Jazz legend passes away aged 75

Weather Report’s pianist Joe Zawinul has died.

The jazz musician, 75, passed away at his home in Vienna today (September 11).

Austrian media reports said he had been suffering from skin cancer. Austrian President Heinz Fischer said Zawinul's death meant the loss of a "music ambassador" who was known and cherished around the world, reports BBC News.

In a statement Fischer said: “As a person and through his music, Joe Zawinul will remain unforgettable for us all."

Zawinul performed and recorded with Miles Davis on his albums ’In a Silent Way’ and ’Bitches Brew’. In the early 1970s, Zawinul founded Weather Report with saxophonist Wayne Shorter, guitarist Miroslav Vitous and bass player Jaco Pastorius.

Two years after the band split up, he launched the Zawinul Syndicate in 1987. A recent European tour celebrated the group's 20th anniversary. Mayor of Vienna Michael Haeupl said he would be given an honorary grave in the city.