DON INTERRUPTS
When the Ant-Bee told me that Don had a
new album coming out and suggested I might like to contact him for an
interview, I wasted no time.
IB: Tell me
about ‘Transformation’, the new album from your jazz trio.
DP: The trio consists of myself
on piano, Joel Hamilton on bass, and Alex Cline on drums. The material is: 2
songs by Carla Bley; 2 songs by John Carter; 1 song
by Zappa; 1 song by Cole Porter; and 3 songs by me – one of which is in the
sonata form and is actually 6 songs. The other musicians are fantastic and
there is a harmonious blend to the entire CD.
IB: You mentioned you were also working on an album of archival material:
any plans for a CD release of ‘Eye Of Agamoto’ or ‘I Can’t Breathe’?
DP: No plans, but not out of the
question.
IB: After the break up of the original Mothers, how did you personally feel
about being selected to go back and join the Flo
& Eddie line-up?
DP: I was living in NY and
working with Gil Evans. I got a call from Zappa saying the band would be in NY
and would I like to come down and sit in. I did, and after the concert Mark and
Howard told me that they were having trouble with the keyboard player and would
I consider joining the group. I had a tour in
IB: Tell me a little about the Montreux incident.
DP: That incident was very
strange to me. First of all the tour schedule was printed on a box of matches.
Second, on the day before the fire, in the middle of my solo on ‘King Kong’,
someone ran out on the stage and issued a fire warning. On the next night, in
the middle of my solo on ‘King Kong’, some one threw a firecracker up to the
ceiling, which was covered with dry palm leaves, and started the fire. While
that was happening Zappa¹s sewer backed up in his LA home and the entire basement
studio was flooded with piss and shit.
IB: Do you remember Nigey Lennon? In Being
Frank she says you played an improvised synthesizer section on a song of
hers called ‘Moto Guzzi’;
do you recall this, or her presence on the tour?
DP: I don’t remember.
IB: You
mean you don’t remember recording or touring with Nigey?
I thought she was yours and Tina's rent paying roommate in
DP: Of course I remember Nigey very well. And I
respect her very much
IB: Okay, thanks for clearing that up. What were the subsequent ‘Waka/Jawaka’ and ‘Grand Wazoo’
recording sessions like?
DP: Nothing unusual. I was in
the studio by myself with Zappa and the engineers in the control room. I laid
down my tracks and went home.
IB: And your recollections of the 10th Anniversary tour?
DP: I mostly remember how great
the band was and getting to know George Duke who was an exceptional musician.
IB: Who was the best: the Roxy, Vaudeville, or
original Mothers?
DP: My heart says the original
band, but my mind says the 88 band.
IB: The Best Band You Were Never In, then. I have just been reading Greg
Russo's excellent book, Cosmik Debris,
which implies that you hooked up with Frank in 1981 to record a track called
‘On The Throne Of Saturn’ for the ‘Music From The 21st Century’ compilation.
DP:
Completely wrong. The Mothers were recording ‘Burnt Weeny’
and I had all my gongs set up. I arrived at the studio first and Zappa
suggested that we record some free improvisation with the gongs. So he
engineered and I played. That is all Zappa had to do with that piece. Another
error to do with that piece is the name. I originally called it ‘The Thrones Of Saturn’ based on a book The Inner Realities Of
Evolution by Rudolf Steiner. In the book he describes beings that live on
Saturn called Thrones. That track is available on the CD ‘Io Landscapes’
[available from Don’s
Store] which is mostly electronic or ‘music
concrete’ in style. Most of the material on ‘Thrones’ was
done with a large modular Moog.
IB: Thanks
for clearing that up, too. So when and why did you finally fall out with Frank?
DP: You know, I really don’t
know. Probably when I formed the first Grandmothers. I
got a call from Frank saying, "Get rid of the doll.” (see
my web site)
IB: Can you tell me how the pseudonyms 'Dom DeWild'
and 'Biff Debris' came about?
DP: My ex-wife’s name was DeWild before we married, and I used it on occasion. Biff
Debris was a product of Frank used in the movie Uncle Meat which was
supposed to be loosely based on the movie John And
Mary with Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow.
IB: When did you last cry, and why?
DP: Day before yesterday when I
watched Galaxy Quest.
IB: What’s that sample at the start of ‘Moon Unit’ on ‘Vile Foamy
Ectoplasm’?
DP: It’s not a sample; it’s a modular
Moog where 3 voices are tracking one keypress. Sawtooth
waveforms going through a low-pass filter.
IB: Right. What have you got in your pockets right now?
DP: I don’t have any pockets.
IB: What magic tricks did you perform with the Muffin Men in the summer of
1993?
DP: I made two cans become
magnetic, and I made my leg disappear.
IB: And your pockets too, presumably. Are the Grandmothers going to tour
again?
DP: We will do some limited touring
this summer. Roy Estrada and Billy Mundi will be
joining the band.
IB: Wow! Jimmy talked about how the Grannies were recording a new studio
album of all original material – will it include ‘New Age Mumbo Jumbo’ and ‘The
Great Generic Side Show’? Tell me more.
DP: No plans as of now.
IB: Shame. What about a re-recording of ‘I’ve Fallen And
I Can’t Get Up’?
DP: No comment.
IB: Thought not. How’s ‘The Don & Bunk Show’ album coming along?
DP: It’s coming along great.
Right now we’re working on ‘Little House’.
IB: How important are spoons in your life?
DP: Where did you get these
questions?
IB: I used to have a set of spoons with the heads of the Apostles on – they
were important to me. What are your plans for the future?
DP: I am starting a musical
series here in
IB: Do you think
DP: The only sport I like is
tennis.
IB: Okay. So what was Zappa really like?
DP: Ask Gail.
***
A fredited version of this interview will no doubt appear in
a future edition of T’Mershi Duween. Photo of Don reading Issue 32
outside the Subterania, Ladbroke Grove 9.8.93 taken
by the Idiot Bastard.