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Friday, 17 January 2003
Zawinul Syndicate @ Korg 40th anniversary celebration ::
Saw Joe Zawinul and the Zawinul Syndicate at a NAMM party celebrating Korg’s 40th anniversary last night. Zawinul been one of my favorite synthesists for a very long time, playing the instrument organically, with phrasing completely appropriate to the sound, not just playing piano or organ licks with every sound. I’d last seen him perhaps 12 years ago in Santa Cruz, a great show, but tonight’s was transcendant, perhaps because of the stellar musicians in this incarnation of the group.
My friend B spoke of a Zawinul interview he’d read a few years back. Zawinul was concerned about how all of this great music from many world cultures was dying out as the old masters pass on and aren’t replaced, and as commercial popular music replaces traditional music. So he was travelling around the world recording this music. It seems that in the process he assembled this stellar group of musicians whose names unfortunately escaped me.
The Indian guitarist played articulately and tastefully, but when he began singing, in an Indian style, with a 3-octave range, it was simply stunning. The vocalist, a woman from the Congo, had marvelously just-on pitch and full tone. Alex Acuna was his usual amazing self on percussion; I’m not sure if he was a regular member of the group or sitting in with the other latin percussionist, with whom he did a great duet at one point. The bassist, from Cameroon, was a virtuoso, as was the young French drummer making his debut with the band.
I’d go out of my way to hear this group again any time.
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