Sunday, January 31, 2010

ARF IN CONCERT 2010 02 04


Arf will be playing the music of Frank Zappa in concert on a boat on the Seine in Paris, France !!
2010 02 04 on the Antipode boat.

DUCKMAN ON DVD


Last year, the Duckman animated tv-series finally got released on DVD.
It features Dweezil Zappa doing the voice of 'Alex', and includes the music of Frank Zappa.

Read more about it here:
http://popdose.com/popdose-interview-duckman-creator-everett-peck/

-----------------
Speaking of Frank Zappa, did he just do the theme song or did he compose music for the show as well?
As it turned out, he was most involved with the first season. We did use some of the music he’d done for the first season, but after that, it was mostly handled by people who had worked with him or had been his assistants. He was really more of an inspiration for the music than actually doing a ton it. But it was great to meet with him. He was definitely involved; he definitely liked the project and was a guiding hand in the music in the early stages. (Zappa died of cancer in December of 1993.)


Wasn’t his music a reason for the hold-up getting the series on DVD?
Yeah. The deal that had been worked out with Frank’s wife and their company was pretty generous, to say the least, when it came to the release of the DVD. And I only had two comments: 1) How was that justified, and 2) Who is their lawyer?

(We both laugh)
--------------------

ZAPPANALE UPDATE

Just take a look at this:

http://www.zappanale.de/zappanale/en/zappanale21/program.html

Isn't it amazing...
Better start preparing...

August 10 - August 15, 2010

CUCAMONGA

If you read this blog every once in a while, you'll get a pretty good idea of what I'm listening to.
I listen to CDs. At home. While I'm reading or typing.
The only exceptions are the Dwalmacat radio show, my MySpace journeys, and the YouTube wanderings.

I don't listen to the radio that much. Well, I do listen to the radio in the car, but that's about it. I used to make one exception, and that was for belgian radio show, "Cucamonga", a national radio show that aired progressive rock music, world music, and, of course, Zappa and related.
A couple of years ago, the Cucamonga radio show seized to exist. It didn't fit in the 'new' remodeled view...
I was lucky when the Cucamonga crew decided to continue broadcasting by means of podcasts. Every couple of weeks, they make another mp3 radio show that you can download from the Cucamonga site.

Cucamonga Podcast number 14 was titled "Cucamonga Drinks & Goes Home ", and included tracks from the following albums:
  • Flat Earth Society: Answer Songs (ZONK!)
  • Alamaailman Vasarat: Huuro Kolkko (Laskeuma)
  • Crappydog: Sure Ain't Getting Any Younger (Oily Smoke)
  • Jos Steen & Geneviève Dartevelle: Hard Boiled Blues (SOJNEETS)
  • Jookabox: Dead Zone Boys (Asthmatic Kitty)
  • This Immortal Coil: The Dark Age Of Love (Ici d'ailleurs)
  • Do Make Say Think: Other Truths (Constellation)

http://cucamonga.be

Saturday, January 30, 2010

BROWN VS BROWN - ODDS AND UNEVENS

  • brown vs brown: odds and unevens
    (2010, cd, usa, cuneiform)

Amsterdam-based Brown vs Brown play a mixture of avant-garde rock and jazz. "Odds And Unevens" sounds exactly like the title suggests: odd meters and uneven rhythms.
This is superb stuff.
The sax, bass, drums, guitar and vibraphone sound like they're one instrument. Beautiful melodic and angular compositions, great solos, zappa-esque twists, ...

No surprise if you consider the fact that saxophone player Dirk Bruinsma also is the co-founder of Blast. And speaking of Blast, trumpet player Bart Maris is featured on the latest Moker album.

Back to the subject, "Odds And Unevens" is a superb album.
In Michael Jackson's words: "This is it !".

www.myspace.com/brownvsbrown

www.cuneiform.com

www.mandai.be

HO-AG - DOCTOR COWBOY


Ho-Ag is an experimental rock band from Boston, Massachusetts.
The band is known for melding different musical styles, and switches from early eighties punkish new wave over psychedelic soundscapes to almost jazz prog-rock without blinking.

"Doctor Cowboy" is the bands' latest release. It's their third full-lenght album and a fine introduction.
Ho-Ag's sound is very guitar oriented (leader Matt Parish on guitar and vocals), but each of the musicians contributes to the very tight sound. Add to this Tyler Derryberry's keyboard, sounding like it escaped from a sci-fi movie, and you get "Doctor Cowboy".
Nice.

Check the band out at:

www.myspace.com/hoagsobject

"Doctor Cowboy" and other Ho-Ag releases are available from Mandaï:

www.mandai.be

CUNEIFORM NEWSFLASH

5 NEW WINTER 2010 CUNEIFORM RELEASES
(STREET DATES: JANUARY 26, 2010 & FEBRUARY 2, 2010)

NEW YORK ART QUARTET :: OLD STUFF
Cuneiform Rune 300

ALGERNON :: GHOST SURVEILLANCE
Cuneiform Rune 297

BROWN VS BROWN :: ODDS AND UNEVENS
Cuneiform Rune 293

RADIO MASSACRE INTERNATIONAL :: TIME & MOTION
Cuneiform Rune 298-299

UNIVERS ZERO :: CLIVAGES
Cuneiform Rune 295

Friday, January 29, 2010

FIREWORKS ENSEMBLE

Fireworks Ensemble
Ulrich Krieger, conductor and musical director

Lou Reed’s (b. 1942) music written for the Velvet Underground propelled him to rock stardom. His Metal Machine Music, a distorted sound wall of guitar feedback, has been called the precursor to punk. Critical rejection at its first release in 1975 led to a cult-like interest. Ulrich Krieger has accomplished a feat once deemed impossible by transcribing and arranging Metal Machine Music for classical instruments.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5
8:00 PM
Miller Theatre at Columbia University
2960 Broadway (at 116th Street)
1 train to 116th Street
M4, M60, or M104 bus to 116th Street

www.fireworksensemble.org

Thursday, January 28, 2010

UKZ

A while ago, I mentioned the latest Eddie Jobson project, called UKZ.

UKZ features Aaron Lippert (vocals), Alex Machacek (guitar), Trey Gunn (10-string guitar), Eddie Jobson (electric violin, keyboards) and Marco Minnemann (drums).

Next march will see the release of their debut CD EP: "Radiation".

ANT-BEE - ELECTRONIC CHURCH MUZIK

Musician and author Billy James (who you probably saw in the impressive FZ / Mothers documentary "In The 1960s") brought the news that the new Ant-Bee album is ready.

ELECTRONIC CHURCH MUZIK

Take a look the track-list and at the line-up and be amazed !!
The Ant-Bee adds that he hopes that the album will come out later this year.
I was lucky enough to be able to lend my ear to this recording, and I can only say: "This will be a blast !!".
  1. birth
    gilli smyth: vocals / space whisper * bunk gardner: flute * ant-bee: glissando guitarre, percussion
  2. living
    michael bruce: guitars, bass, sitar * bunk gardner: sax * mod martian: trumpet * ant-bee: vocals, percussion, keyboards
  3. the language of the body
    daevid allen: vocal * don preston: keyboards, moog, electronics, music concrete middle section * bunk gardner: saxes * buzz gardner: trumpet * ant-bee: percussion, tape manipulations * cymbaline: "now is the time of our live"
  4. eye of agomoto
    don preston: keyboards * bunk gardner: sax * motorheard sherwood: snorks * jimmy carl black: "are you shaaggg!!!" * ant-bee: percussion, vibes, cuica, tape manipulations
  5. the guff (hall of souls)
    gilli smyth: vocal / space whisper * peter banks: guitar * ant-bee: percussion
  6. mallard flies towards heaven
    zoot horn rollo: guitar * rockette morton: bass * ant-bee: harp, washboard, percussion
  7. ant-bee's sunday supper
    michael bruce: vocals * chickens: chickens
  8. flutter-bye, butter-fllye
    michael bruce: guitars, bass, keyboards * sun raw: recorder * ant-bee: vocals, mellotron, percussion, violin, butter-flye-flap
  9. endless journey
    peter banks: guitars * ant-bee: percussion * humpback whale: vocals
  10. the light
    alessandro pizzin: keyboards * cor gout: vocals * ant-bee: tape manipulations, choral reconstructions
  11. mannah
    jan akkerman: guitar * ant-bee: mellotron, percussion
  12. psalm 23
    artemiy artemiev: keyboards * ant-bee: choir
  13. hallelujah
    peter frohmader: keyboards, electronics, composition construction * ant-bee: percussion, vibes, tape manipulations * monks: chant
  14. the wrath - part one (the flood)
    ant-bee: harp, keyboards, vibes, mellotron, choral constructions, tape manipulations * animals: choir * donkey: vocals
  15. secrets of the dead
    bruce cameron: guitars, bass, sitars * ant-bee: vocal, percussion, tape manipulations
  16. pennies from heaven
    groucho marx: vocals, and phone call of destiny
  17. the wrath - part two (baptism through fire)
    gilli smyth: "your destiny" * ant-bee: tape manipulations, war machine, bees, choral reconstructions
  18. the lords prayer
    the great computor: leader of prayer
  19. angels
  20. don't you ever learn?
    napoleon murphy brock: lead vocals * moogy klingman: keyboards * don preston: moog * bunk gardner: sax * napoleon's niece: back-ground vocals * jack: pedal steele * ant-bee: percussion, mellotron, vibes, tape manipulations
  21. re-birth
    gilli smyth: vocal / space whisper * daevid allen: "oh" * ant-bee: glissando guitarre, vibes, percussion
  22. final benediction - lord we thank you
    cymbaline: vocal

ULTRAECZEMA MAKE-OVER

Dennisch Tyfus has a new website.

www.ultraeczema.com

Contemporary art: music, drawings, records and more

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

MICHAEL KIERAN HARVEY - STORM SIGHT



Here's another addition to the Others Of Invention series: artists performing the music of FZ.

