Rain Sultanov - Mr. Joe (Live) (2025) [Hi-Res]

Rain Sultanov is a leading jazz saxophonist and composer who has made significant contributions to the development of jazz culture in his native Azerbaijan. Rain met Joe Zawinul in the 2000’s, and a lifelong friendship developed between them. Zawinul praised Sultanov’s music and became both an inspiration and a mentor for him. After Zawinul’s passing in 2007, Sultanov invited some of Zawinul’s legendary musicians,who had performed with the Joe Zawinul Syndicate for more than 20 years, to form an orchestra - the Rain Sultanov Syndicate. This ensemble includes the Mauritian master bassist Linley Marthe and Ivorian drummer Paco Sery, both multiple Grammy Award winners. The line-up also features Azerbaijani jazz pianist Elchin Shirinov, who was listed in All About Jazz’s December 2022 poll of the 200 best living pianists in the world. From 2018 to October 2022, Shirinov was a member of the renowned jazz double bassist Avishai Cohen’s trio. Together, this incredibly powerful quartet recorded a tribute to one of the greatest musicians in modern music history.

The show begins with Marthe’s whirlwind-like bass playing, supported by Sery’s tight grooves. Shirinov joins the intro with minimalist elegance, followed by the steady melodic lines of Sultanov on his tune “Crazy World”. The concert continues with three compositions by Joe Zawinul from the final Weather Report album: “I Will Never Forget You” and “This Is This” from the 1986 album “This Is This”, as well as “Processing” from “Live In Cologne 1983”. Paco Sery’s “Miles in the Jungle”, from his album “The Real Life” (2012), also made the setlist, as it was part of the Joe Zawinul Syndicate’s repertoire. Sultanov’s mellow composition “Last Moment” created a peaceful, dreamy interlude, and the show concluded with the iconic 1977 tune “Birdland” from Weather Report’s “Heavy Weather” album. The enthusiastic Azerbaijani audience responded with standing ovations.