YOU CALL
THAT NEWS?
(Hot Poop,
Lukewarm Poop
…final poop)
(Last updated 25 March 2023)
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Hot Poop
·
J Warner: “Here’s the first of two promo videos I
recently cut for the new Frank Zappa Mudd Club/Munich
release!” [Added: 25 March 2023]
·
SPB
Publishing has just published The Mother People Anthology,
Volume 1 – which is
the first 13 issues of Rob Cerreta's ‘Mother People’
fanzine (which ran from 1981 to 1989) in book form. “It's a time capsule, custom-made for anyone who wonders
what it was like to be a Frank Zappa fan in the 1980s.” [Added: 25 March 2023]
·
Interesting
interview here with Timothy Carey’s son, Romeo, on how his father discovered FZ.
Towards the end, he talks about the recordings he has of Frank scoring The World's Greatest Sinner; hope he can
get together with Ahmet to discuss this some more. [Added: 23 March 2023]
·
Al 'Butzis'
Malkin will perform a stand-up routine this coming Sunday before a 40th
anniversary screening of Rodney
Dangerfield’s 1983 film Easy Money
at the St George Theatre, Staten Island, NY. Details. [Added: 23 March 2023]
·
Mark Volman is following in his partner Howard Kaylan’s footsteps with a biography of
his own – Happy Forever: My Musical
Adventures With The Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, And More.
Co-authored by John Cody, who “interviewed over a hundred of Mark’s friends, lovers,
family and more, and covered a whole lot of ground. This is not a typical
biography at all. The story is told via those voices, with Mark offering comments
along the way.” The book will be published by Jawbone Press in June.
Read about it here. And in the
meantime, why not re-read my interview with Flo here. [Added: 22 March 2023]
·
Arthur Barrow has posted this new track on YouTube by MVP=X, “which
is Larry Klimas and me, this time with guest star the
incredible Walt Fowler! It is Larry
on bass clarinet, Walt on trumpet and me on keyboards. It is called Aftermath, and is like going to
somewhere else in the universe. Produced by Arthur Barrow, mastered by Bob Rice. Enjoy something like real gas
music from Jupiter that came from nowhere.” [Added: 22 March 2023]
·
On YouTube
this week: Chanan Hanspal
asks, “Was Frank Zappa Tone Deaf?"; and The Aaron Channel plays another bunch of songs Frank liked. [Added: 18 March 2023]
·
Sad to hear
of the passing of ‘electric’ drummer Jim
Gordon, who until the 80s had an almost incomparable résumé (as well as
playing with the Everly Brothers, John Lennon, Eric
Clapton, George Harrison, the Beach Boys, Alice Cooper and Steely Dan, he was
also credited as co-writer of Layla for crying out loud!). Of course, he was also part of
FZ’s Wazoo bands and played on (and co-wrote) Apostrophe'. Now all four of the
musicians on that track are gone (poor old Tony Duran is oft forgot): not sure
that can presently be said for any other Zappa tracks released in his lifetime,
other than those that feature one or two performers, I suppose. Jim was also
responsible for showing FZ the ‘Bulgarian bagpipe technique’ on guitar, which
he used from 1972 onwards. Jim’s passing has reminded me that, as well as
recording Freak Out!, in 1966 Frank
was also involved in recordings made by Tommy Flanders (with Jim), Burt Ward,
Bobby Jameson, The Animals, Del Kacher, The Factory,
Barry Goldberg and possibly more. I wonder if there's scope for the ZT/UMe to piece together an ‘FZ66’ compilation of his work
outside of the Mothers that year? Perhaps legally it
would be a nightmare, and the calibre of the material might also be
questionable. But I for one would be interested in hearing good quality
excerpts from these sessions. Anyway, I digress: Jim’s troubled life is now
over, and I hope he gets to rest in peace. [Added: 18 March 2023]
·
Did Varèse: The Rage And The
Fury leak onto the Interweb? It was posted by BigShekel96
as a playlist on YouTube last week, but has now been removed “due to a copyright claim by The Zappa Trust.”
Good! [Added: 12
March 2023 / Updated: 18 March 2023]
·
Just added
to the line-up for Zappanale in July: The
All New Frankly Don’t Wop Duo, comprising Kevin Crosby of the Zappa
Early Renaissance Orchestra, and Fred
Händl (who is also playing solo over the
weekend). They chose the name as neither can sing. Meanwhile, Fred continues
work on his next album, Händl Plays Zappa (on solo piano), and it's
not too late to nab a copy – write to Fred. ZERO is also
working on its next album, provisionally titled Six Of One. [Added: 12 March 2023]
·
Flautist Claudio Ferrarini
has recorded a version of A Pound For A Brown On The Bus – check it out on Spotify here. [Added: 12 March 2023]
·
Kinolibrary
has posted some interesting videos in recent times, including clips of the
early Mothers. They also snuck out footage of FZ reading ‘The Talking Asshole’
from William Burroughs' Naked Lunch. Watch here. [Added: 11 March 2023]
·
Mojo Music &
Media has just acquired Warren Cuccurullo’s
complete songwriter and publishing rights, along with artist royalties and
neighbouring rights. The deal includes rights to such songs as Missing Persons’ Destination Unknown and Duran
Duran’s Ordinary World. In
addition to the catalogue acquisition, Mojo has also
signed a futures deal to manage and promote Warren’s solo work. He says, “It’s funny, but I thought I’d be hooking up with a
company like Mojo shortly after my departure from
Duran Duran in the early 2000s. Eleven solo albums
and 22 years later, it’s now a reality. My life’s work is in their hands and I
could not be more excited about the future.” Warren has a new album
coming in 2024 called Synthia Vol 1. Check
out his new preview video featuring partner Donna Nguyen and his tortoise,
Hugo, here. [Added: 11 March 2023]
·
This may not
mean a thing, but a pal of Dweezil’s posted this clip of him
playing along to Madonna’s Live To Tell in his studio recently, and
in the comments on Instagram (reel has now been
removed) she told her friends they are all going to see him in concert in 2024.
Here’s hoping he does have plans for touring next year! [Added: 05 March 2023]
·
Another
great vid from the Aaron Channel, this one about how
FZ formed the Mothers. [Added: 05 March 2023]
·
Following
his appearance on the latest ZappaCast, I quickly conducted
an interview of my own with David Logeman – you can read it here. [Added: 02 March 2023]
·
To tie-in
with the publication of Flake’s Zappa Every Day fanzine, digital creator
@earfeeder posted this starter's guide
to FZ on Instagram – which has had over 9,000 likes
at the time of writing. It has now followed this up with a Playlist on Spotify – walk this way. [Added: 02 March 2023]
·
New Zappa '80 ZappaCast with David Logeman
here. [Added: 26 February 2023]
·
Last week I
created a YouTube playlist of the
official videos for three tracks from Mike
Keneally's
new album (Spigot, Celery and Big Hit Song). This week, Mikko Keinonen's The Complete Adventures Of The Unrelated Sound Guy has been
unleashed: the film is based on Mike’s music and features all of the above plus
“videos for Lana
and The Carousel Of Progress, and
additional incidental music unique to this film.” [Added: 26 February 2023]
·
A message
from ZAPPATiKA:
“After spending pretty much the last decade on the
road, we have no current plans for touring in 2023. However we are working like
little elves in the studio on a very nice Audio Visual project which we will
release at the end of this year. As with everything we have done previously,
since 2010, this project will also feature cameos from some of your favourite
teenage rock heroes...” [Added: 26 February 2023]
·
Ike & Napi guesting
with the Stinkfoot Orchestra, Steve Vai visiting the UK...lorra-lorra new dates in the Diary. [Added: 26 February 2023]
·
With the
release of Zappa ’80 right around the corner, both the Aaron Channel and
IBS have prepared a little some things for you: a short video taking a behind the scenes look at
the 1980 Spring/Summer band, and some words about I Don't Wanna Get Drafted. [Added: 23 February 2023]
·
This year's
pre-Zappanale concert at St. Catherine's church in Hamburg will see ‘Zappa and
the Great American Songbook’ performed by Napoleon
Murphy Brock with a local jazz-trio. Details here, and also in
the Diary together with
more One Shot Deal plays Zappa
dates. [Added: 23
February 2023]
·
The next
single from Zappa '80 is City Of Tiny Lites
from the Munich show. The version from the Mudd Club
was edited together by FZ as the tape ran out part way through. It's
interesting that all but one of the tracks on the Mudd
Club disc are repeated in the Munich show (for ‘compare and contrast’ reasons
presumably) but on the six-piece Logeman band tour,
they regularly opened with Watermelon
(in the US) and included the new single I
Don’t Wanna Get Drafted (plus another 13 of the
18 ‘new songs of the Zappa 1980 World
Tour’ not featured on the new release), invited Shankar and Craig “Twister”
Steward to guest along the way, and had a few shows professionally filmed;
so am I alone in hoping for even more from this line-up in the future? [Added: 19 February 2023]
·
Ray White: “For
those of you interested in this year's Zappanale #32, the Band From Utopia (Ray White,
Robert Martin, Chad Wackerman, Scott Thunes, Robbie Mangano and Jamie Kime) is playing on Sunday the 16th
July. We hope to see ya'll there!” [Added: 19 February 2023]
·
Mike Keneally will be presented with a
Lifetime Achievement Award at the 32nd annual San Diego Music Awards. Check out
the official videos for three songs from his wondrous new album here. [Added: 19 February 2023]
·
Arthur Barrow has a new track up on Bandcamp.
There's a great video too. The Old Front Porch features Robby
Krieger on slide guitar, with Arthur on all other instruments. The track
was mastered by Bob Rice. [Added: 19 February 2023]
·
In case
there was any doubt, Dweezil
has just posted, “There are no plans for touring in
2023. Will update here on DweezilZappa.com
if there are any changes.” [Added: 14 February 2023]
·
On 26 February,
to coincide with the publication of Flake’s
Zappa Every Day zine,
@earfeeder will post a beginner's guide to FZ on Instagram. Stresses Flake. “This
is a STARTER'S guide, not a deep dive – so don't go hounding the kids for
missing out on some of those deep cuts.” [Added: 14 February 2023]
·
Caballero Reynaldo, the man who put the fun in
country, is issuing a compilation called The
Best Of Kazoos. The album collects together various
recordings of FZ songs by The Grand
Kazoo from the last several years. If you haven't heard CB&TGK before,
you’re in for a treat. Head over to Bandcamp
now! [Added: 14
February 2023]
·
At the end
of 2022, Alan Clayson
wrote, “My Frank Zappa biography will be in the shops early next
summer – or so I read in MOJO. No-one
tells me anything.” Let's lobby Constable & Co and ask them to pull
their fingers out to ensure it happens. [Added: 14 February 2023]
·
The Zappa Band as such will not now be playing at
Zappanale this year: for legal reasons, they have had to change their name to
the Banned From Utopia; the line-up
will also differ slightly, with the addition of an alum on drums – Chad Wackerman
– and Robbie ‘Seahag’
Mangano (on guitar instead of Mike Keneally, who I believe will be touring with Devin
Townsend). This should all be formally confirmed at the festival website now. [Added: 12 February 2023]
·
Gozortenplat, headliners/ambassadors of the Milwaukee Zappafest,
have now been added to the line-up for this year's Zappanale. Like fellow Wisconsinites The Furious Bongos, they will be playing two sets: a full one on
Friday July 14th, and then a smaller collective will be performing in the
exhibition room on the morning of Saturday July 15th. [Added: 05 February 2023]
·
Jeff Rougvie is writing the story of Rykodisc, for whom he worked as an A&R man. Ryko of course purchased FZ's catalogue in the 90s. Rykobook promises to
include untold stories of Frank, Bowie,
Costello, The Grateful Dead and more. Rougvie
recently posted online, “Our ability to have success
with the Zappa catalogue was deliberately and maliciously derailed by Gail, a
proven liar (see her many failed lawsuits against the label), and who (IMO)
destroyed Frank's legacy and shredded his last wishes out of spite/greed.”