Frank Zappa's 'Ruth Is Sleeping' was performed and recorded by the Ensemble Modern as part of their "The Yellow Shark" project. It was first realised as a synclavier piece in the early '80s. Another arrangement of this piece was done by Ali J. Askin for one piano, four hands. It was premiered in this version on two pianos by Ensemble Modern in 1993.

The Zappa Foundation permitted Michael Kieran Harvey to transcribe 'Ruth Is Sleeping' for one player for its premiere performance in this version at the 38th Warsaw Autumn Festival of Contemporary Music in 1995. He presented the work again at the 1996 Adelaide Festival.

Michael Kieran Harvey recorded Frank Zappa's 'Ruth Is Sleeping' on his "Storm Sight" album.

DWALMACAT 365

Go to
http://www.fmbrussel.be/programmas/dwalmacat.aspx

and click on “Luister”

for this week's edition of Dwalmacat
  • XAVIER CUGAT – Perfidia
  • ANDI SEX-GANG – Les amants d’un jour
  • STEIN – Mr. Smith
  • THEORETICAL GIRLS – U.S.Millie
  • SPACEMEN 3 – Walkin’ with Jesus
  • SCHMOLL – Dat mes
  • SPRUNG AUS DEN WOLKEN – Que pa
  • ERIC RANDOM – Bolero
  • SAVE THE ROBOTS – Bolero
  • DE DIV – Als lemmingen
  • RAUSCH – The root
  • THE WRECKERY – The understudy
  • MICHAEL BLAKE – In the arms of Ali
  • THE HALO BENDERS – Rebels got a hole in it

FILTHY HABITS ENSEMBLE - KING KONG


This brand-new Zappa tribute album arrived in V.-city earlier today. Actually, I'm listening to it right now.
Filthy Habits Ensemble is a jazz band with an impressive line-up (three saxes, a trumpet, keyboards, electric guitar & bass, plus drums) performing a series of Zappa standards:

  1. echidna's arf
  2. don't you ever wash that thing
  3. little umbrellas
  4. big swifty
  5. king kong variations
  6. filthy habits
  7. dupree's paradise
  8. dukes of prunes

Beautiful arrangements, superb performances (love the solos !!), a nine-minute plus version of 'King Kong', ... In one word: Excellent.
What are you waiting for?

www.halloffame.es

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

NEW ZAPPA VINYL BOOTLEG


A new vinyl bootleg has been spotted. It's called "A Little Nostalgia For The Old Folks", and it's out in different versions:

- 40 copies on blue wax
- 40 copies on red wax
- 40 copies on green wax
- 40 copies on gold wax
- 65 copies on splash wax
- 30 copies on split wax

And most of these have different covers as well. I pasted a bunch of pictures into the U.M.Files.

Here's the track-list:

[1] 1970/11/02 live in the studio - kppc fm pasadena, ca
frank zappa, shuggie otis, ray agee

[2] 1972/12/02 - early show - concert 'cowtown ballroom', kansas city, mo, usa
the petit wazoo orchestra:
f.zappa, g.barone, e.dumler, t.duran, g.ferris, b.fowler, j.gordon, t.malone, m.mcnabb, d.parlato

[3] 1969/05/24 - early show - concert 'rockpile', toronto, canada
f.zappa, lowell george, r.estrada, j.c.black, a.tripp, i.underwood, d.preston, b.gardner, b.gardner, j.sherwood

[4] 1976/03/04 soundcheck 'deutschlandhalle', berlin, germany
f.zappa, n.m.brock, r.estrada, a.lewis, t.bozzio

side one

  1. frankie & shuggie improvisation [1]
  2. leave me alone [1]
  3. kc blues [2]

side two

  1. boogie in g [3]
  2. blues jam [4]

Monday, January 25, 2010

BEEFHEART : THROUGH THE EYES OF MAGIC


beefheart: through the eyes of magic
by john 'drumbo' french
(2010, book, uk, proper music publishing)

I just finished the first seven chapters of this breath-taking book.
I'm at page 134 of a total of 860 pages of this gorgeous hardback.

"Beefheart : Throught The Eyes Of Magic" is incredible.
Period.

As I said, I'm only at page 134, where the band is about to record the early A&M singles, so I sort of finished the pre-A&M days.
John French talked to everyone who was involved in these early days of Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band.
Classmates, friends and fellow musicians of all of the early band members, ... You name it, they're all there.
And from these interviews, John draws a picture of what happened and of how one thing led to another.

Amazing. There are so many things that I had never heard of, so many things that I didn't know...

This is essential reading for every Beefheart and Zappa fan.

Fascinating.
Let me get back to you on this in a couple of days...
I have to read on...

http://www.properdistribution.com

NEW SUN RA ALBUMS

Transparency will be releasing three new Sun Ra titles next month.
The first three of eight Sun Ra releases planned for the first half of this year.
  • sun ra: rome 1980
    (2010, 2cd, usa, transparency)
    ** "Intimate (almost lounge) recordings featuring Sun Ra on acoustic piano, lots of horns and lots of vocals by June Tyson and Sun Ra. Of such superb quality it sounds like a studio album!"
    **
  • sun ra: the road to destiny - the lost reel collection volume six
    (2010, cd, usa, transparency)
    ** "Very horn-centric recordings from The Gibus in Paris, October 1973. The centerpiece is a 20-minute declamatory vocal interplay between Sun Ra and June Tyson: "I could have enjoyed myself on this planet"."
    **
  • sun ra: the earlier sun ra 1948 - 1955
    (2010, cd, usa, transparency)
    ** "Sun Ra as arranger and often pianist with the following groups: Andrew Tibbs & The Dozier Boys, Eugene Wright and his Dukes of Swing, Jo Jo Adams, Billie Hawkins & Sun Ra & His Orchestra, Sun Ra & His Arkestra, Billy Brooks & Red Saunders Orchestra, Red Saunders Orchestra"
    **
-- info: Danny Mathys

Sunday, January 24, 2010

PROJECT / OBJECT SETLIST

2010/01/03 - Miramar Theater - Milwaukee, WI, usa
  • line-up
    Andre' Cholmondeley - guitar & vocals * Dave Johnsen - bass & vocals * Eric Svalgard - keyboards & vocals * Jim Ruffi - drums
    Ike Willis - vocals & guitar * Ray White - vocals & guitar
  • setlist
    set one
    Improv > A Pound For A Brown On The Bus, intro, Trouble Every Day, Montana, Society Pages > I'm a Beautiful Guy > Beauty Knows No Pain > Charlie's Enormous Mouth > Any Downers?, banter - mytwit and spaceface, Magic Fingers, The Idiot Bastard Son, Apostrophe (bass solo feature), Florentine Pogen, Peaches En Regalia, Zomby Woof
    set two
    intro, RDNZL, Bamboozled By Love, I Am The Slime, Lucille, Tinseltown Rebellion (". . .where Hanson once stood"), Little House I Used To Live In, Andy, Cosmik Debris, Crew Slut, Blessed Relief, Eat That Question, Jones Crusher (by request), banter - Dirk holds the record, Inca Roads
  • a 179-minute audience / soundboard matrix recording of this show got seeded on Zappateers

APACHE DROPOUT

In 1969, the Edgar Broughton Band paired Don Van Vliet's 'Dropout Boogie' with the Shadows' 'Apache'.
The track is listed as 'Apache Drop Out - Apache Introducing Dropout Boogie'.
Originally released as a single and on the "Wasa Wasa" album, the track can also be found on various compilation albums.

Did you know that the singed reached #33 on the UK Singles Chart in 1969 ?

-- info: Jan van Kemenade

CAPILLARY ACTION - SO EMBARRASSING


U.S.-based label Natural Selection Records has made a deal with German Discorporate Records (Gotta love that name...) to re-release Capillary Action's second album, "So Embarrassing".
In my humble opinion, I think that Discorporate Records has made a good choice. "So Embarrassing" is a very impressive album. Written and performed by Jonathan Pfeffer and his friends (a 12-piece band !!), this album presents a fine mixture of (sometimes even crooner) jazz, orchestrated chaos, and straight-forward guitar riffs.
It's cross-over with great rhythmic turns. It's sharp and angular.
Jonathat Pfeffer's vocals make the music rather accessible, but if you listen to what's happening on the background, you'll go crazy.
The total lenght of the album is a bit over thirty minutes, which makes it sound as one single powerful track.
If you're into Mr.Bungle or Zappa, you'll like this. Capillary Action's music takes the same direction (and twisted turns). I love it.

Wether you look at the physical phenomenon, or listen to the band, "Capillary Action" will impress you.
It'll make you frown and say "wow' at the same time.
Recommended listening.

www.myspace.com/capillaryaction

www.mandai.be

TONY PALMER'S FILM OF FRANK ZAPPA'S 200 MOTELS


Tony Palmer's film of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels has been announced a little while ago, and is now available.

