We're
now off on another journey through time and space...Fraz Knapp came up with the
wizard wheeze of following-up the unqualified success that was the 20 Extraordinary
Renditions CD. And Cordelia Records is happy to do the biznis again. So I've
been liaising with 20 artists, asking them to condense the whole of the Burnt Weeny Sandwich album into a 3-5
minute piece - with as much artistic licence as they want. They don't have
to use a bit from every song, but at least something from their fave bits of
this wondrous album. Once done, Pete Brunelli of DOOT! will twiddle knobs to
concoct a remix of extracts from the 20 resultant pieces to create a whole new
21st interpretation of the album. Another wonderful sleeve concept is already
evolving in the foolish young mind of our Hazel. So who’s onboard, and what do
we know of their contributions?
1.
DOOT! have created a piece called Radiouverture. It features: Annemarieke
Schoonerwaldt (viola); Stephen Chillemi (keyboard, percussion); Kilissa
Cissoko (piano); Pete Brunelli (percussion, programming); Voice Of Cheez
(performing WPLJ); and the New Haven
Improvisers Collective, conducted by Pete Brunelli. The piece includes portions
of the following compositions: WPLJ
(Four Deuces); Igor's Boogie, Phase One
(Zappa);
2.
Evil Dick is “going to take the album and, using the 'time scale' function on my
computer, squeeze the whole thing down to a 5 minute sound file. I'm expecting
it to sound truly awful. Then I'm going to use that as a template around which
I will arrange some sort of version of the album. This might be too ambitious,
but what the…” Evil has sent me the
album squashed down to five minutes and it really doesn't sound that awful -
much more like a Nancarrow player piano piece. It’s gonna be another goodie.
3.
Fraz Knapp is to blame for all this.
Here’s what he said when floating the idea: “Imagine…Burnt
Weeny Sandwich (anniversary)…the entire
album in one song x by 20 artists or so...each artist creatively fits in all
the melody's and arrangements into a 3-4 min piece, then a choice producer
compiles his choice of each piece from all of the contributions to compile his
own version of the album...may sound a bit weird but I’ve been playing with it
and it could work…ie. set out some of the grooves from the album and go about
fitting the melody's etc. over the top and inbetweens?”
4.
Gamma is threatening to record his contribution live and unleashed at A Concert For Jimmy in
5.
Hans Annellsson has recorded Igor’s Holiday In The Little House By The
Sea. It sounds bloody great.
6.
J21 (aka Joseph Diaz) will be
whipping it out right about now. He has some interesting ideas for it: he’s
just built a new studio and it will be perfect to test all of his new
equipment. Meantime, check his Yellow
Mind : Blue Mind album.
7.
Jerry Outlaw (of Bogus Pomp) may be taking a
vacation in
8.
Lee Rosevere (the artist formerly known as
Fudge) has contributed his haunting Burning
Of The Sand Witch.
9.
Low Budget Research Kitchen are very
happy to work on a piece like this.
10.
Nigey Lennon’s Opus One is an FZ-approved master. It’s based on Ian Underwood’s
improvised piano introduction to Little
House, written by the Old Master. Recorded back
in 1970, “before my college career
fizzled out in a tepid burst of ennui.”, and recorded for her composition
class.
11.
Roddie Gilliard (of the Muffin Men) needs to be
involved.
12.
Todd Grubbs will be focusing on the Theme From Burnt Weeny Sandwich, and
will feature a ‘percussion wash’ by the ANT-BEE, which is a piece called Return Of The Knick Knack People, a
tribute to Frank’s Revenge Of The Knick
Knack People from the Lather CD.
13.
ZAPPATiKA say it would be an honour for
them to be involved.
14.
Princess Helen and the Amazing
Mr Bickerton
15.
Richard Walshe & Co.
16.
David Bruce
17.
David Lugay
18.
The FoolZ
19.
The Moving Tones
20.
The Thurston Lava Tube
21.
John Tabacco’s secret hidden bonus track, Burnt Weenie
20 Extraordinary
Renditions – available now