Joe Zawinul: Faces & Places

The start of Zawinul’s career was steeped in the blues. Along the way from there to here, he’s moved away from those roots. Today’s emphasis lies with pop themes, exotic excerpts from the world-beat scene, and continued exploration into new electronic ideas. Spoken word and multi-tracking combine to provide contemporary scenes. “Café Andalusia,” for example, dies in midstream with a long, drawn-out spate of vocal acrobatics. Zawinul’s tribute to Julian Adderley relies on spoken word, accordion and a foreign tongue. Where is the natural soul that Cannonball Adderley espoused on his instrument as few others could?

“Good Day” has a lot in common with “Birdland.” To the song’s natural essence, Zawinul has added unusual wordless vocals and a hip-hop rhythm. Throughout most of the album, Zawinul’s keyboards control the atmosphere. His array of vocal shots provides something new and interesting. However, pop melodies and light rock rhythms have now taken over what the artist’s soulful roots started decades ago.