Check out the Voiceprint website for Tony Palmer's additional info and comments:
http://www.voiceprint.co.uk/web/Release/TPDVD127/

http://www.tonypalmerdvd.com/

Here's a little preview, as published on YouTube :

DOUBT IN THE PICTURE

Richard Sinclair / Michel Delville / Tony Bianco / Alex Maguire
(click on picture for full view)
-- info & link to picture: Danny Mathys

UNIVERS ZERO 2010 02 06


CD-release concert for the new album.

  • 2010/02/06 Univers Zero - concert 'Centre Culturel Jaques Franck', Brussels, Belgium

-- info & picture: Danny Mathys

HALL OF FAME NEWSFLASH

In the presentation of the new Filthy Habits Ensemble album, the Hall Of Fame website adds that this is not just album number eleven in the Unmatched series. Just like Unmatched number ten, this is another entire album dedicated to one artist or one band, performing the music of Frank Zappa. The same paragraph also said that the Unmatched series will continue in this new direction at least until number nineteen !!

Makes me wonder what else's in the pipeline...

Saturday, January 23, 2010

NEW UNIVERS ZERO ALBUM

The new Univers Zero album has been announced for release later this week.
  • univers zero: clivages
    (2010, cd, usa, cuneiform rune 295cd)

NEW YORK ART QUARTET - OLD STUFF


The short-lived New York Art Quartet made two albums during the nearly two years that it existed: one in 1964, entitled "New York Art Quartet", and another one in 1965, called "Mohawk". These albums featured John Tchicai on sax, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Milford Graves on drums and Lewis Worell or Reggie Workman on bass.

October 1965, John Tchicai went back home to Denmark and arranged a couple of concerts for the New York Art Quartet. Unfortunately, only Roswell Rudd was the only one that was able to join him and so a new version of the band took the stage in Copenhagen.
After these gigs, Tchicai and Rudd went back to New York City, where they played some more gigs as the New York Art Quartet, but early 1966, as Roswell Budd joined Archie Shepp's band, the band seized to exist.

In 1999, the NYAQ did a reunion concert (or as Milford Graves said: "...a continuance of the beautiful music that this group is capable of performing..."). The band had reassembled for this reunion concert at the South Street Seaport in New York City, opening for Sonic Youth at the invitation of Thurston Moore.
As a result of this, the recorded an album for the japanese DIW label, entitled "Reunion".
Here's Thurston Moore's article "Top ten from the free jazz underground", published in Grand Royal Magazine #2
http://www.saucerlike.com/articles.php?x=display&id=2

And more recently, Cuneiform Records released recordings from the concert and radio session the band did in Denmark, October 1965, entitled "Old Stuff".
The disc presents recordings made by the NYAQ during their 1965 concerts in Copenhagen, Denmark.

This is free jazz at its best.
John Tchicai's alto sax and Roswell Budd's trombone search and find impressive lines and melodies, backed by Finn Von Eyben on bass and Louis Moholo on drums.

This is great. Adventurous music in a nice package, including excellent liner-notes by producer Jason Weiss.

A piece of history on a silver disc !

www.cuneiform.com

www.mandai.be

Friday, January 22, 2010

ANDFOREST RELEASED BOZZIO BOX

Japanese record label AndForest has released a 14 CD / 3 DVD box by Terry Bozzio entitled "Seven Nights In Japan".
And also a CD called "Four From Ten Twenty Nine"...

-- info: Luc Reniers

NEW FHE CD IS OUT

Luis G. (www.halloffame.es/zappa.html) says the new Filthy Habits Ensemble CD is out and available from Hall Of Fame.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

DWALMACAT 364

Go to
http://www.fmbrussel.be/programmas/dwalmacat.aspx

and click on “Luister”
to enjoy
  • SHELLAC – The end of radio
  • PIL – The slab
  • MANISCH DEPRESSIV – Seite A (medley)
  • DE KIFT – Eeuwige bewonderaar
  • MARINE GIRLS – Lazy ways
  • MUZSIKAS – Repülj madär, repülj
  • LONDON UNDERGROUND – Strange things / Conspiracy
  • CAPTAIN SENSIBLE – Glad it’s all over
  • VENUS IN FURS – Playback
  • T-MODEL FORD – To the left, to the right
  • THE TWENTY SECOND SECT – Get that charge
  • COLLECTION D’ARNELL-ANDREA – Un parc, une tonnelle
  • PINKY mcLURE & DAVID HARROW – Bite the hand that feeds you
  • THE ACCORDION CLUB – Friends of stone

THE FILTHY HABITS ENSEMBLE


Hall Of Fame records will be releasing an all Zappa album by the Filthy Habits Ensemble !!
It will be volume 11 of the impressive Unmatched series.
-- info: Javier Marcote

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

THE CIRCULAR MOTION

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but over at
http://www.igelity.de/fzmaps/main.php?mode=zappateers
you can find a map where you can see all the cities where Zappa played a concert.
Arranged by tour.
Click on the city and you get the playlist.

New to this beautiful piece of work is that pictures are being uploaded as well.
I just checked it out and found a couple of ticket stubs after clicking on the "pictures" link below the setlist...

Beautiful.

Tom added:
Now we implemented a function which allows people to upload legal pictures of FZ shows. Here you can see what it’s all about: http://www.zappateers.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=17828 & http://www.zappateers.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=18092.

NEWS FROM THE RALPHGANG

Residents friend,

In case you missed it, The Residents are heading out to the wilds of the open road with a new show, Talking Light. It starts this Saturday in Santa Cruz, goes for several weeks, so don't miss it!

We've been busy getting all sorts of wonderful tour goodies together for you, many of which can be seen thru links on our twitter account (twitter.com/ralphamerica), so check them out! lanyards, all event passes, new dog tags (all with download codes to new music), new Talking Light tees, baseball hats, knit caps, all sorts of stuff!

And if it turns out to be like the last tour, many of these items will not make it back to the Ralph offices for post tour sales, so get out to the shows! Will some of this make it to Europe? We honestly don't know at this point. On the last tour it did, and that's all we have to go on at this
point.

Thanks, and we hope to see you out on the road. Say Hi to Lorrie (at the Cali and Tuscon shows) and Miles (at ALL the shows) and be nice to them!
Buy them a drink, a smoothie, a burger, and they'll be sure to take care of you!

Until the next cartoon...

The RalphGang
http://ralphamerica.com

RESIDENTS LIVE DATES:
http://residents.com

THE ZAPPA LISTENING SESSIONS


Ever since July 2007, every first Tuesday of the month, A Zappa Listening Session takes place at the Jansen Bar in Berlin, Germany.
(it used to be the last Tuesday of the month, but it recently changed to the first Tuesday of the month)

Jansen Bar [ www.jansenbar.de ]
Gotenstrasse 71
10829 Berlin Schöneberg

If you happen to be in the neighbourhood, you should check it out !!

-- info: Thomas

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

DOUBT - NEVER PET A BURNING DOG


"Never Pet A Burning Dog" sounds like an old chinese saying, but it actually is a quote from the television mini series "Generation Kill". The episode was about a team that went to Iraq to help the people by ridding them of Saddam Hoessein's regime. The people of Iraq, however, had bigger problems than Saddam (poverty, unrest, corruption, ...) and considered the 'help' as an unwelcome distraction.

"Never Pet A Burning Dog" also is the title of the first douBt album. August 2009, Alex Maguire, Michel Delville and Tony Bianco teamed up in Italy and recorded some tracks at Beppe Crovella's studio. The result of which can be found on the latest MoonJune release.

Track one, 'Corale Di San Luca', opens quietly and features guest musician (and Canterbury legend) Richard Sinclair (of Hatfield & The North). Tony Bianco's drumming, however, already shows what's coming in the next track. 'Laughter' has the power trio up at full speed. An excellent start.
The album continues with 'Over Birkerot', a composition by Norwegian guitar player Terje Rypdal, in an arrangement of Michel Delville.
'Sea' is another superb track. Tony Bianco's drumming dances on the tide. Incredible interaction between Alex Maguire and Tony Bianco.
Next up is 'Passing Cloud', with Richard Sinclair on vocals. It's a nice piece and good resting point before Michel Delville takes you through his 'Cosmic Surgery', another showcase of the talents of this trio.
Track number seven, 'Aeon'. This is a more experimental composition. Beautiful soundscapes against Tony Bianco's hyperdrumming.
The album concludes with 'Beppe's Shelter', an eight minute piece that starts with a Zappa-inspired guitar solo. A superb ending.

In DouBt ?
Not me.

An excelent album.
Highly recommended.

http://www.moonjune.com/

Listen to some samples here:
http://www.myspace.com/doubt3

* * * latest news * * *
douBt will be touring Japan next month:

2010/02/05 - 'Enn', Sendai, Japan

2010/02/07 - 'Muse', Osaka, Japan

2010/02/08 - 'The Bottom Line', Nagoya, Japan

2010/09/09 - 'STB139', Tokyo, Japan

2010/02/10 - 'STB139', Tokyo, Japan

NEWS FROM THE CZECH FRANK ZAPPA FAN CLUB


The Czech Frank Zappa Fan Club is issuing a t-shirt to celebrate the 20th anniversary of FZ's first visit to the Czech Republic, January 1990.

