big_note_files20021201

the next edition of the "strings of fire" festival promises a couple of frank zappa related concerts. the festival will be held in leipzig, germany, from february 27 until march 01, 2003, featuring the dresden sinfoniker, the grandmothers and the strings of fire - ensemble playing zappa's music.

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stephen chillemi told me that the doctor dark gig at 'brass city records' in waterbury, ct, usa, was received very well. doctor dark has two concert scheduled in the very near future, so please take note:

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it looks like the zappa family trust made a deal with a british (?) label regarding "fz:oz". it'll be in the shops real soon and for a 'normal' price. i guess this is the end of people ordering vaultarnative releases from zappa.com.

the nice: bbc sessions (2002, cd, uk, castle music cmfcd 457) - incl. 'lumpy gravy' (frank zappa) october 1967, british bbc radio started its "top gear sessions". bands were invited to come to the studio, to record a few songs, and these would be broadcast on the radio a couple of days later. august 6, 1968, the nice went to the bbc and recorded, amongst other tracks, frank zappa's 'lumpy gravy'. (mind you, the "lumpy gravy" album had only been released about half a year earlier.) the recording was broadcast on the radio august 25, 1968 and put back in the bbc archives. the bbc started publishing the "top gear" sessions a couple of years ago. the nice's "bbc sessions" include material from their various sessions between 1967 and 1970, and, lucky for us, also their version of zappa's 'lumpy gravy'.
b.e.p.: hamburger midnight (2002, cd, ger, inkanish records ir 0003) = jimmy carl black & roy estrada july 2002, after the zappanale festival in bad doberan, germany, jimmy carl black and roy estrada went to jimmy's home in south germany to play and record some music. they were joined by blues guitar player rick pini and some other friends and recorded the basic tracks for "hamburger midnight" in two days. black / estrada / pini, or b.e.p., was born. we're a couple of months later now, and here is "hamburger midnight". the is a superb blues album. jimmy carl black, roy estrada and rick pini are in great shape. the title track was written by roy estrada and lowell george, the disc also presents a superb version of r.penniman's 'directly from my heart to you', some freddie king stuff and a couple of howlin' wolf songs, as well as various compositions of their own. my favourite track is pini's 'is it me or is it you'. your mothers are still alive and well and on this album they're playing the blues.
the zapping buzz band: don't you want a man? (??, cd, suisse, bbm records) - all compositions by frank zappa i think this is the first album of the zapping buzz band. couldn't find a date on the discs. anyway, you should hear this. big fun from switserland !! the band is a trio, but at concerts they bring along an extra 2 actors. so if you get the chance, you should try to catch them. the album presents a lot of well-known zappa compositions: 'broken hearts', 'cosmik debris', 'tryin' to grow a chin', ... you get the idea. fine musicianship combined with a healthy sense of humour. i like this. my favourite track is 'find her finer', with the intro played on kazoo, nice vocals and ending with a stunt guitar solo.
the zapping buzz band: does sex belong in music (??, cd, suisse, bbm records 6995 ghat) - all compositions by frank zappa this is the latest zapping buzz band, brandnew and as impressive as their previous one. a nice guitar arrangement (and guitar solo !!) of 'bobby brown'; 'torture' and 'i'm the slime', both with heavy guitar and kazoo; 'flakes' with very tight drumming; and lots more. just to quote someone: "you'll love it". to order a copy, go to the zapping buzz band website and contact them. it's as easy as that and you won't be sorry. http://www.zappingbuzzband.ch/