Should be an eye-opening read. [Added: 05 February 2023]
·
Wrecking
Crew guitarist Dennis Budimir passed away on the same day as Jeff Beck. As
well as Lumpy Gravy, Dennis can also
be heard on Burt Ward’s Boy Wonder I Love You – written,
arranged and conducted by FZ. [Added: 05 February 2023]
·
On the new Vai/Gash album, drums are credited to
‘Il Misterioso Batterista’.
It seems Steve forgot who had played them all those years ago (the album was
recorded in 1991, between Passion &
Warfare and Sex & Religion,
and Steve played everything else). But in this interview with Carl King (who has worked
with Dweezil
and, at the the height of the sibling rivalry,
created an unsuccessful petition asking Ahmet and Diva to hand administrative control of
the Zappa Trust to a qualified, neutral third-party) Vai
recalls that it was actually a lass named Tiffany
Smith. [Added: 01 February 2023]
·
Great to see
The Furious Bongos
have been added to the line-up for this year's
Zappanale – they’ll be playing two sets: first at the warm-up party; then on
the main stage Sunday. [Added: 01 February 2023]
·
Aynsley
Dunbar’s 1971 Blue Whale album, featuring a cover of Willie The Pimp,
has been newly re-mastered and reissued by BYG Records. Check it out here. [Added: 01 February 2023]
·
There
remains a question mark over The Zappa Band’s appearance at Zappanale this year, but in response to
someone posting their festival tickets on Reddit, Scott Thunes responded with, “Very excited to play there. See you then!” I have
my tix too, and look forward to seeing Scott play
with whoever! [Added: 29 January 2023]
·
Guitar Player posted this cool article on FZ, with
quotes from Don Preston, Adrian Belew,
Mike Keneally
and Jon Anderson. [Added: 29 January 2023]
·
Check out Chanan Hanspal’s most recent YouTube video on
FZ, entitled “Why I did a PhD on Zappa”.
[Added: 29
January 2023]
·
Great to
hear that Orange Claw Hammer (and
their wondrous ‘takes on the music of Captain Beefheart’)
have just been added to the line-up for this year's
Zappanale. [Added: 29 January 2023]
·
Sad to hear
that Betty Sturm, the actress who
appeared alongside Tim Carey in his
FZ-scored film The World's Greatest
Sinner (she was one of Clarence's followers), has passed away aged 89. With
the film having recently been restored (see below), here's hoping for a Blu-Ray release with the Making Sinner doc (for which Betty was interviewed) by Carey's son
Romeo as a bonus feature. [Added: 29 January 2023]
·
The Real Frank Zappa Book read by Ahmet is now available for your
listening pleasure. You can check-out snippets on iTunes, Instagram
and Amazon. As well as Ahmet’s narration, the audiobook
also includes a few snippets of Frank talking taken from co-writer Peter Ochiogrosso's taped interviews. [Added: 22 January 2023]
·
When Moon last spoke about her long-awaited
memoir, around the time of the 40th anniversary of Valley Girl, it didn't sound like she'd actually finished it yet.
Sure enough, her publisher Dey Street Books appears
to have now delayed publication to January 2024. I'm sure it will be worth the
wait, however. [Added: 22 January 2023]
·
Last May we
learned that Warren Cuccurullo
would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Duran Duran.
Before the ceremony took place in November, it was announced that Warren would
join the band on stage, along with original guitarist Andy Taylor – with
bassist John Taylor quipping, “They better behave
themselves!” In the event, neither made it to the ceremony: Andy Taylor
is sadly suffering from metastastic prostate cancer,
while Warren took the opportunity “To use any
attention I might get from the RRHOF award to grow awareness about
homelessness” in California and released his 4U video. Warren adds, “I live where this video was shot. I see this every
single day. I see the men and women, the children and the veterans. The
indifference and ignorance about this crisis cannot continue. I know we cannot
help everyone, but if we can help even one person isn’t it worth it?” [Added: 22 January 2023]
·
Samuel R. Howard has issued this correction video for his bassist’s guide to Cheepnis. [Added: 22 January 2023]
·
While
promoting their new film Babylon,
co-stars Margot Robbie and Diego Calva
were asked which musician they’d most like to play in a musical biopic: Robbie
said Stevie Nicks, while Calva opted for FZ, saying, “I
don’t know if I’m the guy, but that would be a cool movie. I’d have to grow the
‘tache’.” [Added: 22 January 2023]
·
Recently
Cracked.com stated as fact that FZ got prostate cancer from his dad’s weird
job. Now Ultimate Guitar has asked, “Was the US
Government responsible for the death of Frank Zappa?” Given
that Frank's mother outlived him by many years, and that brother Bob passed as
a result amyloidosis in 2018, the answer is probably
not. [Added: 22
January 2023]
·
Frank’s
probably-stolen-in-London-after-Amougies Gibson Les
Paul Goldtop, used on Hot Rats and elsewhere, was recently offered for sale by Omega
Auctions for £34K. It is now proudly on display at Matt's
Guitar Shop in Paris, where they hope to sell it on for €175K. [Added: 18 January 2023]
·
Here's
two recent renditions of I’m The Slime
by: The Vegetarians and Dr Funkenstein.
Talking of The Vegetarians, check out their new album Loo Read on Bandcamp,
featuring Napoleon Murphy Brock on a
couple of tracks. [Added: 18 January 2023]
·
Fido Plays Zappa are
touring Germany again with Robert Martin
– right after Bobby’s UK tour with Treacherous
Cretins. All dates in the Diary. Meantime,
check out my Spotify playlist of some
of the fine Philly soul songs Robert performed on before joining Frank. [Added: 18 January 2023]
·
Like FZ, I
was a huge fan of Jeff Beck who died
this week. I first saw him on the There
And Back tour in 1980 and then a half a dozen more times up to 2018 when he
played at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, with Vinnie
Colaiuta on drums. There have been many tributes about his amazing ability
on the guitar, but a few other things that struck me were how humble he was,
what fantastic drummers he surrounded himself with (like Aynsley Dunbar, Cozy Powell, Narada
Michael Walden, Simon Phillips, Terry Bozzio and Vinnie), and the astonishing number of women
he collaborated with – including Imogen Heap, Molly
Marriott, Saffron, Diana Ross, Rosie Bones, Vanessa Freebairn-Smith,
Nancy Sorrell, Joss Stone, Sharon Corr, Tal Wilkenfeld, Karen Lawrence, Beth Hart, Kate Bush, Tina
Turner, Lizzie Ball, Chrissie Hynde, Ruth Lorenzo,
Imelda May, Sophie Delila, Kelly Clarkson, Ronni Ancona, Anika
Nilles, Carmen Vandenberg, Rhonda Smith, Jennifer
Batten and, of course, The GTOs; not
many males who broke through in the 60s can say the same. As news of his
passing broke, Terry Tweeted, “I’m shocked,
speechless and very sad.” Vinnie had this to say on Instagram,
“I lost a hero and a friend. The world lost a hero
as well, and another living link to a vital history. Yet it will live on in
truth through his legacy. He helped me fulfil my own mission here. For that,
and the time I spent with him, I am forever grateful. Rest in peace great one.
I will miss you deeply.” And Miss
Pamela wrote on Facebook, “We lost one of the most beautiful maestros of rock. The GTOS sure had
a ball with the Jeff Beck Group when his whole band played on our album Permanent Damage. We were starry-eyed
but so were they! Whenever I ran into Mr. Beck through the years he was
charming and amused, and he thanked me once for keeping a certain secret. I’m
so glad he’d been happily entertaining the masses recently. It’s what he loved
best.” Here’s a Beckology Spotify playlist I put together a few years back featuring
some of the above-mentioned ladies. [Added: 14 January 2023 / Updated: 18 January 2023]
·
The Aaron Channel has just added a timely
new episode to its series of videos on The Real Frank Zappa Book. Watch all
three here. The new part
is chockful of Easter Eggs – see how many you can
spot! [Added: 14
January 2023]
·
And the new
releases keep on coming! Next up on 3 March 2023 is Zappa '80: Mudd Club/Munich, showcasing
the David Logeman
six piece band. There's a preview single of Outside Now from the Mudd
Club show here. And here's the official blurb. The version
of City Of Tiny Lites
from the Mudd Club was edited together by FZ after
the master tape ran out mid-song. [Added: 11 January 2023]
·
Mike Keneally's excellent new CD The Thing That Knowledge Can't Eat is available to pre-order here; it comes with
an instant download of the album plus digital booklet. As well as Steve Vai,
other guest musicians include original ZPZ bassists Pete Griffin & Bryan Beller (natch!), and drummers
Eric Slick (Paul Green's School of
Rock/Adrian Belew Power Trio) & Malcolm Mortimore
(Gentle Giant). [Added: 11 January 2023]
·
The Real Frank Zappa Book narrated by Ahmet is available from Audible
next week. Interesting that Brother A.