FIDO PLAYS THE MUSIC OF FRANK ZAPPA


FiDOplaysZappa is on the road again:

next Friday, 2010/01/22, at the 'Basler Kuppel' in Basel, Switzerland at 20:30h
with a birthdayparty & guests

and it goes on:

Freiburg Br. (Germany) - E-WERK - Thursday 2010/02/04

Liestal (Switzerland) - THEATER PALAZZO - Friday 2010/02/05

Delemont (Switzerland) - SALLE DU SOLEIL - Saturday 2010/02/06

Bern (Switzerland) - MAHOGANY HALL - Thursday 2010/03/04

Basel (Switzerland) - BSCENE - Saturday 2010/03/27

Konstanz (Germany) - K9 - Saturday 2010/05/22 - C'est La Vie-Festival

THE WRONG OBJECT - LIVE AT ZAPPANALE 2008


August 2008, The Wrong Object performed a memorable concert at Zappanale. The band had played the Bad Doberan festival before in 2004 but had ondergone some major changes in the line-up.

On this occasion, Michel Delville (guitar), Fred Delplancq (tenor sax), Jean-Paul Estiévenart (trumpet), Damien Polard (bass guitar & electronic) and Laurent Delchambre (drums) were joined on stage by two guests of the Zappanale festival: Stanley Jason Zappa (tenor sax) and Nick Skrowaczewski (percussion).

The set was great.
It included a number of originals, a couple of fine Zappa tunes and some free jazz experiments (the part where Stanley Jason Zappa and Nick Skrowaczewski joined the band).

The good news is that this concert has been made available on CD. "Live At Zappanale 2008" is out on Fazzul records, Markus Stauss' label.
If you were there in 2008, you know that you'll want to have this.
If you weren't, here's the opportunity to hear what you missed.

A fine recording of a great concert in a beautiful package.
Essential stuff.

  1. overture (estiévenart)
  2. saturn (estiévenart)
  3. big swifty (f.zappa)
  4. blessed relief (f.zappa)
  5. drum solo (delchambre)
  6. five-five-five (f.zappa)
  7. wet weather wet (delville)
  8. sheepwrecked (polard)
  9. strangler fig (delville)
  10. the unbelievable truth - part I (delville)
  11. the unbelievable truth - part II (delville)

http://www.fazzulmusic.ch/

http://www.wrongobject.com

Monday, January 18, 2010

MY CITY

Okay, so I don't have a clue about the what & who & why, but you should check this out...

weird...

http://www.mycitymovie.com/id/75f3773f240f3607ab754985345808f6/
(with sound !!)

-- link: Bohous

UGLY RADIO REBELLION IN CONCERT

Ugly Radio Rebellion performs the music of Frank Zappa...

2010/01/27 - TBA

2010/01/28 - Indian Barrys - Bay City, MI

2010/01/29 - Mickey Finns - Toledo, OH

2010/01/30 - The Corktown Tavern - Detroit, MI

2010/01/31 - TBA

PALERMO PLAYS ZAPPA

It's time for some Big Band Zappa as Ed Palermo will be hitting the stage again :

PALERMO PLAYS ZAPPA- 2 SHOWS IN FEBRUARY

FRIDAY FEB. 5.
FIVE TOWNS COLLEGE
DIX HILLS, NY (Long Island)
http://www.dhpac.org/edpalermo.htm

One LONG show (over 2 hours) at 7:30.
Features NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK!!!!!!!!!!

&

WEDNESDAY FEB 17.
IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB
NYC, NY
http://www.iridiumjazzclub.com/

2 shows : 8:30 and 10:30.

JON LARSEN HAS NEW ALBUM OUT

from ZONIC ENTERTAINMENT :

In connection with the forthcoming FRANK ZAPPA FESTIVAL in Norway (arranged by th Po-Jama People) next weekend, Hot Club Records proudly presents:

JON LARSON - A PORTRAIT OF JON LARSEN (HCRCD 224).

The best recordings by guitar virtuoso Jon Larsen, one of the original pioneers from the renaissance of the Django Reinhardt music. Here together with Babik Reinhardt (Django's son), a 13 year old Jimmy Rosenberg, Ulf Wakenius (Oscar Peterson Trio), piano player Egil Kapstad, Hot Club de Norvège, string quartets, symphony orchestras, Zappa alumnis: Tommy Mars, Bruce Fowler, Jimmy Carl Black, and many others. An amazing compilation by one of the most original guitar player/composers of our time.

The music is clearly inspired by Django, Zappa, Piazzolla, and others, but unmistakebly Larsen. In the swinging landscape between jazz, rock and classical music, the singer/songwriter-tradition has a parallell in the guitar player/composer-tradition, where Jon Larsen is among the best.

Jon Larsen is also the founder of Zonic Entertainment - dedicated to Zappa-inspired music.

The new CD is available today - both as download (full cover artwork included on iTunes), or as CD.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

ABIGAIL SIN PLAYS FRANK ZAPPA


Abigail Sin Si Ern (born 1992) is a Singaporean pianist. She was hailed by TIME Magazine as one of Asia's small wonders and a bona fide prodigy when she was ten years old. By the age of eleven, she attained her Licentiate of the Royal School of Music (LRSM) in Piano Performance.

In 2006, she performed a number of Frank Zappa pieces.
  • Let's Make The Water Turn Black
  • Oh No
  • King Kong
  • RDNZL
  • Peaches en Regalia

A recording of this concert circulates as "Abigail Sin Plays Frank Zappa".
You can probably locate a download through Google.

-- info: Luc Reniers

XXX RESIDENTS - ATTACK OF THE KILLER BLACK EYE BALL


"Spin-off from visual artist Ukawa Naohiro’s UKAWANIMATION! project, XXX Residents is a mysterious multimedia cosplay unit paying tribute to of The Residents. Inside of the eyeballs, it is rumored that Ukawa himself is joined by musicians from iLL, Cicada… Also featured is an appearance by Japanese “Noise Legend” Merzbow."

Japanese band XXX Residents are an electronical version of the original. They dress up like The Residents and they use a lot of Residents' samples or patterns.
Quite weird. Quite impressive. If they were to play in my neighbourhood, I'd certainly go see them.

The bonus DVD offers three tracks. The first one is some sort of hypnotizing roller coaster animation movie. Extraordinary.
Tracks two and three were shot in concert.

JONO EL GRANDE - FEVERGREENS

In about two weeks, a lot of Zappa freaks will be gathering in Oslo, Norway, for a small festival.
Main musical act will be Jono El Grande.

Jone El Grande has three albums out, the latest one ("Neo Dada") being released only last year.
Album number two in the Jono El Grande discography is entitled "Fevergreens" and it came out in 2003.
Reminiscent of Frank Zappa's early seventies music, "Fevergreens" is right up my alley.
Oslo is in for a treat.

http://www.myspace.com/jonoelgrande

NEW RESIDENTS TOURDATES

April 27 - Caen France - Le Cargo
April 28 - Brussels Belgium - Ancienne Belgique
May 1 - Bergen Norway - Bergenfest
May 2 - Oslo Norway - Sentrum Scene
May 7 - UK - ATP Festival
May 13 - Rome Italy - Officine Mariconi
May 14 - Bologna Italy - Estragon
May 15 - Milan Italy - Teatro Leonardo

I don't know about you, but I already picked a date :-)

-- info and happy person: Ive

BENGT BERGER - BECHES BREW


Swedish drummer, percussionist, composer and producer Bengt Berger recently released "Beches Brew" on his Country & Eastern label.

The Country & Eastern record label was founded by Bengt Berger some five years ago, and specialises in high quality world music, classical music and contemporary jazz. This will not come as a surprise if one takes a closer look at Bengt's musical career.
Born in 1942, he left for India at age 22 where he studied tablas and percussion. In the mid-seventies, he went to Ghana to study african drumming techniques. After his return to Sweden, Bengt played jazz and improvised music with various artists, including the late Don Cherry.

In the liner notes of this album, Bengt "Beche" Berger explains: "So here I am with an album that only can be labeled as "Bengt Berger" or "Other Music". It's my music, but it is not MY music. The music itself has decided what I want it to be." and "I didn't intend anything in particular with it, it just turned out that way."

For "Beches Brew", Bengt Berger was joined by his friends and long-time collaborators Thomas Gustafsson (saxes), Jonas Knutsson (saxes), Mats Öberg (keyboards) and Sigge Krantz (producer). Add Lindha Kallerdahl (vocals) and Max Schultz (guitar, banjo & bass) and you get the perfect chefs for Beches Brew.

The music on this disc is indeed a fine equilibrium, a flavoured mixture, a tasty brew of various influences. It's jazz, it's world music, but it's also so much more. It completely absorbed me. Excellent stuff.
No wonder that "Biches Brew" got nominated for a Swedish Grammy.

Higly recommended.

http://www.countryandeastern.se/

GONG REISSUE

  • gong: gong est mort, vive gong
    (2009, cd, france, celluloid) - cd-reissue

Originially released in 1978 as a double vinyl album, "Gong Est Mort, Vive Gong" has been re-released (again) on CD.
Recorded in the Pavillon de Paris in 1977, this live album features the classic line-up of Daevid Allen, Gilly Smyth, Tim Blake, Steve Hillage, Mike Howlett, Didier Malherbe, and Pierre Moerlen.

