Joe Zawinul, RIP

[Morgan Childs]

Surfing around tonight, I came across the news that Joe Zawinul has passed away at age 75. One of the true greats.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/...it-Zawinul.php

[Gavin Walker]

Sad to say it's true. Joe died of cancer at a Viennese hospital at 4:55am this morning(Sept. 11) and one of the true innovators of this music has moved on. Perhaps he can now re-unite with Cannonball and Nat. RIP Zawinul.

[zula]

RIP, Mr Zawinul.

[Gavin Walker]

Although I heard Cannonball Adderley's band a number of times during the 60's and became acquainted both Julian and Nat and various other members of the band, I was never introduced to Zawinul.

Cannonball and company came to Vancouver in the early 70's to play at Ron Small's club called 'Ronnie's Riverqueen' on Davie Street for 3 days and I had arranged to spend an afternoon with Cannon to talk shop about the alto and to ask him about solving a few problems I was having with the horn. As Adderley was a teacher, he quickly solved my concerns and complimented me on my sound and playing which made me feel like a king!! We spent the rest of the afternoon talking, eating and hanging out.

During this time Nat and drummer Roy McCurdy came by the room, sat around then left to explore the West End. Shortly after eating a bowl of Cannon's chili (hot and good) Joe Zawinul knocked at the door and after introductions, politely asked if I would excuse him and Cannon as they had to discuss some private business. They did this in the other room while I listened to a demo copy of Miroslav Vitous' album 'Infinite Search' which Cannon had said had the 'baddest version of 'Freedom Jazz Dance you ever heard'. They returned after their talk and the phone rang for Adderley and Joe and I were alone.

Now, Zawinul had a way of looking at you and an intensity about him that you knew he didn't suffer fools and he asked me what was doing with my music and who I dug etc. I told him about how Cannon had helped me with some problems and who I dug and listened to. Joe became very warm and said ,'hey man, we're on the same page, that's cool. Do you listen at all to classical music?" I said that I sure did and told him that I liked the 20th Century guys, Shostakovitch, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Bartok etc. Zawinul said 'that's great man you can't ever ignore that shit. Have you heard Bartok's 'Divertimento For Strings'?" I told him that I was not familiar with that work. Then he said, 'go find it and check it out, especially the second movement......that is the most soulful, beautiful music you're ever likely to hear and it will put your head in a new space." The next day I found a recording of the Bartok and that night at the club was able to thank Zawinul for turning me on to it. I asked him if he had ever heard Prokofiev's Second Piano Concerto and surprisingly he said he didn't know it but was familiar with all the other Piano Concertos.(Prokofiev wrote 5) I told him that there was some very African sounding 6/8 stuff in the Second that he would dig. I never spoke to Joe again after that although I did hear Weather Report a couple of times in the 70's and I did hear Cannonball when he played at 'Oil Can Harry's' later in the 70's. Adderley told me that Joe told him to 'say hi to that young guy in Vancouver that turned me on to Prokofiev's Second'.

So long Joe.

[LAZZ]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries...167669,00.html