Tag: Frank Zappa

Best FZ Covers – Delicious Band Research Kitchen

If I were to compile an awesome compilation of Frank Zappa covers, I would begin with this band, Delicious Band Research Kitchen, and these three Zappa covers – “Uncle Remus” (above), “Wonderful Wino” and “Find Her Finer” (both below) – which they performed at ‘Les Fils de l’Invention’s FZ festival’ (Sons of Invention) in Paris, France on July 5th, 2008.
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OJAI Music Festival 2010

OJAI Music Festival artistic director Tom Morris and Doug McLennan of ArtsJournal.com discuss the programming for the 2010 Festival including works by Frank Zappa, Messiaen, Boulez, Stravinsky, and Indian Ragas presented over four days from Thursday, June 10th to Sunday, June 13th.

The World of Zappa symposium featuring speakers Gail Zappa and Ian Underwood are scheduled on Friday June 11th, between 11a.m. and 2:15pm. Concert by the Ensemble Modern in the Libbey Bowl at 8p.m. (June 11th).

For complete Festival details, click here.

Immaculate Voodoo Butter Mix – Part III

In the prior two installments of the Immaculate Voodoo Butter Mix, tracks focused on the improvisational abilities of Frank Zappa and those of the individual members of his various bands (through solos). In part three, though, I’ve focused primarily on Frank Zappa‘s guitar work. Track for track, from 1976 to 1984, Zappa is ripping hot, giving the musically educated listener an ongoing guitar workshop. For the non-musician, slip those headphones-to-oblivion back on and prepare yourselves for some sustained guitar therapy as only Frank Zappa can deliver.

Click here to listen to the mixtape.

Zappa at Montreux Prog Nights, 2009

Since 2006, the goal of Montreux Prog Nights has been to to promote progressive music in Switzerland, especially in Montreux, by organizing three or four events each year in various venues. In 2009, the band FiDOplaysZAPPA performed a Zappa Night on January 23rd, while French band Lazuli also performed selected Zappa compositions on November 7th. Both performed at Ned’s Music Club.
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BluBlu a la Zappa

While surfing YouTube recently I came across this wonder piece of stop motion animation, entitled MUTO, from the walls of Buenos Aires by graffiti and animation artist BluBlu which someone has added Frank Zappa‘s “The Torture Never Stops” from Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, January 20th, 1976. Amazing hardly begins to describe it.

Frank Zappa – WBCN Interview, 1978

Frank Zappa stops by for an after gig radio interview at WBCN-FM, Boston, MA, on October 26th, 1978. Zappa apologizes for his lateness by producing a tape from the mixing board of the start of the prior night’s show of “Persona Non Grata” from North Shore Coliseum, Danvers, MA, followed by an interview. Another piece of fantastic Zappa history.

Tunes, Treats & Torrents – Peach Noise

Ever so often a cover band comes along that absolutely impresses me with their ability to interpret Zappa’s compositions in fresh, bold new ways. The French cover band Peach Noise is one such band.
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Tunes, Treats & Torrents – Fattore Zeta

Italian band Fattore Zeta describes itself as a “jazz tribute to Frank Zappa” band. Their unique covers, interpretations, and arrangements of Zappa’s compositions – with their use of instruments in unexpected combinations – is really quite extraordinary (Listen to “Oh No” and “Blessed Relief” on their website). The band released their first album in 2006, entitled “(R)umori Jazz“. Their second, entitled “Dio Fa“, released in 2009, captured the band’s concert at Zappanale 19.
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Zappa, Prague, & Prazsky Vyber – Then & Now

While researching tracks for the next KUR mixtape, I happened upon some historical footage of Frank Zappa’s visit to Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1990 – and a chance to reacquaint myself with the metal group, Prazsky Vyber, with which Zappa performed one of his last guitar improvisations, “Improvizance v A dur s Franken Zappou” with guitarist Michal Pavticek in 1991:
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