Released on his own label, Birdjam, there have been reports that he has returned to his Weather Report electric best. I'm now kicking myself for not checking him out when he was on tour in the UK earlier in the year. Having said that, July's Jazzwise isn't too keen on the DVD, Joe Zawinul and the Zawinul Syndicate that features an earlier incarnation from 1989. I fleetingly saw a version of the band at the North Sea Jazz Festival a few years ago and I'll own up, I didn't hang about too long. So it's good to hear of Joe's return to form.

Equally inevitably, if it's Vienna, we're going to be talking Sascha Weisz (aka Megablast). Last month he joined forces with Makossa on the decks as the "M&M" special summer selection. With guest Vera Böhnisch (aka L`enfant terrible) on vocals they were celebrating the opening night of a brand new restaurant and lounge called, 'JONAS'. All went very well by accounts and from this month onwards, there will be a weekly DJ line-up in the Jonas lounge.

The M&M special has also been on the radio on the FM4 with a 'Swound Sound Special'. Unfortunately no tracklisting or archive but interesting listings; every Saturday 10 - 12 pm C.E.T. (& Sunday 3 - 5 am C.E.T.). But you can hear Megablast and Hubert Tubbs live 'in stereo' as their 50 minute Urban FM broadcast is going to be archieved on the Five Grand Stereo site (see links below); I'm told Mr. Tubbs is on excellent form so check it out.

Sascha has also been on the Festival scene as Megablast with a variety of collaborators such as Mr. Tubbs, L`enfant terrible, Iris Camaa, Big John and Sugar B which included a trip to Bratislava for the Green Water Festival. He's also booked in for the impressive looking Jazz Over Villach Festival (6-10 July - check the names on the web site! Ahamd Jamal, JTQ, Deodato, Jan Akkerman and the Soul Survivors). Not to be missed but, if you have done so, Megablast and guests will be doing their stuff again at the Wiesen Festival on 6th August. Check the Luvlite website (see below)

I mentioned in the Viennese Remix round up the forthcoming Fauna Flash compilation 'Worx - The Remixes'. Well it's out now with previously unreleased tracks as well as the two brand new remixes of Rodney Hunter's 'Take A Ride' and Megablast's 'Jubita' featuring Marija de Silva.

In the meantime, Pulver records out of Stuttgart, Gemany have released the third in a series of EPs by various artists. 'Pulverising! 3' features four new tracks. Dom Servini's big band friends from Budapest, The Uptown Felaz (they who have been remix by Aaron Jerome) are on the a-side with a track called 'Coconut' which is followed by 'Demon' by someone calling himself Landegaard. On the other side is a Sdeep remix of 'Enlight My Day' by Sensecity and 'Cobra' by Sascha. He's at it again with the deep wobbly house that funks like a train. Fans of Fauna Flash's 'Jubita' remix will go for this one. Cool stuff indeed.

And the very latest news is that Makossa and Megablast are working hard on their album whilst there's a rework of Tosca coming soon on K7! Also Stereotyp has done an absolute "floorbanger" of a track for the same K7! project and he's also close with finishing his new album, planned release around October this year.

Be sure we'll be keeping on top of all developments.

Links:
Joe Zawinul's Birdland www.birdland.at Am Stadtpark 1 (Eingang: Landstraßer Hauptstraße 2)1030 Wien
Jazzwise www.jazzwise.com July 2005 'Vienna Nigths' - "Stunning"
Radio on 3 with Jez Nelson : Joe Zawinul - 'Title Badia/Boogie Woogie Waltz' (1st July, 2005)
www.luvlite.biz
JONAS. Dr. Karl Lueger Ring 10 (exactly opposite the University)
FM4 - swound sound special
Five Grand Stereo Megablast & Hubert Tubbs, originally broadcast on Urban FM, Tuesday 5th July 2005.
Jazz Over Villach www.jazzovervillach.com
Wiesen Festival
Pulver Records 'Cobra'
MIOOOW www.miooow.com