yes, it's a couple of days before halloween, so be sure to play one of zappa's halloween shows one of the next days !!
* * *
fred hemmer sent in a bogus pomp update:
Just a reminder that Bogus Pomp with Napoleon Murphy Brock will perform the
Eight Annual Zappaween show this Saturday at the State Theater in St.
Petersburg. Doors open at 8:00 and showtime is 9:00. Tickets are $15 at the
door, general admission. Beer and wine available.
Of course, a Halloween Costume Contest will be held and the winner will get a
guitar. And Jerry tells me this won't be just any guitar either. It will be
special. For those of you who haven't been to a Zappaween show, this is an
opportunity to see these musicians perform Frank Zappa's music with a sense of
fun and bufoonery. No orchestra show here! Audio and video recording of the show
is permitted. Just get Jerry a copy please!
And don't forget, BP will play in New Port Richey on Halloween night. I will
send time and location details out soon.
Also, some things are going on to help these guys be in a position where this
will NOT be the last Zappaween. I will be in touch with information about that
soon.
and 26/10 he added:
Many of you have been writing regarding the status of the band and the potential for the guys really having to give it up. The listed article is a good explanation of what has been going on. But, as I mentioned before, some things are in the works that could breath new life into this fine project. Lets hope they come to fruition so I can e-mail you with some good news.
the article: http://www.weeklyplanet.com/current/music_feature2.html
* * *
albums:
freak out:
life
(1971, lp, austria, cosmos 2235) - incl.'son of mr.green
genes' (frank zappa)
in the late sixties, in knittelfeld, austria, robert musenbichler,
mike gärtner and charlie dienes formed a band called freak
out, named after the first album of the mothers of invention.
subsequently, max weissenbäck, peter musenbichler and ivan miholic
joined around 1970.
april 24, 1971, freak out played a concert in the klagenfurt concert
hall, about 80 kilometers from knittelfeld, near the slovenian border.
parts of this 2 hour concert found their way to an album called
"live". besides various other coverversion (santana, east of
eden, rolling stones,...), the album also presented frank zappa's
'son of mr.green genes'. initially, only a couple of hundred copies
were pressed, and it's the recent cd release that makes this music available
again. (the original vinyl edition is said to be worth about 600 euro)
david kikoski
trio: surf's up
(2002, cd, nl, criss cross jazz - criss 1208 cd) - incl
'oh no' (frank zappa)
new york jazz pianist david kikoski's latest album contains what he
calls 'new standards'. besides the charlie parker and
thelonious monk classics, kikoski also takes on zappa's 'oh
no', brian wilson's 'surf's up' and a couple of brazilian tunes.
essential listening.
various artists:
the jam band tribute to frank zappa
(2002, cd, usa, cmh records cd-8673)– feat.various
bands playing frank zappa compositions
it doesn't sound bad, but it doesn't impress me too much either.
looking at the bands i wonder if this isn't some sort of 'good sounding
titles sell' product. do these bands actually exist? or is this a
bunch of studio artists in different combinations? and where are the
jams??? most of the songs on this album last between two and four
minutes. ever see the dead do that? or phish, or moe.
?
jeff buckley -
gary lucas: songs to no one 1991 - 1992
(2002, cd, usa, knitting factory / recall 020)
jeff buckley was the son of the late tim buckley; gary lucas
was a guitar man for captain beefheart. in the early ninetees,
gary lucas had a band called gods & monsters. the
line-up of this band changed rather often.
during a tim buckley tribute concert in brooklyn, 1991/04, jeff and
gary met. jeff accepted gary's invitation to join gods &
monsters and their colaboration lasted about a year.
"songs to no one 1991- 1992" collects some demos and concert
registrations that display the enormous talent of jeff buckley (and
of gary lucas). highly recommended !
new bootlegs:
frank zappa:
boston tea party
(2002, cd-bootleg, ??, mmm-02-1/2)
audience recording of the 1976/10/24 concert. it's the complete thing
in the best available quality (except for the last two songs??), featuring lady
bianca on keyboard and vocals.
and a couple of new (bootleg) zappa titles have been scheduled to be released before the end of this year: santa monica 80 and 81.
short bits:
i had never heard of this band called "the voice of cheez". it looks like they did a concert in buffalo on 2001/05/12, playing an all zappa set. i got hold of a bunch of mp3's from this concert. the band sounds great. the recording isn't. if anyone knows anything about this band or has a decent sounding concert recording - lemme know.
the italian harmonia ensemble reissued their "harmonia meets zappa" album from 1994. remastered and (!!) with two extra tracks. that'll be good for some mixed feelings.
mike keneally contributes to the latest andy west album, "rama i"
dweezil zappa is featured on a pink floyd tribute album, "an all star line-up performing the music of pink floyd"
frank nuyts composed the music for a dance production called "vreemd verbouwd". the project is touring flanders while you read this.
john trubee mailed me a most bizarre collection of
music. the disc is called "creepy country 2"
and presents a bunch of artists with names like jim turner & his
musical saw, wee willie shantz, pete drake & his talking
steel guitar, ...
it's all country, or mutated country if you like. these guys don't
sing about their girlfriends or their pets, no, they talk about homeless
kids, about talking too many pills, and about murdered innocent
children. unimaginable.
the second disc from john trubee's package was more down my alley. all surf classics from the early sixties. great stuff, including the fireballs, the gamblers, the belairs, dick dale, the fabulous playboys, the centurions an much more. this is really great material. thanx, john.
the george duke special on dutch television, 2002/10/18, didn't mention his zappa years. all the musical fragments were recordings from the previous north sea jazz festivals. it was a nice special, but i was a bit disapointed that it didn't take a closer look at his years with zappa (or with miles davis, for that matter).
i didn't catch george duke's concert at "de
marathon" (the radio broadcast, i mean), but you can get an idea by
looking at aad's pictures:
http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/georgedukeatmarathon/marathon181002.html
steve vai is on the cover of the november 2002 issue of guitar techniques. the mag carries a complete transcription of 'the crying machine' from "fire garden"; the cd has the song played by dave kilminster.
various artists: guitar
techniques, november 2002
(2002, mag + cd, uk, future publishing) - incl.dave
kilminster: 'the crying machine' (vai)
the holland festival will feature mike keneally and corrie van binsbergen ! more news soon.
john digilio was kind enough to send me a complete list of
the favored nations catalogue.
check it out at home->record labels->favored nations
did you get the latest banned from utopia, by the way? it's
still in my cd-player - essential listening !!
ive hapers asked me why i didn't list the "bonnen plays the music of frank zappa" album. ah, well, the album is also titled "watermelon en regalia", and that one is in the discography.
and for those of you who are into this sort of thing: the new "frank zappa calander" for 2003 is available.
added album covers and/or data for:
talk again to you real soon,
-- peter