West was edited out of Zappa ’88: The
Last U.S. Show album, yet his cover concept remains
intact here. Apparently co-writer Peter Ochiogrosso's
involvement in this audio book was to provide the correct pronunciation of his
surname. [Added: 11 January 2023]
·
The sternly
accomplished Furious Bongos are
playing a short US tour this Spring. Deets in the Diary. [Added: 11 January 2023]
·
Tyler Bartram and Gerry Fialka have a new YouTube channel that explores the hidden psyche
effects of music and Frankness. They have a new film about FZ and Bob Dylan and two Zappatista
Salons, where they are joined by Simon Prentis: Salon#1 and Salon #2. [Added: 08 January 2023]
·
After the
amazing FZ releases we had in 2022, word on the street is there’ll be a
Hammersmith 82 album coming along this year (with new bass overdubs by Scott Thunes,
replacing a poorly recorded section), as well as the eagerly awaited
immediately post-Hot Rats set
featuring Don "Sugarcane"
Harris. Bring 'em on, I say! [Added: 05 January 2023]
·
Mike Keneally’s new album, The Thing That Knowledge Can't Eat, is coming next month. MK and
Beer For Dolphins (Rick Musallam, Pete Griffin, Joe Travers)
are playing a release party at The Grand/Ritz Theater
in Escondido on 13 January! This will include the track Celery that MK premiered at Zappanale; and
here’s the official video! [Added: 05 January 2023 / Updated: 08
January 2023]
·
Chanan
Hanspal, who has made some fantastic videos analysing Frank’s music,
recently uploaded this fab solo jazz guitar rendition of Moggio. [Added: 05 January 2023]
·
On the 26
February, there's an interesting Zappa & Co
concert in Hamm, Germany. [Added: 05 January 2023]
·
The Grimm
Life Collective visited Frank’s old house on Woodrow Wilson Drive and then his
unmarked grave. They recently posted this video about it. [Added: 05 January 2023]
·
Dweezil has just posted the live song
duo of Orange County/More Trouble Everyday
for download (free to subscribers). Recorded in Florida in 2018, “These 2 songs emphasize the nuances I added to the
arrangements with my band. The funky transition from "Orange County"
is from a rare FZ arrangement performed only a handful of times on the '74
tour. I also nailed the mid-range lead tone and wah
from that tour as well.” [Added: 01 January 2023]
·
Earlier this
year, I mentioned the new Life On The Road: An Analysis Of
The Recordings Of Frank Zappa website run by Alex Dahl. Alex tells me, “I just finished a side project to the site of uploading
every known FZ live show to YouTube, in an effort to make the music
easily accessible. Additionally I've updated my site quite a bit throughout the
year, and it now covers shows through 1973.” Go check it out. [Added: 01 January 2023]
·
Here is the second Waka/Wazoo promo video that uses Malcolm McNab’s home movies from the Grand Wazoo tour. [Added: 01 January 2023]
·
The Real Frank Zappa Book recently slipped out on Kindle, and next month a version narrated by Ahmet will be
unleashed on Audible. Says AZ, “Working
this book was truly a labour of love. It was intense and supremely emotional. I
hope folks enjoy it.” [Added: 24 December 2022]
·
As mentioned
below, Italian duo Inventionis Mater are
working on a new Zappa album with some special guests, including Napoleon Murphy Brock. To see it over
the finish line, they have started a crowdfunding
campaign on Indiegogo, with perks of all kinds. Check
it out here. [Added: 24 December 2022]
·
The Wall Street Journal asked Bob Dylan what his lockdown was like, to which he said, “I listened to The Mothers of Invention record Freak Out!, that I hadn’t heard in a
long, long time. What an eloquent record. Hungry
Freaks, Daddy, and the other one, Who
Are the Brain Police?,
perfect songs for the pandemic. No doubt about it, Zappa was light years ahead
of his time. I’ve always thought that.” He also confessed to binge
watching Coronation Street and Father Brown! [Added: 24 December 2022]
·
Connecticut-based
Locksmith released an album called Ghost Zappa through Bandcamp. The
album comprises Ghostface remixes over Eff-Z samples. – most of which
Peter at United Mutations
has identified. [Added: 24 December 2022]
·
Treacherous Cretins: “To
celebrate Frank's birthday on 21st December (and the end of Zappadan),
we will be premiering the video of our gig performed at the iconic London venue
The 100 Club. Join in via our YouTube Channel at 8:30pm on Wednesday.” Obviously this can now be
viewed at your leisure, if you missed the premiere – and therefore my stellar
introduction! [Added: 20 December 2022 /Updated: 24 December 2022]
·
Utilising Malcolm McNab's home movies shot during the
1972 Grand Wazoo tour, J Warner has pieced together two promotional videos to coincide
with the release of the Waka/Wazoo box
set. The first is here. [Added: 20 December 2022]
·
Ali N. Askin and his band have just been
added to next year’s Zappanale line-up. [Added: 20 December 2022]
·
Ant 2 Bee
Man has remixed Captain Beefheart & His Magic
Band’s Trout Mask Replica using AI software. Check it out here. [Added: 20 December 2022]
·
John Zorn fangirl Sarah
Grosser (aka Flake) is currently
piecing together a Zappa 'zine comprising 30 reviews
of 30 FZ albums, written in 30 days. She writes, “If
you know any Zappa fans, please send them in the direction of Floppo Records and tell
them about Zappa Every Day. It's going to be a project with just as much
love and passion in it as Days Of Zorn –
same team, same high quality content, same low brow humour, different composer
starting with 'Z'.” Should be published January/February next year. [Added: 14 December 2022]
·
To celebrate
10 years of making music from the other side of the fence – and Zappadan – the Zappa
Early Renaissance Orchestra (aka ZERO)
is offering a free download of
its latest recording: a rendition of Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top, featuring percussion by
Prairie Prince. [Added: 14 December 2022]
·
New ZappaCast on Waka/Wazoo here. [Spoiler Alert: Contains no musical
spoilers, but more hints about the real (Sugarcane-coated) Hot Rats II and other cool stuff. Chow down!]. [Added: 11 December 2022]
·
Scotland's Pygmy Twylyte
have their UK dates sorted for the first half of 2023 – see Diary.
[Added: 11
December 2022]
·
This looks like
FZ's Les Paul Gold Top may finally have sold for £34 bags of sand, having been
up for grabs on a number of previous occasions. Will the new owner do the right
thing and return it to the Zappas? [Added: 11 December 2022]
·
Inventionis
Mater are recording a new album to be released in 2023 – now as a
crazy trio. The album will also feature special guest appearances by Napoleon Murphy Brock. [Added: 11 December 2022]
·
Treacherous Cretins will tour Great Britain next
February with very special guest vocalist Robert
Martin! Dates in the Diary – meantime, here’s a taster. [Added: 09 December 2022]
·
Tim Carey’s 1962 film, The
World’s Greatest Sinner, has been restored by the Academy Film Archive
and The Film Foundation. It receives its ‘restoration world premiere’ at the
Ted Mann Theater in Wilshire Blvd. on 10 December.
There will be a post-screening conversation with Tim's son, Romeo. Details here – but no word
on whether FZ’s soundtrack has been spiffed up. [Added: 09 December 2022]
·
Now
confirmed for Zappanale next year: The
Zappa Band featuring Mike Keneally, Scott Thunes, Ray
White and Robert Martin, plus
surprise guests; Jon Andersen of Yes with the Paul Green Rock Academy will present Close To The Edge; Billy
Cobham Band; and Gong. More to
come. [Added: 04
December 2022]
·
For the
whole of Zappadan (4-21 December), I am offering
copies of my updated/expanded Zappa FUQs eBook for just a fiver – and The Idiot will donate one pound from each sale
to Prostate Cancer UK. For those who previously purchased a copy, the download
link and password remain unchanged. Any problems, let
me know. The Idiot has other special offers too – check 'em
all out here. [Added: 04 December 2022]
·
Love by George Duke, demo
produced by FZ, from the imminent Waka/Wazoo box set. [Added: 04 December 2022]
·
Check out this reinterpretation of Uncle Remus by Yorkshire-based singer
songwriter Nick Dunne. [Added: 04 December 2022]
·
One Shot Deal (that is, former ZPZers Scheila Gonzalez,
Pete Griffin, Billy Hulting, Jamie Kime, Ben Thomas and Joe Travers
with Matt Rhode plus guests) will play Zappa at the Baked Potato in February
next year. Dates in Diary. [Added: 04 December 2022]
·
People have
been asking when Dweezil
might tour again. After he talked about the trials and tribulations of being a
band leader in his Audio Documentary
series and aired his recent concerns about inflation and the econony, it may be some time. Especially when you consider
that his band members have been making a living elsewhere since the Hot Rats tour ended prematurely in 2020:
Kevin Bents (keyboards) has been
touring with John Fogerty;
Peter Jacob Jones (DZ's long time
tour manager and stunt vocalist) has been on the road with Lindsey Buckingham; Adam Minkhoff has been working on tracks with Graham Nash for a new album; and Scheila Gonzalez has been part of Colin Hay's Men At Work for several years. So
adding to his worries about the fiscal challenges of going back on the road, he
probably would also need to audition, hire and rehearse a brand new band.
However, the fact he's playing the Hendrix 80th birthday bash is encouraging
and, who knows, it may even get him juiced-up again. Here's hoping. [Added: 30 November 2022]
·
Here's Dweezil with Z
performing My Beef Mailbox on the
Conan O’Brien show in 1994. [Added: 30 November 2022]
·
Down below I
mentioned the 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of Captain Beefheart's
Clear Spot album. I can now advise
that this includes the following previously unreleased tracks (all instrumental
rough mixes): Clear Spot/Crazy Little
Thing/Dirty Blue Gene/Big Eyed Beans From Venus/Sun Zoom Spark/Nowadays A
Woman’s Gotta Hit A Man/Low Yo
Yo Stuff. A review of the whole caboodle can be
read here. [Added: 30 November 2022]
·
Nearly six
months on, and we still haven't really had any clarity on the ramifications for
the Zappa Trust of its sale of
Frank's cock and balls to Universal. Scott
Thunes is now talking of his tenure as ScoreMeister in the past tense (from Reddit:
“Are [sic] used
to work for the Zappa Trust, and my job was to look at arrangements and tell if
they were any good or fix them...”). In the same month that the deal
with Universal was announced, Diva
became a Licensor at Funko (so presumably signed off
on the Zappa doll) and Ahmet became CEO
of I LIKE YOU, a pop culture management group, who ‘help
music artists, photographers, brands and entertainment properties expand their
audience, increase their revenue and grow their emotional value for future
generations.’ Melanie Starks
has now placed an end date of July 2022 on her Presidency of Zappa Records,
after a 20 year association with the label. Holland Greco similarly ceased to be President of Munchkin Music Co. and is now Director, Art & Media at UMe. Obviously we're getting the fine releases that Mr
Travers had already worked on, but the Zappa Forum has still to find a new and
improved home and nothing is being said about where what's left of the Trust
stands in regards to new projects and plans. [Added: 25 November 2022]
·
While Summer '82: When Zappa Came To Sicily is still
available to rent on Amazon Prime, it is
now free to view on Netflix. For those
who have still to see it, here's my review of the Blu-Ray.
[Added: 25
November 2022]
·
Dweezil has uploaded another nice mash-up
with the ‘Brass from Utopia’ to his website: “We
played Twinkle Tits mixed with Dupree’s Paradise in Oslo on 11-25-19
with the Norwegian Wind Ensemble.
Nearly three years to the day, it's fully loaded and ready to play.” [Added: 25 November 2022]
·
Turbulator, who appear on my Lost Meat and Would You Like
A Snack? albums, has posted its version
of Duodenum here on YouTube. [Added: 25 November 2022]
·
The official
FZ YouTube channel has recently been uploading
‘visualizer’ videos for the tracks on Hot Rats, Apostrophe and Sheik Yerbouti. These feature small animated elements from
the albums’ artwork (like Miss Christine moving up and down in the drained pond
of the abandoned Italian villa in Holmby Hills). A
question has been posed over at Zappateers about what
album covers would make an interesting animation. My vote goes to Everything Is Healing Nicely, with FZ’s
teeth dancing à la Monty Python's Conrad Poohs.
What do you think? [Added: 20 November 2022]
·
After
posting a new video for Back In 1981 (see below), Warren Cuccurullo followed this up with
one for another track from his Missing
Person album: 4U. [Added: 20 November 2022]
·
Dweezil (in response to a question on
his website): “I hope to be able to tour again but
inflation and the economy aren't helping matters.” In the meanwhile, if
you want to hear Dweezil and Craig Parker Adams chat about Edward
Van Halen, look here. [Added: 17 November 2022]
·
The Thurston Lava Tube’s set from A Concert For Jimmy
in 2008 has just been made available on Bandcamp.
