I recall the first time I ever encountered the work of Gil Scott-Heron, I was in my mid teens and I had just borrowed a load of records, among them his 1971 release, Pieces of a Man from the public library on a whim (I had never heard of him before). I did that a lot back then – borrow whole batches of vinyl records during the summer vacation and listen to albums all week long. When I got home and slipped Pieces of a Man onto the turntable for the first time, Gil Scott-Heron blew my mind, especially with spoken word and vocal jazz tracks like “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, “Home Is Where The Hatred Is” and “Lady Day & John Coltrane” (all video clips below) to name just a few. (more…)
The internet largely agrees this 2 Disc release is the Spectrum Theater in Philadelphia show from 29 October 1976. The band: FZ, Bozzio, Ray White, Patrick O’Hearn, Eddie Jobson and Bianca Thornton. (more…)
We reported on Napoleon M. Brock’s new album “This Is What Frank Zappa Heard” a couple of weeks ago. Now you can pre-order with the aid of this handy Word document. As a reminder of what this release is about, a quote:
On August 8th, 1973, Frank Zappa was alerted by his road manager, Marty Perellis, that an incredible band with an extraordinary lead singer was performing downtown to a standing room only audience … and that it might be wise that he come and see this for himself.
When Zappa went to the club and watched the show, he saw a young talent sing, dance, play sax, flute and keyboards, in a manner that clearly made it appear that he was having more fun than even the other patrons in the club.
After two hours of observing and listening to this young man and his very disciplined band of musicians, he introduced himself as Frank Zappa, and the young man introduced himself as Napoleon Murphy Brock. The next words out of Zappa’s mouth were, “You are my new lead vocalist.”
Me thinks Mrs Barry’s Imaginary Publisher is going to want this…
Tony Palmer DVD confirms: “we have no fixed release date… but one thing is for sure, we have the master tapes and the urban myth that they ‘disappeared’ is untrue.”
News from the Idiot Bastard, that might bring some tiny smile on your face:
…in December, Napoleon Murphy Brock will release This Is What Frank Zappa Heard – Just In Case You Were Wondering. Recorded live at The Red Noodle in Waikiki, Hawaii on 8 August 1973 on a TEAC 4-track reel-to-reel, the CD has been digitally enhanced and “will put you at the next table to where Frank was sitting, and you will experience what Frank Zappa experienced and what later was described as ‘the audition of a lifetime’”. By pre-ordering now, you can save yourself shipping charges, so you’ll pay just 15 Euros on its release. Email nmubrock@pacbell.net for more.
Of course you know this beautiful interview already in which Nappy tells the whole story (Idiot Bastard, again, from 2002).
In a very recent interview, Dweezil said a live FZ concert circa 1976 will be released soon featuring Terry Bozzio and “a female singer”. Word is, Vaulternative will issue a CD of the Spectrum Theater in Philadelphia show from 29 October that year. Band was FZ, Bozzio, Ray White, Patrick O’Hearn, Eddie Jobson and Bianca Thornton.
Set list was:
Purple Lagoon intro
Stink-Foot
Poodle Lecture
Dirty Love
Wind Up Workin’ In A Gas Station
Tryin’ To Grow A Chin
The Torture Never Stops
City Of Tiny Lites (incl. The Sanzini Brothers Pyramid Trick)
You Didn’t Try To Call Me
Manx Needs Women
Titties ‘N’ Beer
Black Napkins
Advance Romance
Honey, Don’t You Want A Man Like Me?
Rudy Wants To Buy Yez A Drink
Would You Go All The Way?
Daddy Daddy Daddy
What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are?
Dinah-Moe Humm
Purple Lagoon reprise
Stranded In The Jungle
Find Her Finer
Camarillo Brillo
Muffin Man
Purple Lagoon outro.
No word on the 40th anniversary edition of Cruisin’ With Ruben yet.
“The band also recently issued a Live Overseas album on iTunes (which includes Neurotica and Frame By Frame, neither of which appeared on the excellent Side Four Live)”
Shot near the conclusion of his world tour “Breakfast in New Orleans, Dinner in Timbuktu”, Moment of Truth is an hour-long concert special with Bruce Cockburn, filmed at Montreal’s Spectrum during the Montreal Jazz Festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on May 23rd, 2000. (more…)
Available only from Amazon for now, Beat The Boots III, a six disc continuation of the original Beat The Boot series, is confusing the heck out of just about everybody. Official? ZFT endorsed? Zappa.com is not helping much as it’s currently down. Andrew says: “Back in 2003, Gail said we “can expect a new batch” of Beat The Boots. And here they finally are.”
