George Duke, ZPZ, Gail: Zappa.com News

1st: George Duke will be joining ZPZ in Los Angeles, I think on the 4th of december. Possibly in the Aposrophe tunes. Hey hey.

2nd: Gail Zappa answers 50 questions before Christmas. Follow the link – and ask!

3rd: Here’s an interesting solo by Mathias Eklund with the ZPZ in Gothenburg (from Dark Clothes). Fun. To me.

That’s all for today, folks.

Best FZ Covers – DZPZ & Eric Johnson’s “Carolina Hardcore Ecstasy” & “Muffin Man”

For those who think Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa is a cold, “note-by-note” band, incapable of improvisation, I’m obviously not going to alter your view with a few posts, and neither would I endeavour to try. For those willing to look past original preconceptions, though, might be pleasantly surprised, as I was, when I dug deeper into this band.
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Call Any Vegetable – 1970 versus 2006

One of the fantastic advantages of the advent of current technologies such as YouTube and the Internet, is it allows one to compare and contrast particular songs – in this case, Frank Zappa‘s “Call Any Vegetable” – with particular groups and bands of completely different eras: FZ‘s 2nd MOI band’s vaudeville-style with that of Dweezil’s Zappa Plays Zappa. Merely just a cover? Or an improvement on the original? Zappa Plays Zappa‘s clip is from their DVD/CD released in 2006 of two shows filmed and recorded in Portland, OR and Seattle, WA, respectively. While the two Vaudeville Mothers clips (the complete audio) and the edited version, both from the “Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, 6 Nov 1970” show. Personally, I’ll always have a bias toward the earlier versions. Still, Napoleon Murphy Brock does one hell of a rendition.
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Best FZ Covers: Battle of the YouTube Muffins, Or, Some People Like Cupcakes Better…

I’m really not certain which of these groups belongs in a compilation of best FZ covers – each has something different and unique in their version of Frank Zappa‘s Muffin Man that the other two groups do not. Give them a hearing and decide for yourself. MazMyth at LMCS Auditorium on January 9, 2009; Zappa Plays Zappa at Villa Arconati, July 15, 2008; or Pappa Plays Zappa at The Upperfloor (known as Stalloftet) in Hamar, Norway, August 3, 2008:
Continue reading “Best FZ Covers: Battle of the YouTube Muffins, Or, Some People Like Cupcakes Better…”

Dweezil Zappa – Dodge Theater, Phoenix, AZ

While Zappa Plays Zappa were performing at the Dodge Theater in Phoenix, Arizona on February 26th, 2009, Dweezil Zappa spoke about his early influence – Eddie Van Halen – the day Eddie called up the Zappa family home wanting to meet Frank Zappa – before performing his cover of “Eruption“.

Dweezil Zappa: A Son of (a Mother of) Invention

Another big thing for next year is another DVD, our Roxy concert that we did 35 years to the date that Frank last played at the Roxy. We’re also working hard to complete Frank’s Roxy film, so hopefully both of those can get released by the end of 2010.

In an interview including also some other news: a new ZPZ CD, some other musical experimentations, Dweezil’s guitars, and the What the Hell Was I Thinking project – with a downloadable part from Zomby Woof’s solo.

French FZ-Fans To Boycott ZPZ’s Paris Concert

This just in via Uni-Muta: French FZ fansite Les Fils de l’Invention are calling for a boycott of the upcoming ZPZ Concert in Paris. Translation:

Just after last month’s dismissal of the case of the ZFT against the Arf Society, the ZFT is back with a new complaint against the organisers of the Zappanale Festival. In order to:

  • react against this unreasonable juridical harassment
  • show solidarity with our friends
  • make it clear that we are determined to protect the works realised by organisations, artists and writers, who make sure that the works of Frank Zappa will not be forgotten,

we ask you TO BOYCOT the concert that Dweezil Zappa and his band ZpZ will be doing on the 18th of May at the ‘Olympia’ in Paris.

Wow… Meanwhile, this year’s edition of Zappanale is already starting to take shape.

ZPZ Wins At The Grammys

Dweezil Zappa’s ZPZ band has won this year’s Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance:

“Did you feel it? The world actually fell off its axis,” said Dweezil Zappa, accepting the award for best rock instrumental performance for “Peaches en Regalia,” fighting back tears as he thought of his late father, Frank. “He dedicated this song to me when I was born and I’m dedicating it right back.”

All bickering aside, I think this is a well-deserved award for a band that is outstanding in what they originally set out to do. Kudos to Dweez and the ZPZ players.

Update 13/02: Here’s what Zappa had to say about the Grammys and award shows in general (taken from a BBC1 Zappa Special radio interview):
[audio:http://www.killuglyradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/grammy-from-hell.mp3]
(Thx Rick Wood)

Review: Zappa Plays Zappa, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, Dec. 31, 2008

Kevin shares his thoughts on the show at Crush All Boxes, including a nice piece of art by Ward Shelley (don’t miss the hi res picture!) 

At one point, Les Claypool came out in a longcoat and chimp mask and played what looked like a segment of a bed frame with a string attached to it. He beat upon this device with a drumstick while modulating the tension on the string and sort of dancing around as the band provided a soundtrack. It was during KK that Dweez conducted the band a la Frank.

For me, the standout solo was that of guitarist Jamie Kime. As at the previous ZPZ show I attended, he offered some truly original and intense sounds on his guitar. It was deeply impressive – this guy is a major talent.

The more interesting parts are in the text itself – go on reading!