Rest in Peace, Joe Zawinul (1932-2007)

From Cannonball Adderley to Miles Davis, with Weather Report and Zawinul Syndicate, Joe Zawinul leaves us after a very full, incredibly innovative career in music.  I would think that most listeners know Joe Zawinul from his two arguably most-famous songs, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy for Cannonball Adderley's group, and Birdland from the Weather Report album Heavy Weather, but I also count his tune Directions, recorded by both Miles Davis and Weather Report, as another of his masterworks. Also an innovator in the areas of technology and world music, one could argue that Joe Zawinul played a major role in helping to define the concepts of "world jazz" and "fusion". I first read about his passing in the Washington Post article, but NPR's quite comprehensive look at Joe Zawinul has to be the highlight of online tributes that I've seen thus far. For our own contribution, here is a great collection of videos from the many points in Zawinul's varied career, including some interviews from the last few years.  We will miss you, Joe Zawinul.  Rest in peace.