Apparently some of the tracks had to be cut short to fit all of the songs on one CD...

DWALMACAT 363

This week on your favorite radio show

http://www.fmbrussel.be/programmas/dwalmacat.aspx

and click on : “Luister”

  • BURNING STAR CORE – Ultimate surrender
  • THE RAINCOATS – No side to fall in
  • LCD SOUNDSYSTEM – Watch the tapes
  • NOT MEAN THEMSELVES – Wrong colours
  • BITING TONGUES – Five diamonds / You can’t
  • THE PLANT – Déchargez!
  • PEACHES – Fuck the pain away
  • F.A.R. - Gvaiti
  • TEACH IN – Dinge-dong
  • HET – Spat niet met pap
  • SERGE GAINSBOURG – Javanaise dub
  • SPOT – Flying babies
  • RED LORRY YELLOW LORRY – Spinning round
  • RADIOPHONIC WORKSHOP – La grand pièce de la foire de la rue Delaware
  • MARINE – A proposito dei Napoli
  • SECTION 25 – New horizon

Saturday, January 16, 2010

IRON KIM STYLE - IRON KIM STYLE


If you google for more in fo on 'Iron' Kim Style, you get links to acrobatic sort of martial art !! If you take a closer look at the album cover, you'd go for a link towards North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il. This can only mean one thing.
More important, Iron Kim Style also is a Seattle-based jazz-rock improvisational quintet. And they have a good sense of humour.
The band has Dennis Rea (of Moraine fame) and Thaddaeus Brophy on guitar, Bill Jones on trumpet, Ryan Berg on bass, and Jay Jaskot on drums.

On their eponymous (and first) release, Iron Kim Style brings an impressive set of improvised tunes. The album carries a lot of beautiful compositions and / or improvisations. If you're in for a lot of 'electric-period Miles' vibes, you'll appreciate the excellent trumpet solos that Bill Jones throws in.

"Iron Kim Style" is a very impressive album. The interaction between Dennis Rea and Bill Jones is unbelievable. Especially since all of the material on this CD is improvised.

Check out the band's MySpace site for some samples.

http://www.myspace.com/ironkimstyle

Excellent improvised jazz-rock.
Out on MoonJune, where also Dennis Rea's Moraine project found a home.

http://www.moonjune.com/

ED PALERMO SETLIST UPDATE

Over at Zappateers, master clone copies of the soundboard recordings of the first set of the early show, as well as the second set of the late show, that Ed Palermo did at The Bottom Line on 1996/04/18 are being seeded.
Here are the data for the second set of the late show:

1996/04/18 - late show - concert 'the bottom line, new york city, ny, usa
// with mike keneally

  • line-up:
    Ed Palermo Conductor, Arranger, sax, guitar
    Special guest Mike Keneally guitar, vocals
    Saxophone Section: Chuck Fisher, Phil Chester, Cliff Lyons, Jeff Lederer, Bob Magnuson
    Trombone Section: Charlie Gordon, Dale Kirkland, Tim Neuman
    Trumpet Section: Jamie Dauber, Bud Burrage, Jeff Holmes, Ronnie Buttacavoli
    Rhythm Section: Bob Quaranta, Paul Adamy, Ted Kooshian, Tommy Igoe
  • setlist
    first set
    ??
    second set
    intro, Filth (Shostakovich) Intro, Mother People, Waka-Jawaka/Orange County, The Genesis of Ed Palermo Mania, Eat that Question/Yo Mama, Oh No, St. Alfonso's Pancake Breakfast, Let's Move To Cleveland/Shove It Right In (incl.Billy The Mountain), G-Spot Tornado, Blessed Relief, Toads Of The Short Forest, Aybe Sea, Lumpy Gravy, Who Are The Brain Police? (incl.Holiday In Berlin), We Are Not Alone, Idiot Bastard Son, Willie the Pimp, Wai, Fn?
  • an excellent 73-minute soundboard recordings of the second set got seeded at Zappateers

PROJECT/OBJECT SETLIST

2010/01/02 - Martyrs - Chicago, IL
  • line-up
    Andre' Cholmondeley - guitar & vocals * Dave Johnsen - bass & vocals * Eric Svalgard - keyboards & vocals * Jim Ruffi - drums
    Ike Willis - vocals & guitar * Ray White - vocals & guitar
  • setlist
    set one
    Intro improv, A Pound For A Brown (On The Bus), More Trouble Every Day, Paul Stanley banter, Society Pages, I'm A Beautiful Guy, Beauty Knows No Pain, Charlie's Enormous Mouth, Any Downers?, Advance Romance, FZ's pick & Thin Lizzy banter, Cosmik Debris, Little House I Used To Live In, banter, Filthy Habits, Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up, Apostrophe', Montana, Dumb All Over, banter, Tinseltown Rebellion, set 1 outro
    set two
    Intro, RDNZL, The Illinois Enema Bandit, Crew Slut, Keep It Greasy, Outside Now, Blessed Relief prelude, Blessed Relief, Ray remembers, Jones Crusher, Eat That Question, banter, Magic Fingers, Florentine Pogen, banter, Evelyn, A Modified Dog, San Ber'dino
  • a 205-minute audience / soundboard matrix recording of this show got seeded on Zappateers

Friday, January 15, 2010

THE WRONG OBJECT HAS A NEW ALBUM OUT

The Wrong Object has a new album out.
It's a live album; = their Zappanale concert from 2008.
It includes a bunch of Zappa tunes.
It features Stanley Jason Zappa.
Out on Fazzul Music.

more info real soon.

UNIVERS ZERO IN CONCERT 2010 02 06

Univers Zero will be doing a concert in Brussels on 2010 02 06 !

Saturday, February 6
20H30
cultural centre "jacques franck"
chaussée de waterloo 94
1060 saint-gilles
belgium

> a concert
> a presentation of their new album "clivages"
> two guest musicians: Andy Kirk (keys and guitar) and Jean-Pierre Soarez (trumpet)

-- info: Danny Mathys

SUN RA - INTERPLANETARY MELODIES



Having listened to "Spaceship Lullaby" (out on Atavistic) and "The Sun Ra Singles" (out on Evidence), Norton Records asked Michael D. Anderson is he had more unreleased Sun Ra doo wop material.
Michael D. Anderson used to be the drummer of the Sun Ra Arkestra (from 1976 until 1984), and he's probably more famous as a DJ, also known as The Good Doctor on WFMU-FM Radio, but he also was Sun Ra's archivist.

It will come as no surpirse that The Good Doctor came up with a fine bag of treats: The Cosmic Rays, The Crystals, Nu Sounds and The Qualities are all doo wop bands that Sun Ra worked with in the mid-fifties. "Interplanetary Melodies" brings us a number of early Saturn singles from these bands, as well as a fine bunch of rehearsals (recorded on paper tape at the time !!).
All featuring Sun Ra.

Welcome to the candy store.

JOE DENINZON & STRATOSPHEERIUS

I'm a fan of Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius.
Powerful progressive rock / jazzrock, lead by an electric violin.

Latest news is that Joe Deninzon now has his own jazz trio. And they are about to release an album and do some touring.
Check them out:

http://www.myspace.com/stratospheerius

http://www.myspace.com/joedeninzon

http://www.myspace.com/metrostrings

http://www.myspace.com/joedeninzontrio

SUN RA - THE SECOND STOP IS JUPITER



"Interplanetary Melodies" twin is called "Second Stop Is Jupiter". Picking from the same batch of early Saturn singles and rehearsals, we dive deeper into the Doo Wop days of Sun Ra.
We're talking 1955 - 1958.

Excellent and highly informative liner-notes by (former Arkestra drummer and) archivist Michael D. Anderson.

MICHAEL MOORE AT THE BROKKENMIDDAG IN AMSTERDAM


It's amazing how Corrie van Binsbergen keeps making the Brokkenmiddagen (Brokken-afternoon) so interesting.
Sunday the 31st of Januari, the Brokkenmiddag will host Michael Moore. He'll be performing with the BrokkenFabriek and with Bite the Gnatze...

MICHAEL KIERAN HARVEY

Michael Kieran Harvey recorded Frank Zappa's "Ruth Is Sleeping" on his "Storm Sight" album.
More info soon.

SUN RA - ROCKET SHIP ROCK


"Rocket Ship Rock" is the third new Sun Ra release on Norton Records.
Here's another album that takes a closer look at Sun Ra's early years. This time we get a number of early singles that got released on the Saturn label (plus one on Repetto and one on Pink Clouds) plus a huge number of unreleased tracks, both rehearsals and alternate takes from Michael D. Anderson's archive collection.
Recording artists on this CD are Yochanan, Little Mack, Lacy Gibson, Ebah and Dino Dean, all backed by Sun Ra or the Sun Ra Arkestra.
The biggest difference with "Rocket Ship Rock" and the previous two album is the sound (and performance) quality as a lot of these tracks are alternate takes, whereas "Interplanetary" and "Second Stop" also contain a lot of rehearsals.

"Rocket Ship Rock" includes two fabulous versions of "I'm Gonna Unmask The Batman". The first one by Lacy Gibson, the second by Ebah. Both from 1968.
Funny as Sun Ra recorded a Batman tribute album himself. Produced by Tom Wilson, btw.