It features psychedelic experimental surf renditions of a few FZ numbers as
well as much other wonderment. [Added: 17 November 2022]
·
Warren Cuccurullo just posted a video for his song
Back In 1981 on his YouTube channel. The track is featured on his 2019
album Missing Person and was
performed during the Bozzio-O'Hearn-Cuccurullo Power Trio’s renowned Zappanale performance the previous year. The
song is a tribute to Prince. [Added: 17 November 2022]
·
Mike Fox (of the London Zappa Collective): “My annual
Zappa party/jam will be at AGVA on Friday 9th December 7.30pm till 9.30 or
later. It's 50 years since Zappa released his jazz
album Waka/Jawaka and so
the plan this year is to make it 50% Jazz and 50% Zappa. I’m augmenting my
Zappa band with Mike Saunders (bass) and Graham Leeson
(keys) from Acton Jazz and inviting
a number of other musicians. I'm hoping you might know some musicians that
might like to join in. If so, please put them in touch with me.” Email
the Idiot if interested. [Added: 17 November 2022]
·
Your Mouth (Take 1) from Waka/Wazoo can now be heard here. Read my interview with vocalist Kris Peterson here. [Added: 11 November 2022]
·
Steve Vai on his ‘new’ album, Vai/Gash: “This
record was written and recorded in somewhat of a stream of consciousness in
1991 within perhaps a 2-week period as an answer to my desire to have a
particular kind of music to listen to when I was riding my Harley-Davidson
Motorcycle with my friends. It’s reminiscent of a certain type of rock music I
enjoyed as a teenager in the 1970s. These recordings sat on the shelf for over
30 years... it's about time.” Steve’s collaboration with friend/vocalist
John "Gash" Sombrotto (killed in a bike accident in 1998) will be
released on 27 January 2023. Meantime, here's taster track In The Wind. [Added: 11 November 2022]
·
Cordelia
Records has now
added the Mappa Zappa EP to its Bandcamp
page. Read all about
it here. [Added: 11 November 2022]
·
On Monday 5
December, the Frank Zappa Memorial Day
will take place at Idiots Records in Dortmund, Rheinische
Str. 14, Germany from 11:00. An annual event (and
meeting point for many Zappa fans) that commemorates the death of the deceased
music legend: from 19:00, a slide lecture will take place with the former
catering man (Maggi) of the 88 Tour; he reports about
his experiences on the tour with plenty of anecdotes. Entry is free of charge! [Added: 11 November 2022]
·
Steve Hackett's late 90s live album The Tokyo Tapes is about to be reissued
together with a region free DVD of one the concerts plus bonus rehearsal
footage. Steve's band for these recordings was John Wetton,
Ian McDonald, Chester Thompson and Zappa: A Biography
author Julian Colbeck.
[Added: 11
November 2022]
·
Dweezil will play at a Jimi Hendrix 80th birthday celebration
concert in Austin, Texas on the first day of Zappaween
next month. [Added: 07 November 2022]
·
In the new fillum Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, there's a pool party scene at Dr Demento’s pad that features an actor playing FZ...and the
end title song, Now You Know, features Weird Al’s long-time
gal vocalist, Lisa Popeil
(of Teen-age Prostitute fame). [Added: 07 November 2022]
·
Joe Travers posted on YouTube the Peavey Party/NAMM Show from 1995
when “Z” (AZ/DZ, Keneally,
Beller & JT) performed a
special one-off version of The Medley.
[Added: 07
November 2022]
·
Scott Thunes is the executive producer of Wine Club, a film written by his sister
Stacy and starring his niece (Stacy's daughter) Isabella. For those of you who may
not know, Stacy performed at Zappanale in 2002 with her band The Lewinskys
(and featured guests Scott, Mike Keneally and Jimmy
Carl Black). More recently, Stacy appeared on our TV screens in an episode
of Killing Eve. Wine Club will be released early next year. [Added: 07 November 2022]
·
Swedish
trumpet player Jonas Lindeborg
recently recorded and released versions of The
Black Page #I & #II. Hear here. [Added: 07 November 2022]
·
Here's a
great video of Scotland's finest Zappa tribute band, Pygmy Twylyte,
performing Penguin In
Bondage – at numerous locations! [Added: 04 November 2022]
·
Check out Pauline Roberts
cover of The Black Page #1 here. And here Gerry Fialka
interview's Pauline. Gerry was introduced as ‘Gertitol
Fialkaseltzer’ and performed a short rant before the
8pm Sunday show of The Zappa Band at
the Baked Potato on 30 October: here’s a transcription. [Added: 04 November 2022]
·
Zappanale
news: the Arf Society is negotiating with Billy Cobham, Gong, Randy Brecker
and The Zappa Band with a view to
them performing at the festival next year. Fingers crossed for that. Because of
rising costs, the organisers say they can no longer offer camping for free – so
separate tickets will be on sale for the Green and Sun camps. These will now
include free use of the toilets and showers. [Added: 04 November 2022]
·
For those
not signed up to Dweezil's website: following a lengthy period of
non-Zappa related activity (I understand he's currently remastering
Van Halen’s back catalogue), he recently started
posting some ‘new’ FZ songs for download. The most recent are live recordings
featuring the Norwegian Wind Ensemble:
200 Bogus Motel Rooftops
(a Zappa/Morricone mash-up) and – for Halloween, and
free to all comers – Zomby Woof 2.0, from
his 2017 Royal Festival Hall concert. These sit nicely alongside the NWE’s
excellent Brass From
Utopia album, which you should definitely check out if you
haven't already. [Added: 04 November 2022]
·
American
jazz clarinettist, saxophonist, and flautist Tony “Bat Man” Ortega, who can be heard on The Grand Wazoo and Joe's Domage (plus the forthcoming Waka/Wazoo set),
recently passed away at the grand old age of 94. [Added: 04 November 2022]
·
Julien’s
Auctions, who sold a bunch of stuff belonging to Frank & Gail, will shortly
be flogging ‘Property from the Archives of Steve
Vai’. This includes Steve’s transcription notes
for a number of FZ pieces, his handwritten set-lists for gigs he played with
Frank (including the infamous Palermo show in 1982) and a whole lot more. Visit
this page and have
a snout around. And in case you haven’t already checked it out, here’s the track Eco
Warrior Goddess from the new Todd Rundgren album that features Mr Vai. [Added: 04 November 2022]
·
Galway based
singer songwriter Niamh Regan has just covered Captain Beefheart
And The Magic Band’s Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles. She
says, “I first heard this song in the film The Big Lebowski,
but never looked up the artist. I remembered really liking the short snippet I
heard. Then one evening I was watching a documentary on Frank Zappa when I
discovered Beefheart. Exploring some of Captain Beefheart’s bizarre, fun and strange catalogue is well
worth it. I’ve never released a cover song before, so this was fun and a great
exercise to explore new sounds and ideas for my second record.” [Added: 04 November 2022]
·
Waka/Wazoo has finally been announced at Zappa.com, with this cunningly
back-dated post. The box set is now available to pre-order from Burning Shed. [Added: 28 October 2022]
·
Cordelia
Records has now
added Rare Episodes to its Bandcamp page. Read about the
album here. [Added: 28 October 2022]
·
Here Chanan Hanspal takes a close look at the ‘impossible guitar
part’ in Sinister Footwear II. And here Shawn Persinger
of Premier Guitar learns
us how to solo like FZ. [Added: 28 October 2022]
·
Check out this radical and
intense Flux Pavilion remix of Valley Girl. If you want
to own a copy, you can opt for an audio download or
the video. Or both, of
course. [Added: 28 October 2022]
·
Mystery
artist, Ziggy Pop, has just released this rap
version of You Are What You Is – prompting the question:
Does Humour Belong In Rap Music? [Added: 28 October 2022]
·
Cordelia
Records just added Weasels Re-Ripped to its Bandcamp page. Read about
the album here. [Added: 23 October 2022]
·
Official
Release 124 will be the long-mooted Waka/Wazoo, comprising 4 CDs of studio session
alternates and outtakes, master versions of the FZ produced George Duke demos, live Grand and Petite
Wazoo material, plus a Blu-Ray
of Atmos and 5.1 mixes of the two original albums.
Out just before Crimbo, here’s the first preview
single: Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus
(Alternate Take). [Added: 18 October 2022]
·
New ZappaCast,
focussing on Zappa 75, here. [Added: 18 October 2022]
·
The Mats & Napi pre-Zappanale Hamburg
church gig is now on streaming services (like YouTube). [Added: 18 October 2022]
·
RIP Art Laboe,
the American DJ and owner of Original Sound Records' studio, where FZ recorded
the music for Run Home Slow. [Added: 18 October 2022]
·
Scott Thunes says of The Zappa Band (on Reddit):
“After the Baked Potato gigs this Halloween I’m
pretty sure that will be it for us.” Hope that's not so as they are odds
on favourites to play Zappanale next year. Keep 'em
crossed. [Added: 10 October 2022]
·
Also now
available from Cordelia’s Bandcamp
pages are Lost Meat (a
collection of FZ penned songs you won’t find in the Official Discography) and Would You Like A Snack?
(a selection of choice cuts from 200 Motels), both performed by sternly accomplished other people.
You can read more about these here and here. [Added: 10 October 2022]
·
Baritone saxophonist
Ronnie Cuber,
of Saturday Night Live and Zappa In New York fame, recently passed away, aged 80. [Added: 10 October 2022]
·
The second
preview ‘single’ from the Zappa ’75:
Zagreb/Ljubljana album is Dirty Love. [Added: 07 October 2022]
·
Last week, Kinolibrary (an East London based independent archive film
agency) posted some great silent footage from the 1970 Bath Festival of Blues
and Progressive Music featuring the mighty Zep. In
one clip, I spotted Herb Cohen and
hoped there might be film of The Mothers in performance. This week, the company
has uploaded some clips featuring the original incarnation of the MOI (with
dancers Vito Paulekas
and Carl Franzoni)
playing at the Moonfire Happening in Santa Monica in
1966. Snippets from this clip were used
in the Freak Out! Classic Albums doc.
[Added: 07
October 2022]
·
Mike Keneally has unveiled the debut release
from The Bird Brain, a new band
comprising MK, Kris Myers (Umphrey's McGee), Jonathan
Sindelman (The Magic Band) and former ZPZ-ers Ben Thomas
& Pete Griffin. Their three-song
Bird Brain EP can now be acquired via
Bandcamp.
[Added: 07
October 2022]
·
Suddenly
available from Cordelia’s Bandcamp
pages are Lemme Take You To The Beach
(an album of surf instrumental bands covering FZ), Mappa Zappa (a
collection of Zappa tunes with place names in their titles) and 21 Burnt Weeny
Sandwiches (20 artists attempt to condense the album into
fun-sized snacks). The latter two were compiled by The Idiot and you can read
more about them here and here. (Pssst!
