Take one Zappa tribute band, Sheik Yerbouti, add three alumni from Zappa’s touring and recording bands – Napoleon Murphy Brock, Denny Walley, and Robert Martin – put them all together on the Zappanale 20 Main Stage, and the result is absolutely, positively, exceptionally gestalt.
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Zappanale (Then & Now) — Sheik Yerbouti
Sheik Yerbouti is a band from Kirchberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. They have been performing and recording their unique interpretations of Frank Zappa‘s music since 1992.
Sheik Yerbouti includes Dr. Jörg Heuser (guitar, vocals), Thomas Rath (drums, vocals), Harry Sebel (lead vocals, keyboards), Andy Mertens (bass guitar, vocals), Thomas Jung (keyboards, vocals), and George Rademacher (guitar, vocals), as well as guest appearances by such ex-Zappa alumni as Mike Keneally (guitar), Ed Mann (vibes, percussian) and Napoleon Murphy Brock (vocals, sax, flute).
Their recordings include: Insanity Sauce CD (1996), Confetti Music CD (2001), Ouch Patrol (CD + DVD) feat. Napoleon Murphy Brock (2004), Unverschämtheit (Insolence) Vol. 1 (2004). Click on the individual CDs for sample mp3 excerpts.
In 2009, Unverschämtheit (Insolence) Vol. 2, is due for release. A particular focus of the album are songs with the woodwind phrase “Horny Hornz”. Estimated track of the album include: Heavy Duty Judy, Brown Shoes Do Not Make It, The Grand Wazoo, Tinseltown Rebellion, The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing, and Strictly Genteel. Recorded over the last 3 years at various concerts, including the band’s 15-year anniversary at Café Hahn, Koblenz.
On Tuesday, the 11th of August, 2009, in the St.Katharinen Kirche in Hamburg, Sheik Yerbouti will team up with Napoleon Murphy Brock for a “live and unplugged“ session that will kick off Zappanale #20. They will play the festival, itself, on Saturday, the 16th of August.
In the three clips above, Sheik Yerbouti with Napoleon Murphy Brock at the German club Objekt5, in Halle (Saale) on October 14th, 2008, perform “Village Of The Sun”, “Black Page #2”, and “St. Etienne”.
Sheik Yerbouti performed at Zappanale 4,5,8,10, and 14.
Monday Mailbag
Some stuff from the inbox:
- Warren Cuccurullo has a new album out called “Playing in Tongues” which reunites him with Missing Persons/Zappa drummer Terry Bozzio. To be released on Edel Records.
- German tribute band Sheik Yerbouti ft. Napoleon M. Brock announce fall tour dates.
- Joe’s Garage, the Musical premieres September 26 — Heidi Johnson writes: “I peeked in on rehearsals and this show is going to rock! It’s dirty, raw and hilarious. With a band that would make Frank proud these musicians are hitting these complicated music pieces perfectly and the lyrics are blending together with the dance in the best kind of way.” Tickets here.
- A video hommage to Cpt. Beefheart: curated by Gary Lucas, Beefheart’s former guitarist/manager, with many special guests including Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo, Suicide’s Alan Vega, Kurt Loder, even David Lynch.
- Zappatika writes: “We are slowly starting to put together the final schedules for this November Ed Mann Project (EMP) tour, and it looks like there will be a lot of fun and a lot of GREAT music! Dates are coming in thick and fast and we have venues lined up in Holland, Belgium, Germany, France and the UK.”
- Idiot Bastard points out a bunch of Jimmy Carl Black download-only albums. Quoth Andrew, “It goes without saying that JCB will benefit greatly from any sales. So, eyes down, look in.”