Theme: Joe Zawinul Weather Report

Musicians who have left great music have also left great words. A nice interpretation of the subject. Words to live by, even if you have to use them forcefully in your daily life.

What is our topic today?

Name: Joe Zawinul (ex. Weather Report)
Quotation: I wanted to join the band as the worst musician and leave the band as the best musician. So I felt I had to go to America.
 

Joe Zawinul was born in Vienna, Austria, under the control of Nazi Germany. The above is a line when he realized he could not be greedy for music in the local music scene. Just then, Joe finds a recruitment article for Berklee College of Music scholarships on the Downbeat newspaper. From here, Joe Zawinul's musical life unfolds. He traveled to the Cannonball Adderley and Miles Davis groups in the 1960s, and in the 1970s led the Weather Report with saxophonist Wayne Shorter. He took an earnest attitude towards music and produced a number of masterpieces from time to time. His 1979 release, 8:30, won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance.

In the Weather Report, which continued to make good progress, Joe always seriously confronted the musicians involved with him. The 15 albums left by the band all had different participating members, and it seems that some members were dismissed in order to aim for higher peaks. Jaco Pastorius, who was in the Weather Report, said, "Everyone seems to think that Joe is a control freak, because many musicians have been kicked out of his group right away. (Laughs) But in the end, no one can't keep up with his music." On the other hand, when he was invited to the Miles Davis group for the first time, Joe refused to perform, saying, "It's not the right time yet." It may have been that his level for Miles was not ripe. I think it's rare for a musician to be so strict about his music.

He urges others to pursue the same kind of motivation and skills. Both require considerable energy. In order to practice his way of life, it is important that the underlying axis of "for ideal music" does not move. Can the same quote be used in your own work and collaborative work? Speaking of which, this is a rather high hurdle. But I think it’s about the motto. It is a positive and wonderful language, “I am not good at it, I participate, and I become the best, and then, graduate.” Is it the next stage when you are so mature that you’re strict with the people you work with (laughs)?

Well, I have said enough! Time to run!