Includes link to the 21st track). [Added: 07 October 2022]
·
For reasons
unknown, Bored With Prozac And The Internet? by TV Mania –
that is, Nick Rhodes and Warren Cuccurullo – released as a digital-only album in 2013,
has belatedly been issued on Compact Disc. The material thereon was originally
recorded in the mid-90s. Wacky! [Added: 07 October 2022]
·
Moon Unit talks about Valley Girl forty years on, with Lyndsey
Parker (who ghosted Miss Mercy's
posthumous memoir): the short article; the full video. [Added: 01 October 2022]
·
Cordelia
Records recently
added 20 Extraordinary Renditions of The Idiot Bastard Son to its Bandcamp page. Read about
the album here. [Added: 01 October 2022]
·
The revised
and updated version of Pauline Butcher’s
book about her life with FZ in Laurel Canyon is out next week. If you haven’t
read the original version, here’s my interview with
Pauline from nearly 10 years ago – crikey! It gives an insight into what’s in
the tome, plus it links to a later interview I did with her. Now go pre-order a
copy of the new book here! [Added: 01 October 2022]
·
Cordelia
Records has
recently added The Idiot Bastard Sons Of Mr. Green Genes and On Broadway: Covers Of Invention to its Bandcamp
page. Read about the albums here and here. [Added: 29 September 2022]
·
I Shot Frank Zappa: My Life In Photography by Robert Davidson
with John Elliot is now available as
an Epub from Google Books – for
less than a fiver! [Added: 29 September 2022]
·
Wolfram Klug, who produced Burt, The Nerd, an award winning album
with five Zappa alumni, will contribute the income of sales of his brand-new
album Speaking To Ray to Ray White and his currently ill wife Gwenda. The album has Ray and Robert Martin on it (Ray on My
Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama and City Of Tiny Lights; Robert on the
original, So Quiet). It contains
three FZ tracks: the aforementioned My
Guitar and City Of Tiny Lights,
plus Chunga's Revenge. All nine tracks feature some
of Germany's best musicians, and the album is available right now at Bandcamp.
[Added: 29
September 2022]
·
Watch Ego Death by Polyphia, featuring Steve Vai here. [Added: 29 September 2022]
·
Here’s the press release for
the new Todd Rundgren
album, featuring Adrian Belew and Steve Vai. [Added: 29 September 2022]
·
Tyler Bartram breaks down Wet T-Shirt Nite,
with help from Arthur Barrow, here. [Added: 24 September 2022]
·
I just found
out about the Music Walk Of Fame in London: granite stones that honour artists
who have changed the face of popular culture embedded in the pavement that will
one day run all the way from Chalk Farm to Mornington Crescent in London’s
Camden. I feel FZ is an obvious candidate, and the 30th anniversary
of his passing next year might be a good time for this to happen. If you agree
he’s more worthy than Madness, Soul II Soul, Blondie or Slade, maybe you’d like
write to info@themusicwalkoffame.com and let them
know – I did! [Added: 24 September 2022]
·
Steve Vai: “If
you’re a Frank Zappa fan, you won’t want to miss this interview I
conducted with Co de Kloet
who is not only the ‘Creative Catalyst’ for all my orchestral projects, but was
also a friend of Frank's. Co had many conversations with Frank through the
years, and they are all represented in Co’s book Frank & Co. It was a
pleasure to sit with Co and talk about his book and many of the great chats he
had with Frank.” [Added: 24 September 2022]
·
Marc Maron chats with Adrian
Belew in his latest WTF Podcast. [Added: 24 September 2022]
·
After the
official music video for Valley Girl was unveiled, Moon Unit announced she was selling her
Totally Assam brand
of tea to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the song. The Zappa Store also
launched some special VG merch and,
as if that weren't enough, later this year the song will receive a fresh remix
from British DJ, producer, electronic dance music star, and long-time Zappa
fan, Dewsbury Hall Flux Pavilion. [Added: 19 September 2022]
·
Check out Cult Of Personality
(Rock in Rio 2022 Remix) by Living
Colour with Steve Vai here. [Added: 19 September 2022]
·
Todd Rundgren's new album Space Force, due out on 14 October 2022, features both Steve Vai and
Adrian Belew.
Here's preview track Puzzle, co-written by the latter. [Added: 19 September 2022]
·
Ray White's wife Gwenda
is unwell: if you're able, Ray could use your help. Now watch this interview for
more. [Added: 19
September 2022]
·
Arthur Brown’s new album Monster’s Ball, due out on 21 October 2022, features Shuggie Otis (on the track The Monster Hop). [Added: 19 September 2022]
·
A new music
video for Valley Girl has just been unleashed on YouTube. The official Zappa socials, which now
include TikTok,
have been pooting forth a bunch of other random stuff
of late – including a photo from a 1979 Hammersmith Odeon show, unfortunately
bearing the wrong date. [Added: 16 September 2022]
·
After
several months of not adding new Zappa audio content to his Reward Music site, Dweezil has just
uploaded an 18 minute version of the Be-Bop
Tango from ZPZ's 2014 Roxy &
Elsewhere tour. He says, “Over the next 2 weeks
there will be more mini concerts, a full 2½ hour concert and a plethora of
individual live song releases added to the Silver Subscriber Plan.” [Added: 16 September 2022]
·
Record Store
Day on 25 November 2022 sees the release of Missing Persons' Live In New York 81
and Captain Beefheart
And The Magic Band's Clear Spot (50th Anniversary
Deluxe Edition), including an additional LP of rare studio
outtakes, alternate versions and previously unreleased instrumental rough
mixes. [Added: 16
September 2022]
·
Fun new ZappaCast, featuring Jim
Pons here. (You will
note that, unlike preceding episodes, this was not ‘made in cooperation with
The Zappa Trust’: a sign perhaps of changes resulting from the Universal deal.)
[Added: 13
September 2022]
·
The Zappa Band will play the ProgStock Festival in Rahway, New Jersey on Friday 7
October. Rachel Flowers will also be
playing the fest, on the Sunday, with a band that will include Julie Slick (Adrian Belew
Power Trio), Mike Keneally
and Gregg Bendian
(Project/Object, The Mahavishnu Project). [Added: 13 September 2022]
·
The UK
launch of The Girls in The Magnesium Dress' debut album Rūtsu takes place at the
Blackheath Halls on 18 October. Zappawoman Valentina Ciardelli
tells me, “We will of course play some of Frank's
music too!” Tickets here. [Added: 13 September 2022]
·
Guranfoe, the band formerly known as Gumbo Variation, release their second
studio album on 28 October. Titled Gumbo Gumbo, you can pre-order copies in a variety of formats
via their Bandcamp page. [Added: 13 September 2022]
·
Ahead of
their set at the Betsey Trotwood next month (see below and/or Diary), Ben Watson has kindly sent me this video which
helpfully explains “How AMM All-Stars relate to
FVZ.” [Added: 13 September 2022]
·
New merch in the Zappa Store. [Added: 10 September 2022]
·
This should
be interesting: London Zappa Collective,
Ben Watson’s AMM All-Stars and Gabba Zappa Hey! are
playing at The Betsey Trotwood pub in Farringdon on Thursday 13 October 2022.
See you there? [Added: 10 September 2022]
·
Fido Plays Zappa were
one of the highlights of this year's Zappanale. They are following this up next
month with a short tour of Germany – with no less than Robert Martin as lead vocalist! Dates in the Diary.
[Added: 10
September 2022]
·
Arthur Barrow has issued another new tune on
his Bandcamp page: Cool2B features
Larry Klimas on sax, and was mastered by Bob Rice. [Added: 10 September 2022]
·
Moon Unit's long awaited autobiography
appears now to be named Earth To
Moon: A Memoir. It is due to be published in May 2023
and, as well as the usual physical and soft versions,
there are listings for an audio version too. [Added: 07 September 2022]
·
American
pianist Mike Lang passed away last
month. Here's a clip of him talking about his
first time working with FZ. He appears on Lumpy
Gravy, Orchestral Favorites
and more. [Added: 07 September 2022]
·
My friend Aaron Belansky
has been posting some excellent videos on his YouTube channel, utilising old
interviews with FZ and whatnot. A recent one covers that time FZ played in Yugoslavia. Do yourself a favour
and subscribe for more. [Added: 07 September 2022]
·
Mike Keneally has just added Scambot 1 and its sister album to his Bandcamp page. Buy on
Friday! [Added: 07 September 2022]
·
Talking of stunt
guitarists: check out this new documentary on Steve Vai, covering his first 30 years. [Added: 07 September 2022]
·
Lengthy chat
with Joe Travers here, in which Zappa '75, Waka/Wazoo,
Halloween 78, ‘Bongo Fury’ road tapes, The
Rage & The Fury, Hot Rats Band sessions and
more are discussed. [Added: 02 September 2022]
·
Here are the FZ-produced George Duke demos that will hopefully appear on the mooted Waka/Wazoo set. In related news,
a ‘best of’ George's MPS years album was recently
released: it includes Love with FZ on
guitar and George's rendition of Uncle Remus. [Added: 02 September 2022]
·
Wind Up Workin' In A Gas Station is the first single from the
forthcoming Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana
album – listen! [Added: 02 September 2022]
·
Check out Sinister Footwear II as performed by NakedEye Ensemble here. [Added: 02 September 2022]
·
The Zappa Early Renaissance Orchestra
recently announced it was going on a hiatus for the foreseeable future, but Mosae Zappa has just announced that two ZERO-offshoots EAK (Eric Trøim, Armin Beck & Kevin
Crosby) and the Dog Breath Duo
(Kevin with Niklas Lychou
of MagNiFZnt)
will be playing at the festival in November. And furthermore, the ZERO CD Make An Arf Noise Here has been reduced to just $8 on its Bandcamp page. Long live
ZERO! [Added: 02
September 2022]
·
And here’s Elvis
Has Just Left The Building by The Vegetarians. [Added: 02 September 2022]
·
Here's my third interview
with Frank's buxom red-haired companion from Studio Z – Lorraine Belcher Chamberlain! As well as FZ, I asked her about Ruth Underwood, Cynthia PlasterCaster, Moon Unit and more. (There are links to
our previous two chats at the end, if you want to read them all in order!) [Added: 25 August 2022]
·
My next
interview is with Frank’s road manager from 1967 to the mid-70s, Mr Richard Barber!
[Added: 25
August 2022]
·
After his
two articles for Gonzo Today last
year, Ed Mann has posted details on Reddit of the book he is writing. “The
book is about my life, which has been about music since I was 3. The middle
section, ½–¾ of the book, is about working with Frank. The last section is
about post-Frank, which is full of reflections about Frank.” He says the
now deleted Gonzo Today articles were
“the first two chapters of the Frank Zappa
section.” [Added: 25 August 2022]
·
Last month,
someone at the Steve Hoffman Forum posted about a Mothers mixdown
tape they had in their possession. It was recorded in October 1965, and looks
similar to the material on Joe's Corsage
– with a few tracks not included therein. The Vaultmeister
offered his help in finding out some more-a, and I was hoping to post further
details about it here. Hopefully these will come in time, but meanwhile here's the thread for your
perusal. [Added: 25 August 2022]
·
New
interview with the Vaultmeister – on the Universal
deal, Zappa 75 and more, here. [Added: 22 August 2022]
·
Chuck Wackerman has sadly passed away. Like his
sons Chad, John and Brooks, he was
also a drummer. Chad posted on Instagram: “He was 91 years young. He taught music for 64 years in
public schools and even started the first elementary school Jazz program in
California. Dad was a drummer and passionate jazz educator. He literally taught
generations and introduced so many kids to music. He was the most patient
person I’ve ever know and he was the most supportive father anyone could have.
