February 2008
With Miles, Zawinul helped invent jazz fusion. He went on to form Weather Report, one of the most enduring and popular fusion bands. He always wanted to test the possibilities of the keyboard ("I think I was about six years old when I realized that one sound alone wasn’t what I would really like to hear.") and Weather Report let him take his experiments to the limit. It also let him incorporate musical ideas from other cultures, a practice he continued with his last band, the Zawinul Syndicate. Joe Zawinul: A Musical Portrait was originally broadcast on the BBC, and it includes several complete performances of the Zawinul Syndicate in Wales in 2004. Director Mark Kidel also filmed Zawinul at his home in Malibu and in Austria. Zawinul doesn’t spend much time talking about his work with Miles or Weather Report, but he talks at some length about his wartime experiences, which must have had a profound effect on him, and he gives clear explanations for the choices he’s made as a musician. The footage of the performances of the Zawinul Syndicate is in high definition and is very sharp. The other footage is somewhat grainy by comparison. The two-channel sound is generally good, but I would have preferred more space between instruments and more bottom end for the performance sections. Joe Zawinul: A Musical Portrait isn’t the definitive word on this important musician, but it gives his admirers the opportunity to hear him talk about his craft and see him in a solid performance. GO BACK TO: |
Joe Zawinul: A Musical
Portrait
