Josef Zawinul (born 7/7/32)

Piano, Synthesizer, Composer

Arguably the fusion player of his or any other generation, Joe Zawinul has a catalogue of work spanning several decades. His innovative and unique synthesizer playing has never resorted, unlike his contemporaries, to amusing novelty, easy funk, a million notes a minute - "because I can", or comatose Californian laidbackness. Born in Austria but moving to the USA in 1959, dues were paid in Maynard Ferguson's band, the Cannonball Adderley group and the revolutionary Miles Davis group of the late sixties, before forming Weather Report with Wayne Shorter in 1971.

These two formed the nucleus of a band which hosted the finest drummers, percussionists and bass players of the day until it's split in 1986. Jazz - rock would be a poor description of the music produced, drawing as it did from sounds and styles all around the planet and beyond.

Currently recording and touring as the Zawinul Syndicate, this band continues all the best traditions of Weather Report, a fact which appears to elude the majority of the listening public.

Discography