Tag: Interview

Ultimate Insult: Somewhere In NYC


In the first video, Frank Zappa tells the story of how the Fillmore East incident involving John Lennon and Yoko Ono started from an exciting jam between two musical iconoclasts, to a matter to be decided between opposing lawyers.

The second video is footage of Lennon’s and Yoko’s 1971 guest appearance at the Mothers of Invention gig at the Fillmore East.

Finally, as a point of historical interest, the following is an original vinyl version of Jamrag (anyone with even a passing affinity for Frank Zappa and the Mother’s music will quickly identify this song):

[audio:http://www.killuglyradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/Jamrag.mp3]

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss: Raising Sand

I picked up this unique duet album the other day, Raising Sand with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. The album was produced by the legendary T-Bone Burnett. Any preconceptions I might have had regarding Plant’s ability to perform “roots music” was blown away after my first listen to this CD. Check out this video of “Please Read The Letter” and judge for yourself:

George Duke Interview @ Wolfgang’s Vault

By the time this interview was recorded in 1978, Duke had recorded and toured with Jean-Luc Ponty, Frank Zappa, Cannonball Adderly, Stanley Clarke, and Billy Cobham — covering jazz, rock, and everything on the spectrum in between before heading in a more straightforward funk direction with 1977’s Reach For It and its 1978 follow-up Don’t Let Go. Duke openly admits in this interview of trying to avoid being pigeonholed in any specific genre, and has a lot to say about the state of music in the late 1970s. Indeed, his views are as relevant today as when they were first recorded.

Click here to hear the whole interview.

Note:

‘Whatever happened to Shuggie Otis?’ is the only unanswered question in this interview. As you know, Shuggie Otis played Bass on Frank Zappa’s song “Peaches En Regalia”, from his “Hot Rats” Album.

Dim Lights Thick Smoke Promotions interviews Mike Keneally

In this two part audio interview, DLTSP chats with Mike Keneally about his early influences, his love of progressive music, learning to play the entire Gentle Giant catalogue, Drop Control, joining Frank Zappa’s band, the realities of being in Frank Zappa’s band, DethKlok, the power of performing live, his current release “Wine and Pickles”, Radio Keneally and more.

Part 1, Part 2.

Fialka Interviews Bickford

Philip Marion writes:

A wonderful cultural archivist, metaphysical snake-oil salesman, antiquarian ne’er-do-well, and star of the end of the VHS version of “Baby Snakes” Gerry Fialka interviewed Bruce Bickford recently after the showing of FZ’s Bickford film at the silent movie theatre in LA.

Part one:

Parts two, three, four, five. Thanks, Phil!

Roger Steen Interview @ Ultimate Guitar

Any fan of The Tubes will seriously enjoy Ultimate Guitar‘s interview with Roger Steen entitled, “The Tubes: Bizarre Is As Tubes Does”. Steen speaks of the band’s beginning in Pheonix, Arizona, their move to San Francisco in the early 1970s, and the band’s unique mixture of sounds and styles:

When we were first starting in the 60’s, my group of friends were not only listening to the radio, but also to original blues and jug-band recordings. We incorporated all these rootsy flavors with Motown, Hendrix, Cream, Zappa. When we all lived together in San Francisco, the influence came heavily from Beefheart, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever, Mile’s Bitches Brew.

Click here for the rest of the interview.

The Be-Bop Bass Notes: Tom Fowler Interview

The audition was very simple. He had me play a couple of odd muted things and groove for a while, and then he said ‘OK, you’re it’. That was a really good band. I then just did Frank’s stuff for a few years until I broke my hand in the middle of a tour which was my downfall. We were playing football and I broke this bone right in the middle of the tour in Dayton, Ohio.

A nice, long interview with one of the best bass players ever (from the great site www.afka.net) Recorded in 1996 – it was still new to me.