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info from alt.fan.frank-zappa, short bits and other things that i call news
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john trubee:
   Last night I went to a see a documentary film about the studio band behind all those Motown hits. It's called 'Standing In The Shadow Of Motown' and is in general theatrical release now.
   I rarely go to movies anymore--too much crap out there and I'm tired of being lied to by the movies about how life is when I often experience life as diametrically opposed to the candyassed and improbable happy ending scenarios spewed out on us by the Hollywood lie machine.
   But I greatly enjoyed this Motown documentary because I went thru a heavy phase in the mid to late '70's of listening to Motown stuff--I especially like the Four Tops and Marvin Gaye.
   This film tells the story of those forgotten and neglected studio musicans behind all those hits. Watching it made me realize more than ever what a sorry state the music industry is in and how shitty and awful and soulless music nowadays has become.
    After the 60's and into the 70's and 80's music seemed to lose its soul as it became more tightly held over time by fewer and fewer large conglomerates. Decisions about what got signed and released went through layers of lawyers and accountants--and what came out at the far end was always excrement.
    Even in 1980 when I was driven insane by the incessant and obsessive broadcast of that stanky, putrid abomination 'Sailing' by Christopher Cross which won 10 million fixed high school talent contest awards--I mean Grammies--I realized that I was responsible for actively seeking out music in obscure and forgotten record bins with soul which appealed to me because the music industry had become driven by any other motivation BUT soul.

fastfrank wrote:
" I was just now watching David Letterman. Dave introduces guest, comedian Larry Miller, and as Miller walks out the band plays a snippet of Peaches en Regalia. :o)"

and charles ulrich replied:
"They've been doing that for years, whenever Larry Miller is on."

so i added the late show band (or the cbs late show band) to united-mutations...

2002/12/09 concert 'het bethanienklooster', amsterdam, the netherlands
frank zappa: 'the girl in the magnesium dress'

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2002/12/08, dutch national television "nederland 3" aired frank scheffer's documentary about frank zappa: "the present-day composer refuses to die". essential stuff, and it's my guess that with all these computer wizards that live over there, that videocd copies will turn up real soon.

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new bootlegs: not just the triple vinyl "fz:oz", but also a santa monica concert and a halloween 78 concert have been spotted.

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the latest issue of rolling stone magazine exists with three different covers, all drawn by matt groening. classic album covers: "abbey road", "nevermind" and "born in the usa". it's a pity matt couldn't do a zappa or beefheart one.
the mag does include an attempt to interview mr. groening and does have some nice simpson pics and clues. my copy has the "abbey road" cover, so let's start the gossip. 'i think that maggie's dead, she isn't in the picture...'

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jurgen verfaillie's latest band is called moonbug. previously, moonbug was called virgilvenus. i've only heard one track, but you should keep an eye out for them. catchy stuff. more info soon on: www.moonbug.org.
other projects by jurgen verfaillie are yellowmud, a band that had some mp3s on the net (including one that had some zappa samples), and www.killuglyradio.com, one of the best-looking sites that i know (added it in the links page as well).

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the links-page also includes www.zappateers.com from now on. if you're familiar with irc and you're into trading zappa, this is your thing. i don't know a thing about irc myself, but the site has some nice links to where they explain it all to you. appearantly, all you need is a speedy computer and a fast internet connection.

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a couple of internet shops are offering various new zappa albums. even the new halloween show has been offered (release-date somewhere early next year).

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the latest album by alan jenkins & the thurston lava tube, called "mekanahuku", includes 'what's the ugliest part of your body' (frank zappa). - info danny mathys

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i've been reading things about a russian edition of zappa albums on various places. let it be said that these editions are counterfeits. illegal reproductions. some of these albums combine different albums from the zappa catalogue, giving rather funny combinations. from the same source comes a set of 10 discs filled with mp3s, pictures, texts and more. the complete compressed zappa catalogue with extras.
all these discs exist as factury pressed silver discs. in recordshops in russia, these items are said to be sold for US $ 2.00, so be cautious when you get an offer...

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another new release is called frank zappa: "for collectors only". roman garcia knows that this is another compilation of various cucamonga singles.

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john fitzpatrick offers several of his compositions on the internet as mp3s. in one of them, called 'laurielou paradise', he samples frank zappa.
info from patrick neve.

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the ed palermo big band will perform frank zappa's music once again at the 'bottom line', nyc, on wednesday, december 18, 2002. two shows: first show at 7:30, second show at 10:30 pm

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those of you who know me a bit better, know that i like comic books / graphic novels / or whatever you call them. this next site shows potraits of frank zappa as original artwork by comic book artists. this is great stuff. go visit
"the frank zappa utility muffin art kitchen.
http://zappa.redsectorart.com/info/gallery.htm