I’m broken hearted.” My sincere condolences to all family and friends. [Added: 22 August 2022]
·
Scott Thunes talks The Zappa Band, his
audition for FZ and much more here! [Added: 22 August 2022]
·
The next FZ
release from Universal is Zappa ’75: Zagreb / Ljubljana,
featuring the Joe's Menage
band with Norma Jean Bell. It
comprises “the best performances of the Yugoslavian
concerts sequenced in the exact order of the show’s set list to present the
crème da la crème from each night for the first time
ever.” Currently scheduled to be released on October 14, you can read
more/pre-order here. And here's
what Terry Bozzio
told me about those two gigs (30 years ago next month!): “I remember Zagreb was literally the smokiest gig I’ve
ever played in my life. It was so smoky that as a comment on it I went out and
played the show with an unlit cigarette hanging out of my mouth. The follow
spots were like two beacons coming through the fog – like a lighthouse. I had
never been in a hockey rink, with 10,000 people, filled with so much smoke in
my life. It was probably horribly unhealthy. But the gig went over great. They
didn’t say a peep through the whole show – we thought we were dying a death –
then they stood up and cheered for twenty or thirty minutes. As we left, they
were still cheering. It was ridiculous. Then we went to Ljubljana and I
remember that I went out after the gig through the arena, which was pretty much
empty – went up to the mixing board and was just saying hi to my friends on the
crew and there was this guy asleep with his face welded onto the ice – out on
drugs. I just remember those images.” The full interview is in my Frank Talk
book, which I reckon most of you must have by now. Consequently, I have started
randomly re-posting the bulk of these interviews back online – including my one
with Napoleon Murphy Brock
– from 20 years ago! If you want to see a particular one re-posted soon, lemme know – I’ll get them all back up at some point. [Added: 19 August 2022]
·
Joe Travers apparently confirmed (at a
recent screening of the Zappa documenta'y) that he will remain Vaultmeister
under the new deal with Universal. Huzzah. [Added: 19 August 2022]
·
For your
pleasure, here’s Moon Unit chatting about Bryan Ferry. [Added: 19 August 2022]
·
Mr Ray White has a YouTube channel –
check it out, subscribe, etc. Ray has recently done a couple of podcasts. Here's a clip from one where he talks about how
he got into Frank's band (there's a link to the full podcast for those
interested). T'other is
with Greg Bendian. Around the 25 minute mark, they
talk about Frank's unique guitar style. [Added: 19 August 2022]
·
Watch
snippets of Napi
and Mats Öberg’s pre-Zappanale Hamburg
church gig here. And an audience recording of The Mike Keneally
Project's complete headline set at the fest itself here. [Added: 08 August 2022]
·
American
record executive Mo Ostin
went on his final vacation last week. To mark this, here's Steve Vai telling his Vinnie Colaiuta sushi story! (I say ‘his’, but of course Arthur Barrow also tells it – see his
excellent book, Of Course I Said Yes!;
now Ed Mann is demanding Steve
apologises to Arthur – which he now has.) [Added: 08 August 2022 / Updated: 02
September 2022]
·
This year's Zappa Night in Heubach,
Germany features Inventionis Mater, Gabba Zappa Hey!, and Absolutely
Frank. It takes place on 15 October at the QLTourRaum
Übelmesser. [Added: 08 August 2022]
·
Watch Terry Bozzio
jam with Zappa Band drummer Joe Travers
here. Part Two (including an exclusive ‘Art of
Drumming’ interview with Art Tripp)
is available to Drum Channel subscribers only. [Added: 27 July 2022]
·
Coming soon
from Sonicbond Publishing, On Track ... Captain Beefheart by Opher
Goodwin. Order your copy here. [Added: 27 July 2022]
·
Treacherous Cretins have now added some dates around
their thrice-postponed 100 Club showcase gig - see Diary for details. [Added: 27 July 2022]
·
Well, Zappanale #31 was indeed worth the
wait – kudos to Wolfhard and Tracy for getting it all
together in the face of very trying circumstances. It was great meeting for the
first time Art Tripp (a genuinely
nice guy). The musical highlight for me was The Mike Keneally Project. Sadly, most of the
festival’s live stream has now been marked ‘private’ on YouTube – but here is
the Zappawoman Trio's set, featuring Robert Martin. Next year’s date is in the Diary. See you
there? [Added: 21
July 2022]
·
Those who
attended the Napoleon Murphy Brock/Mats Öberg concert
at St Catherine’s Church in Hamburg last week were able to purchase a CD EP
pre-release featuring 23 minutes of Ensemble
Musikfabrik's
Zappanale set from 2019 – featuring Napi hisself – as recently mixed by Ali N. Askin. [Added: 21 July 2022]
·
Following
his 2016 picture book (with illustrator Dan Santat), Because I'm Your Dad, Ahmet is following this up next
year with Because I'm Your Mom. The
blurb says, "An unconventional mother promises
her child an unconventional childhood full of play, wonder, and
creativity." Strikingly, it was inspired by his wife Shana rather
than Gail. And talking of Gail,
here's an interesting podcast about her. [Added: 21 July 2022]
·
Couple of
quotes on the Universal deal: “Ahmet
has made sure that his father's music is in great hands...the joining of two
great American families!" says Zappa Band vocalist/guitarist, Ray White; and “The
trust has not been completely dissolved. The band is unrelated to the sale.”
writes Zappa Band bassist and Trust Scoremeister, Scott Thunes.
[Added: 21
July 2022]
·
Arthur Barrow: “My
old friend Bruce Fowler and his pal Tom Malone are both turning 75 this summer,
and they decided to throw a birthday bash at a pub in Thousand Oaks. Bruce
invited me to come and be part of a jam – of course, I said yes! It was a top
notch bunch of musicians, and I was stoked to play with them. There was: Bruce,
Tom, Chad Wackerman,
Mike Miller and Kahlil Sabbagh.
A good time was had by all!” [Added: 21 July 2022]
·
To mark the
return of the non-virtual Zappanale, I have re-posted my (largely unedited and
newly annotated) interviews with the fest's guest alums for 2022: Robert Martin
and Mike Keneally.
(There is also a previously unseen one from 2020 with the latter for you to
enjoy!). And of course, I recently interviewed the third special guest alumni, Art Tripp.
Click on their names to enjoy. And to all those attending the festival: see you
soon! [Added: 13
July 2022]
·
Guitarist Henry Kaiser paid tribute to FZ in his
monthly solo for June 2022. Starts here. (Thanks to Eric H for the heads up!) [Added: 13 July 2022]
·
Further to
last week’s announcement that the Zappa
Forum will be shutting down on Friday, it has been confirmed that there
will be no importing of previous data to it’s new
home: we are advised to screen grab anything we wish to keep. In related news,
Zappa.com has already lost its ‘upcoming dates’ tab (though the empty page can
still be accessed here). [Added: 13 July 2022]
·
Harmonicist
Tommy Morgan, who can be heard as
part of the Abnuceals Emuukha
Electric Symphony Orchestra on Orchestral
Favorites, sadly passed away recently at the
grand old age of 89. He also played on a number of Beach Boys recordings, including Good Vibrations. [Added: 13 July 2022]
·
Jeff Cotton, aka the Magic Band’s Antennae Jimmy Semens,
has his debut solo album The Fantasy of
Reality coming out on the Madfish label in
August. It features internal artwork by Cal
Schenkel. Here's the official trailer on YouTube. [Added: 13 July 2022]
·
Suddenly
available: I Shot Frank Zappa: My Life In Photography by Robert Davidson with John Elliott. Here's a snap John took of
me introducing Pauline Butcher to
Robert, over forty years after they were in the same room together at The Royal
Garden Hotel. [Added: 09 July 2022]
·
Fred Händl: “Don't
wait 'till the fat lady sings...pre-order your copy (and get perks) of my
upcoming CD: Händl Plays Zappa now, and be sure to get
your hands on one. The album is available for pre-order until October 2nd (only
100 copies will be made). All new recordings – full length album – signed –
free worldwide shipping – digital download – cool sticker – and, if that
weren't enough – your name in the booklet All tracks arranged and performed by
yours truly. Want in? Please send an email to: fredhandl72@gmail.com.”
Check out Fred’s website. [Added: 09 July 2022]
·
The Zappa Forum will be shutting down on Friday (July 15), it says
here. I would
imagine its eventual new home would not include any of the old posts –
including those made by Gail, Mark Volman and other
notables over the years – which will be a great shame. [Added: 09 July 2022]
·
Check out It's Too Late by Candice Night and Dweezil Zappa here. [Added: 09 July 2022]
·
The Zappa Trust has sold FZ's estate (including
his recordings, publishing catalogue, film archive and the complete contents of
The Vault) to the Universal Music Group, for a reported $25-30m. Here’s the official blurb and video. Lots of speculation on-the-line about
what this all actually means for the family and fans alike. As regards the Vaultmeister,
Mike Keneally posted that Travers would continue in
this role (though said post was later deleted). And what of the rest of the
team – like Scott Thunes
(Scoremeister), Melanie
Starks (President, Production, Zappa Records), Holland Greco (President, Munchkin Music)
and Diva (President, ICA)? Well the
latter has Tweeted that she's thrilled about it all,
so I guess we all should ‘just rejoice at that news’ too. It’s not really any
of our beeswax at the end of the day. But hopefully they will provide some
clarity in due course. [Added: 02 July 2022]
·
Bogus Pomp’s grand return to the stage
tonight will be livestreamed on YouTube here – subscribe for notifications. [Added: 02 July 2022]
·
Robert Davidson’s I Shot Frank Zappa book will be published by Aureus
later this month. [Added: 02 July 2022]
·
Author Ted Gioia has
just published the first part of his Gnarly
Frank Zappa Essay here. [Added: 02 July 2022]
·
Ben Watson: “This
radio hour could interest
anyone seeking background to Frank's famous use of LioneHampton's
Midnight Sun after the words ‘Dreamed
I was an Eskimo...’ Of course he was emphasising tuned percussion as jazz's
great contribution to modern music, but it's also about the Arctic and the
Northern Lights. I wish Frank was still alive so we could talk to him about Kristian Birkeland and Hannes Alfven and their important Scandinavian contribution
to Electric Universe cosmology – and Pacôme Thiellement's prescience in centering
his book (Économie Eskimo: Le Rêve
De Zappa, 2005) on the Eskimo, an intuition confirmed by Dance Me This.” [Added: 26 June 2022]
·
Lorra lorra nice things
being writ about The Zappa Band's
recent US tour. Here's an audience vid
of one complete show. And here's a relevant interview
with Ahmet
(in which he also says Dweezil
has been nicer of late). Sure hope the band crosses the North Atlantic soon. [Added: 26 June 2022]
·
Frank’s ‘buxom
red-haired companion’, Pete (aka Lorraine Belcher Chamberlain),
could use some help – read on. [Added: 26 June 2022]
·
Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool is being shown at the Bertha DocHouse
in London next Saturday (2 July). The film features 'incidental music' by the
Mothers and Wild Man Fischer. Read here for details. [Added: 26 June 2022]
·
Steve Vai recently rejoined Whitesnake...
for Still Of The
Night (their final song) at the Hellfest in Clisson, France – watch here. After he said, “I’m grateful I was
able to contribute one last time to this phenomenal band that was such an
integral part of my career. To feel David‘s energy on the stage again, and
Tommy Aldridge‘s slamming beats, and to finally be able to jam with my friend
Joel Hoekstra, and the rest of the 'Snakes' in front of 45,000 people was just
electrifying.” [Added: 26 June 2022]
·
Cool li’l interview
with Ray White – and here’s mine
with the man from a few years back. [Added: 18 June 2022]
· When The Zappa Band tour hit New Jersey earlier this week, Robert Martin dropped by to see Dr Dot for a bite massage. [Added: 18 June 2022]
· If anyone’s interested in paying a pittance for some of the Zappa-themed albums I compiled for Cordelia Records, check out G&S Music’s closing down sale here. And Wymer UK has knocked a bit off the price of most of my Zappa books – snout around here. You’ll find lots of stuff far cheaper than you would at my online shop! [Added: 18 June 2022]
· 54th ZappaCast, ostensibly about Zappa/Erie, ’ere. A little more detail on the set was also snuck out here. But of course, it’s out now for us all to hear. [Added: 18 June 2022]
·
Dweezil has teamed up with Candice Night (Mrs Ritchie Blackmore)
on a version of Carole King's It's Too
Late. It will appear on an album called Songs We Were
Taught by The Prog Collective – pulled together by Yes bassist Billy Sherwood.
