Doug Ramsey—the jazz critic, Paul Desmond biographer, novelist (Poodie James) and Rifftides blogger—has a touching and up-close look at pianist Joe Zawinul, who died yesterday at age 75. Go here to read it.
Zawinul represents the history of electric jazz keyboards from the early 1960s to 2007. But I still can't believe that the guy who played keyboards on Miles Davis' Bitches Brew (1969) is the same guy 10 years earlier playing piano on Dinah Washington's adult pop album, What a Difference a Day Makes. But that's what made Joe special.
Also at Rifftides, be sure to scroll for a terrific listing of Sonny Rollins video clips. Scroll down to "Rollins at 77."
Didn't know he passed away. If it weren't a coffee with my friend Alyse Myers, I wouldn't know about this great blog nor about the loss of one of my favorite musicians.
Posted by: Rick Weinstein | September 14, 2007 at 09:26 PM