Great premiere

The spirit of Joe Zawinul hovers over Wolkenturm

Joe Zawinul - the late jazz legend will be musically revived in Grafenegg.(Bild: Alexander Tuma)

The jazz master's musical legacy is being premiered in Grafenegg. Why the wine tavern town of Gumpoldskirchen also plays a role . . .

A musical event in a class of its own will take place in Grafenegg on Saturday. Joe Zawinul's "Mediterranean Suite" will be premiered here 17 years after the death of the great jazz musician.

A worthy backdrop
 "The Wolkenturm with its unique backdrop and amazing acoustics is the perfect stage for this," says Zawinul's eldest son Antony. Together with Andreas Tieber, the former music school director of Gumpoldskirchen and personal friend of Joe Zawinul, he has spent ten years working on the realization of this project. From late afternoon, the spirit of the late world musician will hover over the Wolkenturm.

The Wolkenturm is the perfect stage for the world premiere.(Bild: Milenko Badzic)

In the spirit of Zawinul
And this is where Gumpoldskirchen comes into play. The well-known wine tavern town in the district of Mödling has a special connection to Joe Zawinul. The music school - the only one in the world - bears his name, the Joe Zawinul Award is presented here every year, which gives talented young musicians a cultural residency with Antony Zawinul in Los Angeles, and the Zawinul Youth Jam Band introduces music students to the fun of jazz. They will get the audience in the mood for the big evening tomorrow. "It's sure to be an unforgettable event," says local head Ferdinand Köck, eagerly anticipating Joe Zawinul's musical legacy.

Joe Zawinul's eldest son Antony in Gumpoldskirchen in front of the display case in memory of his father.(Bild: Judt Reinhard)

Musicians from Joe Zawinul's legendary bands will also be performing in Grafenegg on Saturday, presenting jazz and fusion at the very highest level on the evening of the premiere of the "Mediterranean Suite".