Available from 1 July 2022. [Added: 10 June 2022]
· UK FZ tribute band Burger And The Beast are playing a free gig near Bath on 24 June – details in the Diary. Meantime, check out their rendition of Lonesome Cowboy Burt here. [Added: 10 June 2022]
· Arthur Barrow has just released another new ditty on Bandcamp: Archie's Bathtub features Marcus Rezak (who recently played with Ike Willis) on guitar. [Added: 10 June 2022]
· For those who missed the broadcast of Zadie Smith's Barbican concert with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, which featured a performance of FZ’s Outrage At Valdez, it's being repeated on BBC Radio 3 on this Sunday (12 June). [Added: 10 June 2022]
· Upcoming sci-fi comedy-drama Next Exit, written and directed by Danny Elfman's daughter Mali, stars Diva Zappa. Here’s the trailer. Hopefully it's better than her last film, Vampire Burt's Serenade. [Added: 10 June 2022]
· A lost funk gem by Norma Jean Bell has just been unleashed, courtesy of former Rolling Stones Records president Earl McGrath. Check out Just Look-ah What You’ll Be Missing here. Incidentally, I tried to contact Norma around the time of my Lady Bianca interview; as well as her short stint with FZ, she was also a member of the late Tommy Bolin’s band and has played with Chic, P-Funk, Narada Michael Walden and Stevie Wonder. [Added: 10 June 2022]
·
Art Tripp is to make a surprise special guest
appearance at this year’s Zappanale. Here’s my recent interview
with him. [Added: 05 June 2022]
· Down below I talk about other possible talking heads in Alex Winter's Zappa movie, and ascertained that Del Casher and Lorraine Belcher Chamberlain were both contacted (with Casher actually being fillumed). I have now been told that Robert Davidson, the Zappa Krappa snapper, was also approached but declined to appear. Robert is finalising his I Shot FZ book, which should be out later this year. Meantime, he will be giving a talk in Totnes in July – details in the Diary. [Added: 05 June 2022]
· A third preview track from Zappa/Erie has been unleashed: Montana from Edinboro, PA, 8 May 1974. [Added: 05 June 2022]
· Jazz drummer Tony Williams’ 'lost' 1980 trio album Play Or Die is to be re-released next month. The trio comprised Williams, keyboardist Tom Grant and Patrick O'Hearn (credited as Patrick O’Hara) on bass. [Added: 05 June 2022]
· Following release of The Mothers 1971, the Recording podcast had a chat with Joe Travers & Craig Parker Adams about their work excavating and buffing nuggets from the Vault. [Added: 05 June 2022]
· Here’s a brand new interview that I have just conducted with the legend that is Arthur Dyer Tripp III! [Added: 28 May 2022]
· I have just reviewed Dale Bozzio’s Life Is So Strange – Missing Persons, Frank Zappa, Prince & Beyond here. Includes a link to a DB Spotify playlist. [Added: 28 May 2022]
· The revised and updated version of Pauline Butcher’s memoir – re-titled Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa: Laurel Canyon 1968-1971 – will be now be published on 16 August in the UK, and 19 September 2022 in the US. Meantime, Alan Clayson’s long awaited official biography (Mother Superior: The Saga of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention), which was due to be published in October 2022, has been postponed once more. [Added: 28 May 2022]
· I have added The Zappa Band dates and a whole lot more to the Bastard’s Diary. [Added: 28 May 2022]
· The mighty Bogus Pomp will rise from the ashes for one more performance on Saturday 2 July at the Floridian Social Club, St. Petersburg. Says main man Jerry Outlaw: “I never thought this opportunity would present itself again but to my surprise and delight, it is actually happening. This will be a memorable evening and I hope we can share it with the world via live stream.” For those wishing to attend, modestly priced tix are available here. [Added: 28 May 2022]
· FZ's live recording engineer, George Douglas, has sadly passed away. George's work can be heard on Tinsel Town Rebellion, Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar, You Are What You Is, The Torture Never Stops (though he’s uncredited on Halloween 81), Buffalo and elsewhere. [Added: 28 May 2022]
· The tenth episode of Dweezil’s audio documentary series covers his Return Of The Son Of... album. He also discusses "the trials and tribulations of being a band leader," and confirms that the singer who “had not done any of the required preparation” for his ZPZ audition was Living Colour's Corey Glover. He also mentions the video for ZPZ’s rendition of Billy The Mountain (featuring three current members of The Zappa Band, sports fans) – which you can viddy here... [Added: 28 May 2022]
· ...and here's all of the officially released FZ versions of Billy The Mountain in one handy Spotify playlist – you know you want it! [Added: 28 May 2022]
· I have updated my Zappanale travel guide to include mention of the specially discounted German train tickets that are available throughout July (and June and August). [Added: 23 May 2022]
·
Steve Vai has just had his debut album, Flex-Able, remastered
by Bernie Grundman. This 36th anniversary edition is available in a variety of formats,
including limited edition gold vinyl and green cassette! Watch the man himself
tell you more here. [Added: 23 May 2022]
· New Zappa website – Life On The Road: An Analysis Of The Recordings Of Frank Zappa – has just been created by Alex D. May. So far it covers 1965-1969, with reviews and summaries of the recordings available and songs played. [Added: 23 May 2022]
· Second teaser track from the Zappa/Erie album is Village Of The Sun from November 1974. [Added: 14 May 2022]
· Check out the bargains at G&S Music’s closing down sale here. [Added: 14 May 2022]
· Here's a teaser for The Zappa Band’s US tour next month, on the official Zappa Band YouTube channel. [Added: 14 May 2022]
· Nostalgic Orange (featuring members of The Lovers Of Invention) will play a few Zappa tunes at the Royal Albert pub in New Cross this Sunday (15 May). [Added: 14 May 2022]
· And now...here is my interview with Lady Bianca! [Added: 10 May 2022]
· Watch Robby Krieger – with FZ alums Arthur Barrow, Jock Ellis and Sal Marquez (plus Banned From Utopia drummer, Joel Taylor) – perform two FZ tunes and more here. [Added: 10 May 2022]
·
The Zappa/Erie release
has been delayed until 17 June. [Added: 10 May 2022]
· Lady Bianca is to guest with the Stinkfoot Orchestra featuring Napoleon Murphy Brock when they play The New Parish, Oakland, CA on 24 June. The Idiot has just conducted an interview with her, coming soon. [Added: 06 May 2022]
· The Zappa Band is currently on the ‘Cruise To The Edge’. As well as playing two FZ sets, Messrs Keneally, Thunes and Martin are also joining Jakko Jakszyk, vocalist/guitarist for King Crimson, for his two shows. [Added: 06 May 2022]
· Not content with just finishing a tour with ProgJect and about to start another with The Zappa Band, Mike Keneally is squeezing in a gig with Beer For Dolphins in Escondido on 13 May [now postponed as MK has Covid]. He has also unleashed BFD’s 1996 album, Half Alive In Hollywood, on his Bandcamp page, for your instant downloading pleasure. [Added: 06 May 2022 / Updated: 10 May 2022 ]
· Ike Willis is teaming up with guitarist Marcus Rezak for a ‘Zappa Night’ in Connecticut this eve, and again at the Karnival Of Arts in Pennsylvania in September. [Added: 06 May 2022]
· Here’s part two of Dweezil’s Live In The Moment II audio documentary. [Added: 06 May 2022]
·
After the screening of the Zappa
movie at the Alex Winter season in Leicester Square recently, I asked the
director if anybody had been interviewed that wasn't ultimately included in the
film. The answer was, yes: Del Casher.
