Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
Flea Finds His Jazz Thing
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
Composer and jazz musician Joe Zawinul has been hospitalized with an undisclosed illness, Austrian officials told the Associated Press on Tuesday.
Zawinul, 75, was admitted to Vienna’s Wilhelmina Clinic on Sunday, the Viennese Hospital Association said.
The group declined to confirm reports by Austrian public broadcaster ORF that Zawinul was seriously ill, saying the musician had requested that his rights as a patient and a private person be respected. The Austrian press had reported that he was being treated in the hospital’s oncology department.
Zawinul’s BirdJAM record label told AP that it was unclear whether the Austrian-born musician would be able to play concerts scheduled for next month. Zawinul was supposed to take part in the “Jazz a la Villette” festival in Paris on Sept. 6, as well as several concerts in Vienna soon thereafter.
Zawinul has long been a pioneer in the world of electronic jazz. He found fame with Cannonball Adderley, went on to work in Miles Davis’ first electric band, then formed Weather Report with Wayne Shorter.
This past spring, he toured Europe to mark the 20th anniversary of the Zawinul Syndicate. He sought medical attention when the tour ended, the Hospital Association said.
“Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”
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