Beautiful.

http://www.nortonrecords.com

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

ZAPPA - PHILLY '76


Two days ago, the new FZ album, "Philly '76", arrived in Belgium, and I've been listening to it since...
A great recording of a great line-up.
Bianca Odin, Ray White, Eddie Jobson, Patrick O'Hearn and Terry Bozzio. And FZ.
Great songs, great vocals, great solos...

Vaulternative? You bet!
This is a Zappa album that everyone should have.
19 minutes of Black Napkins, 14 minutes of Advance Romance..., ...

Essential.

Monday, January 11, 2010

HOLDSWORTH, PASQUA, HASLIP & WACKERMAN - BLUES FOR TONY


In the mid 70's, Allan Holdsworth and Alan Pasqua were part of jazz drummer Tony Williams' the New Tony Williams Lifetime, a jazz fusion band.

In 2006, Allan Holdsworth and Alan Pasqua teamed up with Yellowjackets bass guitar player Jimmy Haslip and with drummer Chad Wackerman to tour and to perform original as well as Lifetime material.
"Blues For Tony" got recorded on tour in May 2007.

The title track 'Blues For Tony' was written by Alan Pasque and immediately catches your attention. Up-tempo funky fusion... Next up is Chad Wackerman's 'The Fifth'. A beautiful piece with marvelous bass works by Jimmy Haslip and a great solo by Allan Holdsworth. The album continues with 'It Must Be Jazz', pushing the quartet to powerful, Weather Report-like explorations. And it goest on like this for over ninety minutes.

Amazing.
This is fusion at its best.

Highly recommended.

http://www.moonjune.com/

In about two weeks, the Holdsworth, Pasqua, Haslip, Wackerman quartet will start an East Coast USA tour.
check the tourdates at http://www.therealallanholdsworth.com/allanlive.htm

PROJECT/OBJECT SETLISTS

2009/12/27 - Sellersville Theatre - Sellersville, PA

  • line-up
    Andre' Cholmondeley - guitar & vocals * Dave Johnsen - bass & vocals * Eric Svalgard - keyboards & vocals * Jim Ruffi - drums
    Ike Willis - vocals & guitar * Ray White - vocals & guitar
  • setlist
    Pound For A Brown, City Of Tiny Lights, Trouble Every Day, Society Pages, I'm A Beautiful Guy, Beauty Knows No Pain, Charlie's Enormous Mouth, I'm The Slime, Doreen Tease, Florentine Pogen, Apostrophe, Illinois Enema Bandit, Little House I Used To Live In, Cosmik Debris, Keep It Greasy, Outside Now, Blessed Relief, Andy, Inca Roads
  • a 124-minute audience recording of this show got seeded on Zappateers

2010/01/01 - Martyrs - Chicago, IL

  • line-up
    Andre' Cholmondeley - guitar & vocals * Dave Johnsen - bass & vocals * Eric Svalgard - keyboards & vocals * Jim Ruffi - drums
    Ike Willis - vocals & guitar * Ray White - vocals & guitar
  • setlist
    set 1
    Intro, A Pound For A Brown (On The Bus), Montana, More Trouble Every Day, Society Pages, I'm A Beautiful Guy, Beauty Knows No Pain, Charlie's Enormous Mouth, Any Downers?, City Of Tiny Lights, Big Swifty, Magic Fingers, The Idiot Bastard Son, Thirteen, Florentine Pogen
    set 2
    Intro, RDNZL, Pick Me, I'm Clean, Peaches En Regalia, Apostrophe', Jones Crusher, Bamboozled By Love, Little House I Used To Live In, Zomby Woof, I'm The Slime, Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up, Evelyn A Modified Dog, San Ber'dino, Andy, Inca Roads
  • a 181-minute audience / soundboard mix of this show got seeded on Zappateers

2010/01/06 - River Street Jazz Cafe - Plains, PA

  • line-up
    Andre' Cholmondeley - guitar & vocals * Dave Johnsen - bass & vocals * Eric Svalgard - keyboards & vocals * Jim Ruffi - drums
    Ike Willis - vocals & guitar * Ray White - vocals & guitar
    special guest: Elizabeth Cary - Violin
  • setlist
    set 1
    Intro, Improv~Pound For A Brown, Trouble Every Day, City Of Tiny Lites, Society Pages, I'm A Beautiful Guy, Beauty Knows No Pain, Charlie's Enormous Mouth, Any Downers?, Zomby Woof, I'm The Slime, Tinsel Town Rebellion, tour dates announcement, Big Swifty, band introduction, Bamboozled By Love, Peaches en Regalia, set I outro
    set 2
    set II intro, Montana, Preamble To Little House, Little House I used To Live In, Apostrophe, Romulus & Remus Banter, RDNZL, Crew Slut, Keep It Greasy > Outside Now, Where Are We, Tiger Debris?, Cosmik Debris, Pick Me I'm Clean, Preamble To Blessed Relief, Blessed Relief, Cheezus Christ, Lucille, Evelyn The Modified Dog, San Ber'dino, outro
  • a 185-minute soundboard recording of this show got seeded on Zappateers

SUN RA QUARTET - NEW STEPS


Recorded in Italy in 1978, this album comes from the same era as the "Disco 3000" album that got re-released by Art Yard recently.
"New Steps" got released in 1978 and has been long out-of-print. Atomic now offers this fabulous album on CD.
Sun Ra on electric piano and organ; John Gilmore on tenor sax; Michael Ray on trumpet; and Luqman Ali on drums...

Beautiful. Alongside the fabulous Sun Ra tunes one can also find 'My Favorite Things', the Roders & Hammerstein classic. I love it...

Sunday, January 10, 2010

THE RESIDENTS - TWEEDLES (TABASCO) INSTRUMENTAL


  • the residents: tweedles (tabasco) instrumental
    (2010, dl, --, residents dot com)

Over at http://www.residents.com/, The Residents have made another album available for download. It's the first one of 2010, and it's entitled "Tweedles (Tabasco) Instrumental".

"Following in the footsteps of the successful release of River of Crime: Instrumental and Animal Lover:Instrumental, Tweedles: Instrumental is more than just non-vocal versions of the songs. Instead, the album is a three piece suite that was originally written to represent air, earth, and water. Originally, the project's working title was "Tabasco" and over time, it evolved into "Casanova's Clown" until finally becoming Tweedles.” - (Ten Little Piggies notes) "

Nice.

JONO EL GRANDE - NEO DADA

Later this month, the city of Larvik (near Oslo, in Norway) will be hosting a Zappa festival. I know that a bunch of my Zappateer friends will be attending, and they are in for a treat:

Jono El Grande is scheduled to perform. Jono El Grande is a Norwegian artist who writes, performs and records experimental, avant-garde music with obvious Zappa influences.

Jono El Grande's latest album, "Neo Dada", is his third solo release and it's a must-have. There are no actual Zappa compositions on this album, but Jono El Grande sure knows his Zappa (or the things that influenced Zappa). The density of the notes, the angular rhythms, the instrumentation, the cartoonesque melodies, ... it's just the way I like it.

Here's a sample (though not from "Neo Dada")


THE RESIDENTS WILL BE PERFORMING AT ATP, MAY 2010

http://www.atpfestival.com/newsview/0912011144.php

RESIDENTS TOURDATES

THE RESIDENTS : "Talking Light" Tour Schedule

January 23 - Santa Cruz CA - Rio
January 29 - San Diego CA - Birch North Park Theater
January 30 - Los Angeles CA - Henry Fonda Theater
January 31 - Tucson AZ - Rialto Theater
February 2 - Austin TX - Stubbs
February 3 - Dallas TX - Granada
February 4 - Memphis TN - Hi Tone
February 5 - Atlanta GA - Variety
February 7 - Washington DC - 9:30 Club
February 8 - Philadelphia PA - World Cafe
February 9 - New York NY - Webster Hall
February 10 - Boston MA - Middle East
February 12 - Montreal QC - Club Soda
February 13 - Toronto Ontario - Opera House
February 15 - Chicago IL - Logan Square
February 16 - Milwaukee WI - Turner Hall

May 1 - Bergen Norway - Bergenfest
May 2 - Oslo Norway - Sentrum Scene
May 7 - UK - ATP Festival
May 13 - Rome Italy - Officine Mariconi
May 14 - Bologna Italy - Estragon
May 15 - Milan Italy - Teatro Leonardo

Saturday, January 9, 2010

FLO & EDDIE - NEW YORK TIMES


The latest Flo & Eddie album, "New York Times", presents recordings from 'The Bottom Line' recorded between 1979 and 1994.

Flo & Eddie played at The Bottom Line almost every year, each time with a different theme: Halloween, Batman, ...
"New York Times" bundles the best pieces of all these concerts (taken from recordings from two mics hanging on the ceiling of the club !!).

The album includes a Zappa Medley from the 1993 show, dedicated to the late FZ: 'Who Needs The Peace Corps', 'Concentration Moon', 'The Ugliest Part Of Your Body', 'Absolutely Free', 'Peaches En Regalia' and 'Magic Fingers'.

Beautiful.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - COUNTRY & EASTERN CHRISTMAS

Last Wednesday, the weather report made me a bit nervous. Western Europe was going to get a lot of snow. More specific, it said that Belgium would be good for 15 cm of snow. And this would be happening during the weekend. This meant that I had to change my plans as I would have liked to drive to the Pieter Claus concert in Deinze on Sunday morning...

