Joe Zawinul: 1932-2007

The composer, pianist, arranger and all-around musical visionary Joe Zawinul passed away today in his native Vienna from an apparently rare form of skin cancer. Arriving as an immigrant to these shores in 1959, Joe immediately hooked up with Cannonball and Nat Adderley, proceeding to stay with them as pianist, composer and, ultimately, "musical director" for the next eleven years.

Towards the end of this time period, he also collaborated with Miles; whereas tthe brooding trumpeter par excellance and all-around Prince of Darkness served as the face of the "fusion" movement, Joe initially saw his role underneath the musical surface. Indeed, as the composer of the beautiful "in a Silent Way", Joe deserves more credit than he has always failed to recieve for his innovactions (in point of fact, some of the early fusion records are actually quite worthwhile and emminately tuneful: to name just a few: Herbie Hancock's initial "Fat Albert" offerings; Tony Williams seminal group "Lifetime"; John McLaughlin's initial forrays with his Mahavishnu Orchestra, particularly the initial "The Inner Mounting Flame")

Joining up with Wayne Shoter and Miroslav Vitous, Joe formed the fusion outfit "Weather Report", which he and Shoter kept afloat for better or for worse, for the next 15 years. Along the way, personnel came and went, including the mercurial Jaco Pastorious, and, truth be told, Weather Report, along with the genre in which it was contextualized, became more and more commercialized and consequently less and less interesting. Indeed, the increasing lack of quality of "fusion" in general gave rise to "new" musical quantities--to wit, the twin horrors of "instrumental pop" and "smooth jazz".

This history should not in any shape and form take away from the fact that the early fusion records were often quite compelling and adventous affairs. And musicans such as Joe Zawinul should be given due credit for being what they were: pioneers.

I think I'll listen to the entirety of "In a Silent Way" and perhaps some "Mercy Mercy Mercy" tonight. Joe Zawinul deserves nothing less, to be sure, then to be remembered for such invigorativve and innovative music.