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Marina
Moderator & Jamily Coach
Joined: 16 Apr 2006
Posts: 1673
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 Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2007 18:05 |
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Bye bye Joe Zawinul..
VIENNA (Reuters) - Keyboardist Joe Zawinul, who played with Miles Davis and helped shape jazz fusion with his band Weather Report, died in his native city of Vienna on Tuesday, aged 75.
Zawinul, voted best keyboarder 30 times by music magazine Down Beat's critics' poll, including this year, had sought medical attention last month after a tour. He died of a rare form of skin cancer, local news agency APA reported.
"Joe Zawinul was born on July 7, 1932 in earth time, and on September 11, 2007 in eternal time. He lives on," APA quoted his son Erich as saying.
Growing up in Vienna's poor Erdberg district during Nazi rule, Zawinul first showed his talent by playing the accordion with his family. He later won a free place in the Vienna Conservatory. As a young man his friends were the late former Austrian President Thomas Klestil and pianist Friedrich Gulda.
In 1959, Zawinul won a piano scholarship at Boston's Berklee College of Music, where many careers in contemporary music began, before joining the bands of U.S. jazz stars Dinah Washington and later Cannonball Adderly.
Miles Davis first approached the budding pianist in New York's Birdland jazz club, wanting to hire him, Zawinul once told an interviewer. Zawinul turned him down but said that when the time was right, they would make history together.
And when the time was right, they did. Ten years later, Zawinul wrote "In a Silent Way," the title cut for Davis' 1969 album regarded as one of the trumpeter's first forays into jazz fusion, a genre drawing on rock, R&B and other styles.
He played on and composed for Davis' "Bitches Brew" album in 1970, a chart-topping record considered revolutionary for the day and marking his crossover to a rock and pop audience.
Zawinul started Weather Report in 1970 with saxophonist Wayne Shorter. The band did much to bring electric piano, synthesizers, and African and Middle Eastern rhythms to mainstream audiences in a jazz setting.
Before its breakup in 1985, Weather Report released 17 albums. Its most famous song, "Birdland," published on the "Heavy Weather" album in 1977, won separate Grammy awards in three decades -- for the original version as well as for covers by Quincy Jones and Manhattan Transfer.
Following the break-up of Weather Report, Zawinul had fronted the Zawinul Syndicate for the past 20 years. After the group's tour this summer, he sought medical attention and was admitted to the Wilhelmina Clinic in his native city last month.
In 1963, Zawinul married Maxine, the first African-American Playboy bunny, whom he met in the Birdland club too. They mainly lived in Malibu, California. The couple had three children.
He also spent a lot of time in Vienna and started his own club there, also called Birdland. He had planned to give a concert in Vienna's concert hall on September 29.
Vienna Mayor Michael Haeupl said the musician would be buried in a grave of honor in Vienna.
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Knjaz
Joined: 01 Feb 2006
Posts: 803
Location: Stuck in your computer
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| Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2007 20:49 |
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God no. First JB, then Pavarotti, now JZ? God, he was an awesome keyboardist. His work on Bitches Brew and In a Silent way is invaluable! Rest in peace, Zawinul. Oh, lord, please don't let George Clinton or John McLaughlin be next! The world will not be the same! |
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FunkyDonkey
Officer
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 1680
Location: Milan, Italy
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| Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 07:55 |
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Here's a note published by Bluey (Incognito's band leader) on the sad event, these words touched my soul:
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Dear all,
I just got the news from my dear friend and publisher Thomas Glagow that Joe passed away last night.
Eric, his son just called to inform him. Joe was 75.
I am shocked as he seemed on such good form when I saw him at the North Sea Jazz festival a couple of months ago.
I will never forget seeing him for the first time on the Heavy Weather Tour at the Rainbow theatre in Finsbury park with Jaco, Alex, Manolo and Wayne. It left a big impression.
Such is the legacy of the man that I know that I (50) will miss him, my 30 year old son will miss him, my 10 year old daughter will miss him.
His composition "Birdland" won 3 Grammies in 3 decades with 3 different versions (Weather Report, Manhattan Transfer and Quincy Jones)
Joe played a big show in Hungary before he had been hospitalised.
Joe died in a Vienna hospital early today.
Zawinul won widespread acclaim for his keyboard work on chart-topping Davis albums such as ''In A Silent Way'' and
''Bitches Brew,'' and was a leading force behind the so-called ''Electric Jazz'' movement.
The Weather Report album "Heavy Weather" is still the best selling album in this genre.
In celebration of a gifted spirit.
R.I.P. Joe.
Namaste
Bluey
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