This has kind of been redressed now, as Del appears in the Freak Out! Classic Albums documentary. But what I should have asked
was, did they try to interview someone and fail. The
answer to that is, yes: Lorraine
Belcher Chamberlain. Lorraine tells me, “They came to San
Francisco to interview me, but [very sadly, her now late husband, the
underground cartoonist S. Clay] Wilson was just out of the ICU and I
just couldn’t. I feel terrible about it. Bad timing! It was just before they
needed to do the final edit.” Happily, my interviews with Miss Belcher about
her time with FZ can be found in my book, Frank Talk
– but it sure would have been great to see her telling all on the big screen. Hopefully
one day Lorraine will finish her memoir. [Added: 04 May 2022]
· In 2019, Eddie Jobson was inducted (by John Taylor and Simon Le Bon) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a part of Roxy Music. This year, Warren Cuccurullo will be inducted – as a part of Duran Duran, alongside Messrs Le Bon and Taylor. Kudos. Time to write that memoir, WC! #MeetWho? [Added: 04 May 2022]
· Watch Miss Pamela pay tribute to her late friend, Cynthia Plaster Caster, here. In the video, she reveals that Cynthia asked her to finish her memoir (answering my question below)...and also Jimi’s tallywacker! [Added: 04 May 2022]
· Since attending the Zappa Immersion Day at the Barbican in March, I have received numerous emails telling me of other upcoming events. These I have largely ignored, thus failing to report that writer Zadie Smith read extracts from her novels and essays between selected musics performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ben Gernon, on 22 April. One piece performed was Outrage At Valdez (which was tackled by the Ubu Ensemble in March). After it, Ms Smith reveals that she was introduced to FZ by John Craven. You can hear the concert here. O@V starts at 41 minutes and 20 seconds, but the whole thing is worth a listen. Refreshing to see an influential cultural figure tip her hat in these cancel culture days, where other cheerless writers might dismiss FZ as an anti-semitic sexist. [Added: 01 May 2022]
· Got seven and a half hours to spare? Here’s three and a bit VHS tapes worth of FZ in Prague. [Added: 01 May 2022]
·
Adrian Belew has a new download-only album
out imminently, titled Elevator. He
will tour it this summer. Here’s the press release,
plus a preview track – which
probably has nothing to do with the trunk road to the sea that’s gobbing distance from where I live! [Added: 01 May 2022]
· Treacherous Cretins, the London based five-piece, has sadly had to once again postpone its planned gig at London’s 100 Club. The gig was originally to have taken place in April in the year of the plague; the new date is 26 October 2022. All tickets remain valid. The band says, “We are working to get more dates in the diary, so please watch for further gig announcements. On a much more positive note, we would like to welcome our new bassist, Alex Taglione, who is working hard learning the material as we all get our musical chops back into shape.” Meantime, please check out this YouTube playlist of the guys in action, why not? [Added: 01 May 2022]
· The seventh episode of Dweezil’s audio documentary series covers his Live In The Moment II album. Watch as he attempts “to recall where the solos came from and my approach to playing them. I also discuss my overall approach to playing my dad’s music and the way my own style of guitar playing has developed.” [Added: 01 May 2022]
· First teaser track from the Zappa/Erie album is one of the two versions of You Didn’t Try To Call Me featuring the fab Lady Bianca. The album has now appeared for pre-order on Amazon UK (CD set / mp3 download) and Burning Shed. [Added: 22 April 2022]
· Very sad to learn that Cynthia Plaster Caster has just passed away. I briefly corresponded with her several years ago, and then met her at Zappanale in 2015. She seemed a lovely lady, with some great tales to tell. Wonder if this means we'll never get The Groupie Papers book now? In his Real FZ Book, Frank compared Miss Pamela's diaries to Cynthia's saying, “Good as they are, they're not nearly as well written or insightful as Cynthia's.” [Added: 22 April 2022]
·
The Girls In
The Magnesium Dress has just released its crowd-funded debut album, Ruutsu. Listen to
Blessed Relief from it here. [Added: 22 April 2022]
· The Black Page #2, as performed by the Lovers of Invention live at the Jazz Cafe in January, will appear on YouTube on Monday. The band is playing two sets at Ronnie Scott’s on 7 May. [Added: 22 April 2022]
· A little tease from the Arfs regarding this year's Zappanale: “If all goes well, we'll welcome a very special surprise guest to the Zappanale for the first time on Sunday.” Ooh, I wonder who that could be? [Added: 20 April 2022]
· Details of the forthcoming Zappa/Erie set were added to the news page at zappa.com today. [Added: 20 April 2022]
· The second part of the Drum Channel’s ‘Art Of Drumming’ series with Terry Bozzio and Steve Vai shooting the breeze is here. Incidentally, while I’m sure y’all have seen the excellent Drummer’s of FZ roundtable discussion with Ralph Humphrey, Chester Thompson, Chad Wackerman, Ruth Underwood and Terry, it was recently uploaded to DC’s official YouTube channel here. [Added: 20 April 2022]
· The sixth and seventh episodes of Dweezil’s audio documentary series cover solo albums numbers 5 & 6: Go With What You Know & Via Zammata’. [Added: 20 April 2022]
· Robert Martin has been added to the Zappanale line-up. He will guest with a number of acts, including with fellow Zappa Band member Mike Keneally’s band. Additionally, the Hamburg pre-show on Wednesday will feature Mats Öberg and Napoleon Murphy Brock. [Added: 15 April 2022]
· GrandMother Chris Garcia: “We start rehearsals with The Muthers for a new recording, but the band this time will be Continuum accompanying them: myself (drumset, tabla, marimba, percussion, voice), Al Garcia (bass/electric guitar), Craig Ochikubo (keyboards/synths/breath synths), plus Don and Bunk being themselves. Plus some very special guests...” [Added: 15 April 2022]
· The Drum Channel has just premiered the first of a four part ‘Art Of Drumming’ series, in which Terry Bozzio interviews Steve Vai. Here's the first one. [Added: 15 April 2022]
· The debut album by Italian London-based jazz singer/storyteller Germana Stella La Sorsa features an interesting cover of FZ's Inca Roads. Germana will launch her album, titled Vapour, at London's Vortex Jazz Club on 30 April. [Added: 15 April 2022]
· For those thinking the asking price at zappa.com for the new Zappa/Erie limited edition box set is a bit steep, a standard version without the poster will be available for pre-order on 22 April. [Added: 12 April 2022]
· In all the excitement of Zappadan, the release of the 200 Motels anniversary box set, and the run-up to Xmas, I neglected to post a couple of things: one was this article about 200 Motels, which includes a revealing interview with the amazing Ruth Underwood (take care, beware: this is a subscription site, so you only get so many free views before they want paying); and t’other was this stupendous solo rendition of Treacherous Cretins by the spectacular Rachel Flowers. [Added: 12 April 2022]
· Here Pamela Des Barres talks about working with FZ on 200 Motels. [Added: 12 April 2022]
· No Rhyme, No Reason is a new 45-track, 3CD set drawing from George Duke’s three Elektra albums, Thief In The Night, George Duke and Night After Night, and his six Warner Brothers albums, Snapshot, The Muir Woods Suite, Illusions, Is Love Enough?, After Hours and Cool, plus the non-album track, Guilty (Part 2). Available from 17 June 2022. [Added: 12 April 2022]
· As we are just receiving our Mothers 71 box sets, the Zappa Trust announce the next Official Release: Zappa/Erie, a limited edition 6-CD set with poster comprising three complete shows (plus bonus tracks) recorded in 1974 and 1976, and featuring three separate band line-ups. [Added: 08 April 2022]
· Very sad to learn that G&S Music (“dedicated purveyors of Frank Zappa & related artists”) is shutting up shop. Dave Hopkinson took it on 18 years ago and feels that now is the time for him to do something else. I can only thank him for running the biznis as long as he has and wish him all the very best in whatever he now decides to turn his hand to. [Added: 08 April 2022]
· The fifth episode of Dweezil’s new audio documentary series covers solo album #3, Confessions – recalling stories from the studio and discussing the songs in detail. [Added: 08 April 2022]
·
My good friend, co-author of FZ88
and ‘Broadway The Hard Way’ tour photographer, Sergio ‘Milo’
Albonico, has just written his own
book, titled Frank Zappa Il Padrino Del Rock. It will be published in Italian by Aracana this October. There’s a very good chance it will be
translated into English at some point. Milo tells me, “Everything is true in
the book. It's about life in 88, music, the beginning of the digital revolution
and why FZ is the real and true Godfather of rock. It's more like a novel than
a biography.” [Added: 08 April 2022]
· The Zappa Band now has bespoke socials for to follow: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. [Added: 08 April 2022]
· The fourth episode of Dweezil’s new audio documentary series covers solo album #4, Automatic (the one he put together for “disenchanted guitar music fans,” Xmas 2000). [Added: 01 April 2022]
· Looks like The Zappa Band is doing a tour of the US East Coast starting 12 June at Homer NY followed by Holyoke MA, Tarrytown NY, Alexandria VA, Annapolis MD, Fall River MA, Beverly MA...and probably more. [Added: 01 April 2022]
· Stunt guitarist news: Mike Keneally has now added Dancing Demos to his Bandcamp page; and Steve Vai has unleashed an official music video for his Inviolate track, Teeth Of The Hydra. [Added: 01 April 2022]
· Sky Arts (Freeview Channel 11) will repeat its excellent Frank Zappa: Freak Out! Classic Albums documentary tomorrow (Saturday 26 March 2022) at 3pm. But it is available right now to rent or buy from Amazon Prime Video and iTunes – check your local stores. I would assume a physical version is not too far behind. [Added: 25 March 2022]
· Finally, confirmation of other acts playing Zappanale this July. And here, a little about the obstacles the Arf Society has faced these past couple of years. [Added: 25 March 2022]
· Idiot Fact #136: The original version of My Boyfriend’s Back by The Angels (as covered by The Mothers 1971) features Ronnie James Dio on trumpet. [Added: 25 March 2022]
· The Zappa Band is playing another gig, at the Whisky A Go Go on 3 June 2022. [Added: 25 March 2022]
· The third episode of Dweezil’s new audio documentary series covers the recording of his ‘difficult second album’, My Guitar Wants To KIll Your Mama. [Added: 25 March 2022]
·
Kaigal-ool Khovalyg – the Tuvan
throat singer who appears on Civilization
Phaze III and Dance
Me This – is touring the UK with the group he
co-founded, Huun-Huur-Tu,
next week. Dates in the Bastard’s
Diary. [Added: 25 March 2022]
· Lots of good words have already been writ about the Barbican bash last weekend, eg. in the Grauniad. It truly was a blast. The highlight for me was the 100 piece+ BBC Symphony Orchestra navigating its way through the three movements of Mo ‘N Herb’s Vacation – woo-wee-woo-waa! Don’t forget, you can listen to highlights on BBC Radio 3 this coming Friday (25 March), and for 30 days thereafter. Ben Watson has kindly posted his recording of the chat he had with BBC Radio 3’s Andrew McGregor here. [Added: 21 March 2022]
·
Fred Händl is doing a 'Zappa for solo
piano' tour of Britain in April. Most of these are private house concerts,
though some will be live-streamed on Facebook. But
you can also pop along and heckle him in the flesh - see the Bastard’s Diary for
details. [Added: 21 March 2022]
· ZappaCast #53 is here: a chat about The Mothers 1971 with the usual suspects. [Added: 21 March 2022]
· Some original members of ZPZ will reunite as One Shot Deal to play Frank’s music at the Baked Potato on 27-29 April. Obviously no DZ, but a fab line-up of musicians fer sure. [Added: 21 March 2022]
· In this recent podcast, double-bassist Jay Anderson talks about recording for FZ. (I assume he is referring to me when he talks about “the guy who runs the Frank Zappa fan club or whatever”! - our interview from a couple of years ago can be found here.) [Added: 21 March 2022]
· A few years ago, Ahmet talked of his commitment to have more people experience Frank’s orchestral music. Curiously then, there's no mention of this weekend's Zappa Total Immersion day at London's Barbican at zappa.com. For those unable to attend, you can stream the final concert in your living room - tickets here. I understand this online event will include a video chat betwixt Poodle Play author Ben Watson and ‘Zappawoman’/double-bassist, Valentina Ciardelli. Excerpts from the two concerts will also be broadcast next week on BBC Radio 3, and will be available to listen again thereafter – see here. [Added: 17 March 2022]
·
As I hinted last week, the 8CD Mothers
1971 box set has been delayed and will now be released on 8 April – ‘at a
revised price’. Meantime, certain folk are already receiving their vinyl copies
of the Rainbow Theatre and Fillmore East albums. [Added: 17 March 2022]
·
Arthur Barrow is now making his music
available via Bandcamp – including some new releases,
like The Sideburn
(featuring Joe Travers on drums) and
Freeplay
(inspired by Jaco Pastorius'
River People – I love Mr Gone!); both of these were mastered
by Bob Rice. [Added: 17 March 2022]
·
The PBS documentary tribute to The Persuasions main-man Jerry
Lawson, mentioned below, can now be viddied in
full on YouTube – here.
[Added: 17
March 2022]
...available
now:
Contact: disco.boy@blueyonder.co.uk