So this morning, I got up, took a look at the snowflakes outside, and went for the "Country & Eastern Christmas" album.

Swedish drummer Bengt Berger's Country & Eastern label released this record a bit over a year ago, right in time for Christmas 2008.
The "Country & Eastern Christmas" double album includes 26 traditionals (some of which are Christmas classics) that all got a C&E treatment.
Almost every song on this record has a different (and impressive) vocalist, backed by the so-called 'party band'. This party-band consists of Lars Almqvist (trumpet), Bengt Berger (drums), Jonas Knutsson (saxes), Kjell Westling (woodwinds) and Mats Öberg (!!) (keyboards & harmonica).

At first I thought that 'party band' was a rather strange name for a backing band, but the first track (an instrumental potpourri of various christmas tunes) soon proved me wrong. This is fun. Big fun. This party band knows how to throw... Well, you know what I mean.

There's some real gems on these discs. I really like 'Det Är En Ros Utsprungen' (with Sofia Berg-Böhm on vocals), or 'Nisse-Polkka' that features Mirja Mäkelä, or 'Father X-Mas Has A Master Plan', another party band instrumental, and these are just te first tunes of disc one.

"Country & Eastern Christmas" is a great record. It's a fine mixture of jazz and contemporary folk music.

Recommended !

The funniest thing is that this recording was made in May.
It makes me wonder if someone brought a Santa Hat...

http://www.countryandeastern.se/

FZ IN THE MAGAZINES


  • classic rock
    (2009/12, magazine, russia)

The December 2009 issue of (Russian) Classic Rock magazine was dedicated to the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.
It included one page about Frank Zappa.

-- info: Nikolai

JONAS KNUTSSON AND MATS ÖBERG IN CONCERT IN NYC 2010 01 11

Jonas Knutsson and Mats Öberg perform in New York City on Monday Jan 11, 2010

Saxophone star Jonas Knutsson and keyboard genius Mats Öberg will be performing at "Concerts Sweden" at the APAP Conference (Association of Performing Arts Presenters) in New York City.
The duo recently released a superb live album on the Country & Eastern label, and will be performing at APAP on Monday, January 11!

Jonas Knutsson & Mats Öberg will be performing once during the afternoon session 2:00-6pm and once during the evening session 7:00-11:00pm

"Traditional Swedish music combined with Contemporary Jazz and World. Öberg is an acclaimed, exceptionally versatile, keyboard genius possessing knock-out powers of expression. Knutsson is a bright saxophone star, equally at home in Jazz, folk and improvisation. Friends since childhood, their musical connections run deep."

Friday, January 8, 2010

MIKE KENEALLY 2010 01 08

from Mike Keneally:

Fun Shows Coming!

Oh man, really nice time Wednesday night at the Musallam gig at the Baked Potato. Stephanie Peter is posting videos from the gig at Facebook, I just watched Mammy Anthem and it sounds good.
This Saturday I'll be back at the Potato with a Keneally Band consisting of me and Brendon Small on guitars, Rick Musallam on bass and Gene Hoglan on drums. Not necessarily playing the tunes you would expect to hear, although I have no idea what you might expect. Without getting too specific I'll say that the playlist is largely based around songs Dethklok would attempt to play during soundchecks on the last tour. Efforts are being made to actually learn the tunes prior to this Saturday's gig. If you're planning on coming, doors are at 7:00, no way to know when people are going to start lining up outside but it's a small room, so be aware.

Fri. the 15th I'll be at NAMM playing at the Dean Markley booth with Bryan and Marco. I think that's a tiny room too, we start playing at 2:00 pm, so if you're a NAMM badge-holder (which you have to be in order to get in) you might want to get to the room a little bit early. Two days after that I'm back at one of my favorite rooms, Alvas Showroom in San Pedro, for another go-round of the Cream Tribute/OHM double-bill which worked so well at Brick by Brick a few weeks ago. If you haven't checked out a gig at Alvas yet, it's one of the most comfortable and satisfying music-experiencing venues I know of. Looking forward to this a lot. Then that gets followed up with by three West Coast MyKeneally, only one of which - one! - is open to the public, a bacchanalian romp in always colorful Arcata, CA. It promises to be memorable. (See below for more gig info.)

2010! It contains the word "10" and is also coincidentally the "10"th anniversary of the album Dancing, so we're running with this whole theme of "10" by making the CD available for only "10" dollars throughout the entire year of two-thousand "10"!
That was the best paragraph ever.

Some more super-nice reviews of Scambot 1...

This is the opening paragraph of Dennis Cook's review at JamBase.com:

"Such strange eloquence is this. While most concept albums, particularly in the rock field, are a dicey bet, at best, there are stirring exceptions like this pop culture obsessed bit o' honey. Mike Keneally - a octopus-fingered guitar wizard who's served ably with Frank Zappa, Dethklok and many others -- took years to sculpt the first chapter in a proposed trilogy, and all the care and thinking works in his favor on Scambot 1, a wicked broad canvas that expertly melds classical pop, atmospheric drift, metallic clang, California country and sophisticated jazz-rock, stirring new colors with unexpected juxtapositions and faultless, viscerally satisfying musicianship."
Thank you Dennis!

A lovely review from John Kelman at AllAboutJazz.com:

"...for fans of highly eclectic, rock-inflected music with hints of prog, Zappa, RIO and fusion, it rarely gets any better than this."
Thank you John!

Nice words from the very estimable Greg Burk at MetalJazz.com:

"Normally when I encounter music with this kind of uncontained ambition, I think drugs, but in this case I think the music IS the drug... If you get the limited-edition package, you can also plunge into a disc inspired by the main Scambot, where bent Zappatistical vocal notions butt up against electric-guitar demolition balls, kuntry komedy, oddball jazz, Chinese synth, backward-folded modern classicism and music-hall piano. Keneally ain't big on landmarks; he just sets sail for the many islands of his exotic archipelago, assuming that the listener will understand their various languages as well as he does (or at least be willing to learn)..."
Thank you Greg!

And a very nice review in the German language is here, written by Volkmar Mantei for the website Ragazzi. Here is an excerpt from a very poor Babel-Fish English translation:
"Scambot is from beginning to end rapid, crazy, merry and honest, fine-intimate and diagonal fun."
That's one of the nicest things anyone's ever said about my music! Thank you VM!

What else am I forgetting?

Your friend,
Mike

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART PROMO


Thanks to Håkon Busterud, I was able to add a fine picture to the Captain Beefheart singles discography.
Click on the picture or the title for a bigger picture.

SUN RA - DISCO 3000



Originally released in 1978, Sun Ra's adventurous "Disco 3000" album got an expanded 2CD treatment in 2007 when the entire concert got re-released as "The Complete Disco 3000 Concert" (= Art Yard 001).

A couple of months ago, Art Yard re-released the slimmed-down original album as Art Yard 101.

A classic.
A beautiful package, great music & fine liner notes by Michael Ray.

200 MOTELS

200 Motels, the legendary Frank Zappa film, is due for release in early February. The film which was written by Frank Zappa and Tony Palmer and directed by Tony Palmer features Frank Zappa and the Mothers alongside guest appearances by Ringo Starr and Keith Moon.

http://www.frankzappa200motelsdvd.com/

-- info from Marco

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

PIETER CLAUS IN CONCERT

Next Sunday morning, Pieter Claus will be playing a solo concert in CC De Mastbloem in Kruishoutem (near Deinze), in Belgium.

He will be joined on a couple of pieces by Raf Minten (alto sax) and Jouni Isoherranen (bass).

He / they will be doing all kinds of stuff, from classical music to jazz, including compositions by Miles Davis, Chick Corea and Frank Zappa.

2010/01/10 Pieter Claus - concert 'CC De Mastbloem', Kruishoutem, Belgium
at 10.30 am !!

(Pieter Claus used to play the vibes in Whatchamacallit)

DWALMACAT 362

go to
http://www.fmbrussel.be/programmas/dwalmacat.aspx

and click on “Luister”

to enjoy
  • WEVIE STONDER – Intro / Lady’s leg licked
  • WIRE – Read and burn
  • THEM CROOKED VULTURES – New fang
  • DAVID MOSS, AXEL OTTO & FRANK SCHÜLTE – The day we forgot
  • JOHNNY CASH – I heard that lonesome whistle blow (Apparat remix)
  • O.N.T.J. - Pickpockets
  • BEACH BOYS – Three blind mice
  • FRED A. - Blauw blauw
  • RADIO BERGEIJK – Criteria voor de functie van omroeper
  • JUNIOR SENIOR – Shake your coconuts
  • ADD N TO (X) - Adding N to X
  • BEAK > - Battery point
  • SONIC YOUTH – Stereo sanctity
  • IRVING AARONSON AND HIS COMMANDERS – Let’s misbehave
  • THE SABOTEN – Kali

NEW ZAPPA VIDEO

Frank Zappa - The Freak-Out List is a new DVD by ChromeDreams.

Here's the announcement from over at Andrew's place:
http://www.idiotbastard.com/News/FZFOlist.htm

PROJECT / OBJECT FEAT RAY WHITE AND IKE WILLIS

I spotted one of these YouTube videos on http://zappainfrance.blogspot.com/.

Andre Cholmondeley guitar, vox
David Johnsen bass, vox
Jim Ruffi drums, vox, electronics
Eric Svalgard keys, vox

plus special guests Ray White and Ike Willis on guitar and vocals.

