jazz, IN A SILENT WAY. This is one of the best albums in the Miles Davis discography. This was part of the birth of what became known as Jazz Fusion – the combination of rock and r&b elements with jazz. He continued this work with the Miles’ classic album BITCHES BREW with heavy work on the tune MILES RUNS THE VOODOO DOWN.
After leaving Miles in 1970, he and saxophonist Wayne Shorter (another Miles alumni) broke off to form Weather Report. This was a versatile group that approached music from an electronic, funky, jazzy, and ethereal perspective that made them one of the heaviest groups of the time. Both were the constants in the group later adding fretless bass player Jaco Pastorius to a group that was beyond reproach. The album HEAVY WEATHER with the tune Birdland became a pop favorite, attracting folks who were not jazz enthusiasts to this style music. This group continued making great music into the late 80’s.
When Joe, Wayne and Jaco parted company, Joe formed the group The Zawinul Syndicate. This was a man who kept pursuing new ways to communicate musically, and the Syndicate was a vehicle for that exploration. Like Miles, Joe Zawinul didn’t like to look backward musically, there was always a search for what was new.
I was lucky enough to be part of a radio group that brought Weather Report, with Joe, Wayne and Jaco to S.U.N.Y. at StonyBrook in the Mid 70’s. All I can say is, FAAAANTASTIC!
The first album I bought of Joe Zawinul was one that had a close up picture of him looking up at the camera with his cool mustached look, with the words ZAWINUL underneath. I knew this guy was gonna be big and
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Musical Influences
Oct 11, 2008
There are a number of influences responsible for my musicial growth that must be mentioned:
Miles Davis (The Master), his proteges Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane,
Cannonball Adderley,
Bill Evans, Tony Williams, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, and Ron Carter.
I would
also include: Dave Brubeck, Cal Tjader, Gil Evans, George Duke, McCoy Tyner,
Jan Hammer,
Eddie Henderson, Philly Joe Jones, Theolonius Monk, Gene Harris, Donny Hathaway,
Les McCann, Bob James, Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, Grover Washington, Jr.,
Tito Puente, Ray Gomez,
Roy Ayers, Patrice Rushen, Stanley Clarke, Sly Stone, War, Earth Wind & Fire, Mandrill,
Maze,
Kool & The Gang, Bob Marley, Horace Silver, Quincy Jones, Wes Montgomery,
George Benson,
Jeff Lorber, Alex Bugnon, Philippe Saisse, Boney James, Jean Luc Ponty, Rufus,
Hugo Fattaruso (Opa),
Chaka Khan, Sting (Police), Phil Collins (Brand-X, Genesis), Maxayn and Andre Lewis,
Rachel Z,
Terje Rypdal, Sergio Mendes, Billy Cobham, Airto & Flora Purim, Donald Blackman,
Lenny White,
Q-Tip, Eddie Palmieri, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, The Thievery Corporation, Blue Six,
Alan Pasqua,
Kaskade, Mark Farina, DJ Cam, Everything But The Girl, Tupac,
Angie Stone (Vertical Hold),
Isley Brothers, Loose Ends, Maxwell, D'Angelo, Joe Henderson, Brecker Brothers,
Charles Lloyd, Stanley Turrentine,
Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Alphonze Mouzon, Dr. Dre, Snoop, Steps Ahead,
Weather Report, Alphonso Johnson, Marcus Miller, Gary McFarland,
Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Barry White, Isaac Hayes,
Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Bruford,
Allan Holdsworth, Ray Obiedo, John Scofield, Phil Manzanera, Andy Narell, Seal, Yes,
Simon and Garfunkel, the Beatles, Milton Nascimento, Bugge Wesseltoft, Mtume,
Minnie Ripperton, Jack Dejohnette, Errol Garner,
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Joe Sample, Miraslav Vitous, LTJ Bukem,
and Rhino.
Thanks Folks,
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