September 21, 2007: Tribute to Joe Z.
Today we pay tribute to yet another great figure in jazz who passed away in recent weeks: keyboardist, composer, and band leader Joe Zawinul. Originally hailing from Austria, Zawinul (along with John McLaughlin) became a key European jazz artist tapped by Miles Davis to electrify the trumpeter’s fusion- period work. Zawinul was also known for his contributions to Cannonball Adderley’s group, particularly his classic tune “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.” Zawinul was most well-known, however, for co-founding (with Wayne Shorter) Weather Report, the most successful jazz fusion group of the 1970’s.