Joe Zawinul, one of the pioneers of the jazz-fusion sound as founder of the 1970s jazz-rock group Weather Report and as a member of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew band, died early today near his home in Vienna, Austria. He was 75.

Joe Zawinul

The legendary pianist had been hospitalized since last month and suffered from a rare form of skin cancer, his manager, Risa Zincke, told the Austria Press Agency. Zawinul died at Vienna's Wilhelmina Clinic.

Born in Vienna, Zawinul immigrated to the US, playing in bands with the likes of Maynard Ferguson and Dinah Washington, and serving as a member of alto saxophonist great Cannonball Adderley's band for nine years in the 1960s.

But it was Zawinul's brief collaboration with Miles Davis that propelled him to widespread acclaim. He penned "In a Silent Way," the title track for Davis' first foray into the electric sound that he defined in the mid-1970s.

In 1970, Zawinul founded the band Weather Report and produced a series of albums that included Heavy Weather, Black Market, and I Sing the Body Electric. The band's lineup included Wayne Shorter and Jaco Pastorius as well as a huge cast of session players during its 16-year history.

Zawinul founded the Zawinul Syndicate in 1987, and continued to perform up until several months ago. He toured Europe this past spring to mark the 20th anniversary of the Zawinul Syndicate, but sought medical attention when the tour ended.

"As a person and through his music, Joe Zawinul will remain unforgettable for us all," Austrian President Heinz Fischer said in a statement.

Funeral plans were not immediately released, but Vienna mayor Michael Häupl told reporters he would be given an honorary grave in the capital.