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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1986)
I JOE 1 ZAWINFUL Oa Joe Zawlifil's aaw salt alknin, “Dialects," fee briaas the folk soaais of tka world lata his jazz. BY GREG PTACEK Music fans know Joe Zawinful's music far better than his name Mention Weather Report, and almost everyone calls them their favorite jazz hand Even those who aren't intimately familiar with their music know the tune of "Birdland,” the hit sin gle he wrote for the mega album Heavy Weather (1977) Mention his name, and the response lends to be, "Zawin what?”, except frot i those jazz aficionados who know to rank him with Miles l>avis, Dave Bruheck and a handful of other modern jazz masters That's o k. with Joe He would much rather be a musician anist than a musi cian celebrity Bom in a Slavic town of 5H people in rural Austria, he's never left his roots, emotionally or intellectually Dia lects, his first solo album since co found ing Weather Report with Wayne Shorter, reflects his respect for farm people and their folk music, whether from Austria, Africa, Asia or Australia. On a recent sunny California morning, /awinful sipped coffee poolside at his Pasadena home on a hill overl«x>king the Rose Bowl His house reflects his person ality: down to earth, more comfortable than hip, pets everywhere. He shared his thoughts on his album, the impending break up of Weather Re port. Sting as a jazz artist, rock 'n' roll, the future of jazz and the recording industry CEO. Why did you decide to make a solo album now? JZ. I've wanted to make this allium for 15 years, but my work with Weather Re port always precluded it When you pul out an album, sometimes two albums, ev ery year, there just isn't time. Several of the songs, though, I had written many years ago. It only took me two months to I Hit it together With Wayne | Shorter) do ing his own album, it finally gave me an opportunity to do mine CEO What s the future for Weather Re port, now that you and Wayne Shorter are off on your own? 4 Ampersand J7.. Weather Report has a now album coming out April 15 The hand will proha My tour between Juno ami November, but wo might have to bury the name Wiync has his own hand now ami Isn't part of Weather Report anymore Wayne and I share the copyright for the name, so we probably can't go under that name If we can't, then it's very likely we will call the land Weather llpdaic CF.Cr What kind of research did you do to capture the international sound you've achieved on IbalectS f/. Absolutely none The album is just my impression of the many peoples ami places 1 have visited I was not trying to imitate other culture's mask I don't even know any African or Japanese music If it sounds authentic, it s because I'm a good listener The music I created was based more on people's speaking patterns than anything else CKO Mow are jazz anti folk related? J7 Tt> n»e, (a// in simply Improvised rhythmic iiui.sk' with a heavy folklore Itackgrixintl Pure fu/ is Improvisation All of IHaln ts is improvised; in fact, two of the tunes. 'The Harvest' anti "Zee Bop," are total improvisation com |x>sril, played anti recorded simulta nctwtsly And all the others were im|wo vised, hut the sound of the original improvisation was not good enough, so I recorded them again There was no mas ter blueprint to die allium That would take the (Hire soul away Thai would he like trying to prepare yourself to tell a girl you love her How tk) you practice some thing like that’ CKO. How lias rock 'n' roll affected your music' J'/. To lx- perfectly honest, rixk has never had any effect on my music, aes ihctically Certainly, there have been great rtxk musicians. Jimi Hendrix comes immediately to mind But WealIx-T Report was not influenced by them \*V re really a traditional jazz band, in the sense of Ellington anti I tuns Armstrong, dial continues to explore new territory I grew up as an accordion player, play mg with gypsies and playing folk music Folk music is in my blixxl anti my bones, ami therefore I love jazz Kmk 'n‘ roll used to be great, or at least some of it, Ixn I txmesily could not name live rixk must cians ihai I like, dial I considet to lx- ex cel lent My kith, listen to dial stuff, ami I do like the Talking Heads CKO Whai tki y«xi dunk of the recent synthesis of (xip ami jazz, say. for exam pit- on Ming's /*Mn of If"' lUue lUrtlvi/ J/ lie's more of a (a// musk lan lhasi a roc k musician The Rime Invented iht-it own Iwaml til musk and they vr said they ate very Influenced by Weather Krjiort In oik* interview, sting actually said he is try mg to emulate my vision Ihii in a votig It arm with lyrics, etc I (tit pop musktans like Sting are mi rare II I were lo work with him. I could nuke him Into a superior ft// singer He’s got a great volte, numtier one lie's got really good rhythm concepts, he's a must clan a good luss player anti he's go* confidcntr- All the ingredk-iMs are there (JM. Wlui s holding ft// luck (rum teat hmg a wltler autlieiu e> J'/ The [lowers dui conttol ihe record ing industry don't want ft// to lit- great II ft// becomes great, then wtul ha|>|iens to all tlul other gink dial mi much time ami money has hern Invested into' II you own a restaurant ami ytiu really think you've girt a shot at nuking a Its of money Ivy selling your version of gink food, you're going to ignore Mimeone who tells you ki serve really good food mi that |ieo pie know wtul it's like ll's the same dung in the record Indus try Most people who nin the industry are in it because they like to listen to music, ami u s an easy gill They have mi t|uaiih cal ions They get a big expense account and tan take their favorite stars to lunch Ami whoever shakes more hands is the most [Niwerful I was never a handshaker I'm not inter esled in [lower hint lies I'd rather eat lunch here with my wife and kuls I am a musk un 1 ikm'i need cocktail |Kirtles ♦