The Zawinul Syndicate

The Zawinul Syndicate, live in Freiburg, Germany, 2007

The Zawinul Syndicate was a jazz fusion band formed by Austrian keyboardist Joe Zawinul in 1988. The band evolved out of Zawinul's former band Weather Report. The band adhered to Zawinul's roots in jazz. Their style could be described as a combination of unusual grooves, driving and swinging rhythms and many borrowings from different music cultures.

Zawinul himself stated that he gave the band its name due to a syndicate bearing more resemblance to a family than "just" a band.

After the death of Zawinul in 2007, several members of The Zawinul Syndicate decided to reform and performing Zawinul's music live under their shortened name The Syndicate.

Members

Many different musicians have been part of Zawinul's Syndicate. For example:

Drummers

• Cornell Rochester
• Rodney Holmes
• Paco Séry
• Mike Baker
• Nathaniel Townsley
• Karim Ziad
• Stéphane Galland
• Kirk Covington

Percussionists

• Manolo Badrena
• Arto Tunçboyacıan
• Robert Thomas Jr.
• Aziz Sahmaoui
• Jorge Bezerra Jr.
• Bill Summers
• Lynne Fiddmont

Bassists

• Gerald Veasley
• Matthew Garrison
• Richard Bona
• Victor Bailey
• Linley Marthe
• Étienne M’Bappé

Guitarists

• Scott Henderson
• Randy Bernsen
• Gary Poulson
• Alegre Corrêa
• Amit Chatterjee

Singers

• Maria João
• Sabine Kabongo
• Carl Anderson
• Leata Galloway

The last concert of the band took place on August 3, 2007 in Güssing, Austria, six weeks before Zawinul's death.

Discography

Discography per Allmusic.

Albums

• The Immigrants (CBS, 1988)
• Black Water (CBS, 1989)
• Lost Tribes (Columbia, 1992)
• Vienna Nights – Live At Joe Zawinul's Birdland (BHM, 2005)
• 75th (BHM, 2008)