On July 7th, in 1932, seminal jazz musician, pianist, composer, fusion jazz innovator, producer, sideman, world music pioneer, former member of the Cannonball Adderley Quintet, co-founder of Weather Report and founder of The Zawinul Syndicate-Joe Zawinul (Josef Erich Zawunil) was born in Vienna, Austria. TOV covered the artist’s death on the September 11th post. Please refer to it for more information. Although Zawinul was a prolific pianist, comparable to McCoy Tyner and Gil Evans, he’s most known for his skills on the electric piano/keyboard. He was voted-The Best Electric Keyboardist by DownBeat magazine 28 times. He also helped shape the sound of fusion jazz, playing and composing with Miles Davis during the late 60s when fusion jazz was just coming out.
Zawinul was a multi-instrumentalist that got his start on accordion. When he was 7, he started playing clarinet, piano and violin at the Vienna Conservatory. In his early 20s, he started working for Polydor Records (staff pianist). He moved to the states in the late 50s and started playing with Dinah Washington and Maynard Ferguson. Cannonball Adderley hired him as his pianist/co-composer in the early 60s. Three of Adderley’s most sampled cuts-Walk Tall, Country Preacher and Mercy Mercy Mercy were composed by Zawinul. In the late 60s, he worked with Miles Davis before co-founding his first band-Weather Report (1970). They released a few LPs during their 15 year run (1970-1985). Their 1977 LP-Heavy Weather contains the three-time Grammy Award winning song-Birdland which was also composed by Zawinul. He was 75 when he passed.
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On July 7th, in 1987, dynamic hip hop duo-Eric B. & Rakim released their debut LP that changed the game of rap forever-Paid In Full (4th & Broadway Records). DMC From Run DMC has stated in numerous interviews that he first heard the album via a friend who told him that he knew a rapper that was better than him and Run-Rakim. DMC goes further to say that he had to agree when he heard the ‘new style’ of flow that Rakim was kicking to the production work of Eric B. and Marley Marl. Sources vary on who actually produced the majority of the tracks. Eric B. states that he produced all the tracks with Marley Marl’s equipment, while Marley acted as sound engineer. Marley claims he produced 2 tracks-Eric B. is President and My Melody, while Eric refutes that claim.
The album was recorded at Power Play Studios in Manhattan, giving it a unique sound. Most people know the title track, as it got a lot of spins. However, some of the best songs on the LP are-As the Rhyme Goes On, My Melody, Eric B. is President, Move the Crowd, Extended Beat and I Ain’t No Joke. The entire LP is a classic, and there’s no beat or verse that doesn’t deserve praise. Rakim brought a jazz sensibility to rhyme delivery which came from his sax playing background. Simply put, he phrased his rhymes like a sax solo over the beat. Eric B. also brought a new, harder and faster scratch pattern to the album making DJs step their game up. Rolling Stones magazine lists the LP at #228 out of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
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On July 7th, in 1993, we lost an infamous grunge musician, alternative rock innovator, punk rock pioneer, pianist, songwriter, guitarist, singer, member of the 27 club (prominent artists that die at 27) and co-founder of the Gits-Mia (Katherine) Zapata. She’s most known for being the lead singer of the punk band the Gits. She also became somewhat of an ‘urban legend’ on the Seattle grunge scene when she was murdered on her way home from a performance. Her ‘legendary status’ developed during the 10 years it took for her murder to be solved (killed by Jesus Mezquia now serving a 36 year sentence). She was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky and started playing guitar and piano during her childhood.
She co-founded the Gits in the 1986 while she was a student at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. During the late 80s, they performed, and often shared the stage with 7 Year Bitch-a Seattle based punk band that was active from 1990-1997. In 1992, the Gits released their debut LP-Frenching the Bully. Their popularity in the Seattle grunge scene skyrocketed leading up to their second and final LP-Enter: The Conquering Chicken (1993). Mia added a sense of feminine pride to the grunge scene that was sorely lacking from a performance standpoint. She was one of the only women singing lead at Seattle shows which garnered support from male and female fans. She held her own and then some, and was respected musically as much as Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Soundgarden. It’s a shame her life was taken while her career was just gaining ground. She was 27 when she passed.
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HONORABLE MENTION: On July 7th, in 1913, innovative bluesman, singer, guitarist, songwriter, pianist, Chicago and Delta Blues pioneer-Pinetop Perkins (Joe Willie Perkins) was born in Belzoni, MS. TOV covered the artist’s death on the March 21st post. Please refer to it for more information. Perkins was one of the major innovators of rock ‘n’ roll. He worked closely with Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Earl Hooker and Robert Nighthawk. Pinetop recorded for Sun Records in the 50s and was a member of Muddy Water’s band in the 60s. The Blues Hall of Fame member and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner was 97 when he passed.
On July 7th, in 1940, seminal rock ‘n’ roll musician, percussionist, singer, songwriter, producer, actor, solo recording artist, drummer and former member of the Beatles-Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) was born in Dingle, Liverpool, England. Starr was a sickly kid, contracting appendicitis and tuberculosis before he was 10. He started playing drums when he was 17 and joined the Beatles in 1962. He stayed with the band for 8 years before going solo in 1970. He released his solo debut in 1970-Sentimental Journey and played with John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the Plastic Ono Band. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame musician is 79 today.
On July 7th, in 1944, trailblazing boxing trainer, former fighter and executive of Kronk Gym-Emanuel Steward was born in Bottom Creek, WV. He’s most known for training world champion boxers like-Tommy ‘the Hitman Hearns, Lennox Lewis, Michael Moorer, Hilmer Kently and Wladimir Klitschko. Steward also had a successful fighting career as an amateur, winning the national Golden Gloves championship in 1963 (Bantamweight). He had a record of 94 wins and 3 losses. Steward became the main trainer/coach at Kronk Gym in 1971. He trained amateurs and professionals for over 40 years. He was 68 when he passed.
On July 7th, in 2006, we lost a seminal psychedelic rock musician, singer, songwriter, guitarist, poet and founding member of Pink Floyd-Syd Barrett (Roger Keith Barrett). TOV covered the artist’s birthday on the January 6th post. Please refer to it for more information. He was a controversial figure that stayed with Pink Floyd for 3 years (1965-1968) before having a mental breakdown and being coerced to leave the band. Band mates chalked up Barrett’s mental condition to overindulging in psychedelic drug use. He helped pioneer the sound of psychedelic and prog rock, structuring songs that were experimental and new. He recorded some solo LPs, but his best work was with Pink Floyd. He was 60 when he passed.
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