JOE ZAWINUL

The Zawinul Syndicate is definitely one of the primary representatives of World Fusion to me. Certainly, Joe's main focus at this point in time was the combination and inserted distillation of worldly sounds/instrumentation (this latter element secondarily) and Jazz. Sonically, this all makes for interesting material, sure, but for my tastes, it only occasionally hits hard.

Being from the oldschool, what makes Zawinul's Syndicate most interesting to me is their then-new renditions of old standards and Jazzings Past (before listening through this album, I listened to their lively, electric version of Monk's "Little Rootie Tootie"--I'd rather it, certainly, than anything on this album).

Coming as no surprise to me, as I already suggested above, Lost Tribes only satisfies occasionally, if not rarely. The majority of the compositions are largely static and impress most prominently in soft-loud dynamics (for that, I'd rather listen to Weezer lol). Alternatively, its true saving grace is the clear talent and ability of the musicians involved. I'm especially impressed with the drummer, Mike BAKER, as well as the auxiliary percussion elements, performed by Bill SUMMERS and Bobby THOMAS Jr.

Personally, I didn't have a whole lot of time for this album. Got in, got out. Even being just, by this rating system individually, "Good...", personal highlight tracks were T1, T4, T8 and T10.

True Rate: 2.5/5.0

Joe Zawinul's third solo album, coming still from his pre-Miles/Weather Report period. Austrian born musician lived in States from 1961 and learned plenty from American jazz musicians.

This his album is very eclectic and transitional. Without big relation with "third stream", mentioned in the album's name, music there is hard bop and fusion mostly. OK, there are some some strings section's arrangements, but they sound mostly always out of place - European classical elements added without relation with musical material.

It's interesting to hear how Zawinul himself splits time between piano and electric keyboards: it very often looks like his roots are still in soul jazz and cool jazz of his previous works, but he's in seeking of something dramatically new. As a result there are melodic piano-based soulful compositions and early fusion keyboards passages (and they sound really revolutionary for 1968!).

In all, album sounds too much eclectic for my ear, more as collection of not too much successful experiments with some old and new (for the moment when this album was recorded) sounds and instruments. This album came a year before his work on Miles Davis 'In a Silent Way' and it is really interesting to hear how and when he found his electric keyboards' sound and techniques.One of really interesting Zawinul solo albums for his fans, but possibly not so attractive (even if far not bad at all) for others.

Last Joe Zawinul album recorded before he passed away in 2007. Musically all release is based in Zawinul's post-Weather Report music,played with Absolute Ensemble, conducted by Estonian director Kristjan Järvi.It's interesting, that two members of one of most current Zawinul band's (Zawinul Syndicate) are participated on recordings as well (Congolese vocalist Sabine Kabongo and the Mauritius-born bassist Linley Marthe).

One familiar with Joe Zawinul post Weather Report music knows for many years he concentrated on world music (particularly with his Weather Update and Zawinul Syndicate). From other hand, Absolute Ensemble is known by his orchestrated reworks on many known classic composers and modern jazz and rock musicians. Combination of two gives us easy accessible but very well played and arranged orchestrated versions of Zawinul compositions with Joe himself playing keyboards (and vocoder) and big ensemble, supporting him with strings, African/Asian percussion some oriental vocals and plenty of strings and brass.

Zawinul's composed material is really melodic and quite catchy, and even under orchestral arrangements it sounds still jazzy (thanks to tasteful and not over-arranged orchestral musicianship). As main target for critics could be mentioned that Afro-Asian rhythms and tunes are used as just exotic component for quite traditional Central European orchestral music without saving their authentic potential, what really is a lost.

In all - pleasant and accessible listening with light jazzy flavor and some world scent in it.

Weather Report was exactly a group that left a lot of a lot of legends and works for the history of Jazz/Fusion. It is said that Jazz was killed as a result and is said that it made the road where Jazz is new at the same time the work though "Bitches Brew" that Miles Davis had thrown on the world of Jazz created some ripple. At that time, existence that was the nearest the wave motion of Miles of the period might have been Weather Report in the musician and the band that derived there. WR was changed of course in the age, too and the music of the highest class was offered. However, the history of the brilliant WR also faces the end in 1986. The last album "This Is This" of WR had already been produced in 1985 year of the previous state. And, Wayne Shorter : in 1986. To start own band, secession is declared from WR. Other Zawinul goes out to the United States tour holding this album at the same time. The band of this Zawinul was called "Weather Update". The band where Wayne did not exist was a group that developed WR further by Zawinul and expressed the done music. It was one step in this album that threw out a new creation to the world as Zawinul exactly sloughed off WR. Zawinul has almost started and the whole of the album can be really satisfied of the world of Zawinul though a special group of the song is received in the guest and it is produced. It will be able to be said at the same time that how to make the sound is feeling that develops the idea of WR at latter term further by flow the tune having an element near world music. The element of feeling the tastes of the tune are united overall and with the anacatesthesia and a little Latin is included. The feeling might be expressed in the album art.

Concerto Retitled is a collection of music that Joe Zawinul recorded between 1965 and 1970 that was released by Atlantic in 1976 in an apparent attempt to cash in on the rising popularity of his fusion group, Weather Report. What we have on this hurriedly slapped together mess is one horn driven hard bop tune, two third stream (jazz mixed with 20th century classical) compositions, three traditional jazz numbers and two 70s psychedelic fusion numbers. Most of these songs are good, but the way they are sequenced on this album makes no sense at all. If they had put the traditional jazz on one side with the third stream and fusion numbers on another they would have had a coherent album, instead songs are thrown together with little regard for flow or coherence.

This collection does give us a decent overview of the three albums that these songs are pulled from, Money in the Pocket, Rise and Fall of the Third Stream and Zawinul. Money in the Pocket is a mix of traditional jazz and hard bop, but I was a little disappointed in Zawinul's somewhat old-fashioned approach and harmonies. I was expecting more of Corea and Hancock's post- Bill Evans piano sound. Rise and Fall of the Third Stream presents the style of music claimed in it's title with Zawinul's acoustic piano joined by a string section with compositions that fall between Ellington styled jazz and Gershwin styled classical. Overall I would say that Duke Ellington is the major influence in Joe Zawinul's acoustic piano playing, whether he is playing traditional jazz or third stream.

For my money though, I think the album I am going to have to get someday is Zawinul, the album which provides the two outstanding psychedelic fusion numbers that close this compilation. These two songs sound like the bridge between Miles' Big Fun and Weather Report's first two albums, three albums on which Joe provided a lot of direction and creativity.

On the back of Concerto Retitled the A&R dude at Atlantic claims he was inspired to re-release this material when he saw Zawinul play a well received acoustic piano set at a Weather Report concert. I think what really happened is that when he saw Weather Report's young fans enjoying some of Joe's older music his eyes went $$!!!