2009/12/31 - Mack's Bar - East Lansing




2010/01/01 - Martyrs - Chicago, IL




2010/01/02 - Martyrs - Chicago, IL




Monday, January 4, 2010

FRANK ZAPPA DAY

http://www.wbaltv.com/news/22025333/detail.html

BALTIMORE -- Mayor Sheila Dixon declared Monday as "Frank Zappa Day" in Baltimore.
The eccentric musician was born in Baltimore on Dec. 21, 1940. He died in 1993.
Last week, Baltimore's public art commission decided that it will erect a bust of Zappa outside a public library.
The bust was given to Baltimore by fans of Zappa from Lithuania, where his music was popular among the avant-garde in the early 1990s.
A similar bust is a tourist attraction in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital.

-- info: Jan van Kemenade

RESIDENTS WILL BE TOURING

Happy New Year folks,
and this should be an exciting one for you, Residents fan, with all of their touring that is due to begin in just a few short weeks!

To celebrate 2010, we're throwing up a little sale (pun intended) for you.
Browse thru RalphAmerica.com and you'll see various items discounted throughout, including a new item we just posted, the ORIGINAL Mole Show logo shirt (not the faded/worn/trashed version we've had, though that is on sale too). Icky Flix Live CD marked down to $20 too! But only for a limited time! We'll give you until the day after MLK Jr. day to make yer post-holiday shopping complete.

We hope you all had some wonderful holiday time with family and friends, and look forward to seeing you on the road...

the RalphGang
http://ralphamerica.com

ZAPPA - PHILLY '76

Recorded on October 29, 1976

FZ - guitar, vocals
Bianca Odin - vocals, keyboards
Ray White - vocals, rhythm guitar, cowbell
Eddie Jobson - keyboards, violin
Patrick O'Hearn - bass, vocals
Terry Bozzio - drums, vocals

Disc 1
1. The Purple Lagoon - 03:35
2. Stink-Foot - 05:52
3. The Poodle Lecture - 03:48
4. Dirty Love - 03:36
5. Wind Up Workin' In A Gas Station - 02:32
6. Tryin' To Grow A Chin - 04:01
7. The Torture Never Stops - 13:31
8. City Of Tiny Lites - 07:47
9. You Didn't Try To Call Me - 06:32
10. Manx Needs Women - 01:44
11. Chrissy Puked Twice - 06:48

Disc 2
1. Black Napkins - 18:57
2. Advance Romance - 13:56
3. Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me? - 04:09
4. Rudy Wants To Buy Yez A Drink - 02:20
5. Would You Go All The Way? - 02:04
6. Daddy, Daddy, Daddy - 02:05
7. What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are - 04:55
8. Dinah-Moe Humm - 08:09
9. Stranded In The Jungle - 03:10
10. Find Her Finer - 03:17
11. Camarillo Brillo - 04:03
12. Muffin Man - 06:54

Sunday, January 3, 2010

ALI N. ASKIN

Ali N. Askin has a website:

welcome to the website of composer, performer and producer
Ali N. Askin.

http://www.askin.info/

-- info: Bill Flynn

UGLY RADIO REBELLION UPDATE 2010 01 03

Happy New Year!!!

Ugly Radio Rebellion performs the music of Frank Zappa...

Check us out on the radio tonight (1/3/10) at
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/musicianssocialclub

Call this number starting at 6:00pm to talk with us!!! (347) 324-3186

2010 Tour Dates

1/28 -Whites Bar - Saginaw, MI
1/29 - Mickey Finns Pub - Toledo, OH
1/30 - The Corktown Tavern - Detroit, MI

with IKE WILLIS and GLENN LEONARD
2/17 - Gasthaus ZurLinde - Elgin, IL
2/20 - Reggies Live - Chicago, IL

with IKE WILLIS
4/15 - Asheville, SC
4/17 - Lexington, KY


Project Object on tour - RIGHT NOW!!!
01/03/10 Miramar Theatre - Milwaukee, WI
01/05/10 The Abbey Bar - Harrisburg, PA
01/06/10 River Street - Plains, PA
01/07/10 BB King Blues Club & Grill - New York, NY
01/08/10 Regatta Bar - Cambridge, MA
01/09/10 Revolution Hall - Troy, NY
01/10/10 Toad's Place - New Haven, CT

www.projectobject.com
CRANK SOME FRANK!!!

Thank you for your support!!

urrster@uglyradiorebellion.com
www.uglyradiorebellion.com
www.myspace.com/uglyradiorebellion
www.IkeWillis.com

$.99 DREAMS

$.99 Dreams (ninety-nine cent dreams) was formed in Brooklyn in 2007 by drummer Matt Crane and saxophonist, synth player Adam Diller to develop the area between hip-hop and free-jazz. They build the music from layers of live overdubs using drums, analog synth, horns, strings, and percussion.
  • Adam Diller: sax, synth, production
  • Matt Crane: drums, synth, percussion
http://ninetyninecentdreams.com/

Earlier today, I received the following message from $.99 Dreams, and I already checked it out. If you're in to some free jazz on a dub, trip-hop rhythm, this one's for you as well.

from $.99 dreams :

If Sun Ra conducted a group of Ethiopians playing afro-cuban Xenakis pieces that were produced by DJ Premier, you would have a solid idea of what the new .99 DREAMS album sounds like. A powerful amalgamation of disparate sources; hip hop, funk, jazz, punk, 20th century classical, free jazz--this new slab tickles your earholes, soothes your synapses, and greases your feet. Check it out for free and see if you agree.

Peace,

.99 Dreams

http://rapidshare.com/files/324910138/W2_XXIC.zip
(also available throught the band's MySpace site)

MORE BOOTLEG PICTURES

Somewhere in the late eighties, when CD was pushing the vinyl away, the first CD- and CDR-bootlegs appeared. "Cosmik Evolution" was one of these early CDR-bootlegs.

frank zappa: cosmik evolution

ZAPPA FESTIVAL IN NORWAY 2010 01 30


Or as the norwagian http://pojamapeople.com/ says:

"Norges første Zappa-festival!"

2010/01/30 "Zappa Festival", Larvik, Norway

featuring concerts by
  • the muffin men
  • dead dino storage
  • jono el grande

plus exhibitions, videos, and more !!

extra extra extra
It's quite easy to get to Larvik - we have an airport (Torp airport - sometimes referred to as Oslo airport, Torp - but it's actually much closer to Larvik. Only 15 mins. drive). There is an airport bus that goes from the airport to Larvik. Ryanair has a few flights there. The train stop is only 5 mins. walk from the venue (To be honest, nothing is more than a 10-15 mins. walk away in our cozy little town ;-). You can take the train from Oslo, it's about a 2 hours journey. The festival itself is on saturday. We will have different Zappa-related activities from four o'clock (Exhibisions, vinyl records, films, lectures etc.) and then the bands will play during the evening. Everything happens at the same venue (Contains two stages, three cinemas and a bar/resaurant area for the leisure of thirsty Zappa-reaks)...

There is also a hotel that we have made a deal with for the festival - Festival ticket + hotel stay at the quality Grand hotel = 755 Norwegian kroner (About 89 euros, including breakfast). The festival ticket alone is 290 kroner (34 euros).

MORE BOOTLEG PICTURES

more pictures of frank zappa bootlegs from Burkhard's archives:

frank zappa: corn... - cd - peak abu 04/07 - digipack (ltd.edition of 50 copies)

ROB E. COHEN - PIANOETRIANOETRY


Rob Cohen recorded (and released) Frank Zappa's 'LIttle House I Used To Live In" on his "Pianoetrianoetry - Poetrianoetry" album.

The album is available as download only.
Free download.

http://www.rob-cohen.com/mymusic/pianoetrianoetry_poetrianoetry.html

Nice. Very nice.
Check it out.

MORE BOOTLEG PICTURES

IN SEARCH OF SYD


Thanks to Magnus Delle, I was able to add some extra data to this sampler:

MORE BOOTLEG PICTURES


DENIS LELOUP

The Denis Leloup Quartet has performed a piece entitled 'Fatalement Frank Zappa'.

A registration of the piece got broadcast on French national radio and seeded on DimeADozen by Cosmikd.
  • Denis Leloup (trombone, bass trumpet)
  • David Venitucci (accordion)
  • François Thuillier (tuba)
  • Abraham Mansfarroll Rodriguez (percussion)

http://www.myspace.com/denisleloup

MORE BOOTLEG PICTURES

DWALMACAT 361

Here's this week's playlist of the Dwalmacat radio show.

Go to
http://www.fmbrussel.be/programmas/dwalmacat.aspx

And click on “Luister”

  • RAYMOND SCOTT – Powerhouse
  • BEAK < - Granby hill
  • DISSIDENTS – Schraubenzieher
  • MAURO ANTONIO PAWLOWSKI – Pantless party
  • THE MFA – The difference it makes
  • RITA MITSOUKO – Marcia Baila
  • APE SCHOOL – Wail to God
  • STAN KENTON – Scotch and water
  • SHOCK HEADED PETERS – Mon repos
  • VOGEL – No nie mee allai als jetzt
  • QUINTRON – Swamp buggy badass
  • DJ SHADOW – Mongrel
  • GERARD DE VRIES – Een spel kaarten
  • C.W.VRTACEK – What men want most