Thursday, April 30, 2015

HOLY SHIT KENNY

Frank Zappa Acapella - Sofa
Composed by Frank Zappa
Singing, Vocal Arrangement, Video Script, by Kenny Malloy



and the sequel




Wednesday, April 29, 2015

RACHEL FLOWERS WITH ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA

Dweezil meets Rachel Flowers at NAMM 2015 !


Rachel Flowers performing the Frank Zappa song "Montana" with Dweezil Zappa and the Zappa Plays Zappa Band. 25 April 2015 at Brooklyn Bowl Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada




Sunday, April 26, 2015

ELAKELAISET - HUMPPA-AKATEMIA

1997 saw the release of Elakelaiset's "Humppa Till We Die 2000" album. It included a Finnish humppa version Frank Zappa's 'Bobby Brown'.

The "Humppa-Akatemia" compilation album also included this track.
As you might have imagined, the humppa version of Zappa's 'Bobby Brown' is called 'Humppasusi Ruotsissa'.

Here's 'Barbie Girl' in humppa...


and, of course, 'Bobby Brown'...


NAVANAX

From "Civilization Phaze III"



LAZULI ON TOUR

Lazuli on tour

01.05.2015 Colos-saal / Aschaffenburg (GERMANY)
02.05.2015 L'Entr'Pot / Audun Le Tiche (57/ FRANCE)
20.06.2015 Salle Baptiste Dufeu / PĂ©age de Roussillon (38/ FRANCE)
18.07.2015 LORELEY Night of the prog / Amphitheater St. Goarshausen (GERMANY)
05.09.2015 QUADRIFONIC Festival / Maison pour tous / CHADRAC (43/ FRANCE)
19.09.2015 ELEVEN ROCK FESTIVAL / Kulturfabrik Kofmehl / 4500 Solothurn (SWITZERLAND)
29.10.2015 Zephyr Lounge / LEAMINGTON SPA (UNITED KINGDOM)
30.10.2015 St. John's Church / FARNCOMBE (UNITED KINGDOM)
31.10.2015 The Wesley Center / MALTBY (UNITED KINGDOM)
01.11.2015 The Zanzibar Club / LIVERPOOL (UNITED KINGDOM)


Z.E.R.O. - MONEY? WHAT MONEY?



My first encounter with Z.E.R.O. (the Zappa Early Renaissance Orchestra) dates back to 2014 when I heard their contribution to "Rare Episodes", an album that got compiled by Andrew Greenaway and that presented various bands and ensembles performing a number of rather obscure Frank Zappa compositions. Z.E.R.O. had added 'Variant #1" to the album, on guitar and ukulele. A friendly encounter it was.

We're one year later now and the Zappa Early Renaissance Orchestra has released a full album. Their first. And it's out on Cordelia Records.
The CD i entitled "Money? What Money?", and Kevin Crosby and Rupert Kettle (the dynamic duo behind ZERO) did a great job.

"Money? What Money?" features an impressive bunch of musicians. Two of the most amazing ones are Juliana Brandon and Kevin's collegue from Pojama People, Alli Bach. Both add some fine vocals to a number of tracks.
Also noteworthy (understatement !!) is the presence of Prairie Prince, drummer (and painter) who has recorded with The Tubes, Tom Waits and Phil Lesh !

Fine arrangements, great musicianship and funny as well.
What else does one need.
Essential listening!!

http://www.cordeliarecords.co.uk/

The album is also available through CDBaby:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/thezappaearlyrenaissance
(where you can also listen to some samples)


VARIOUS ARTISTS - BLORP ESETTE GAZETTE VOLUME TWO

Lack of time (the Force has me working in the garden and stuff...) had me talking about this release way too briefly.
Here's another attempt.

In 1977, the LAFMS = Los Angeles Free Music Society released the first of two vinyl albums that collected experimental music.
This first album had artwork by Don Van Vliet and Ace Farren Ford and included music by Smegma and The Residents to name two.
The second album (from 1980) was a 2LP set. Also with Don Van Vliet artwork and even more strange and beautiful music.

Last year, Ace Farren Ford and the Transparency label decided that time was right to continue the series. This time on CD.
Volume two includes contributions by Ju Suk Reet Meate (performing Donnie Vliet's 'Sugar n' Spikes'), Smegma, Skip Heller (!!), Rick Potts, Clown Car, the late Electric Bill Robinson and many more.
The liner notes include extra info on the artists!

Experimental !!

http://www.lafms.com/


MANDRE - MANDRE

If I'm not mistaken, I mentioned this excellent re-release about two weeks ago.Spacy midnight funk, soul and disco. Includes the Zappa-written 'Dirty Love' and the Andre 'Mandre' Lewis / Johnny Guitar Watson collaboration 'Masked Marauder'.

Mandre was a group that Andre Lewis started in 1977 as a continuation of the gospel/soul group "Maxayn" which was named after the lead singer Maxayn Lewis, Andre's wife. While the Maxayn group had been playing gospel and soul with Maxayn Lewis on lead vocals, the Mandre group was Andre's project to add electronic elements and also shift the sound toward more spacey funk and disco. Andre also played keyboards for Frank Zappa, Buddy Miles, LaBelle, Earth Wind and Fire, Huey Lewis, Edwin Starr, Charles Wilson and the Gap Band, Sly Stone, Bobby Womack, Johnny Guitar Watson and a handful of others. He was also a tester of Roland products and was one of the first musicians to record with the infamous Roland TR-808 drum machine.



THE RUBBERS OF PREVENTION

Hans (Gruppo Sportivo) Vandenburg's Rubbers Of Prevention band did a couple of Zappa tribute concerts in 1996 / 1997.



RACHEL FLOWERS

April 25, 2015, Rachel Flowers sat in with the Zappa Plays Zappa band during their concert at the 'Brooklyn Bowl' in Las Vegas.

I'm waiting for some video material to surface, but in the meantime, we can all check out Rachel's superb Soundcloud page:

https://soundcloud.com/tags/rachel%20flowers


ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA LIVE STREAM, APRIL 29, 2015


We are the slime from your video

Wed April 29 we'll stream live - for free - to your computer, tablet or phone 

https://screen.yahoo.com/live/event/zappa-plays-zappa


Friday, April 24, 2015

UGLY RADIO REBELLION AND IKE WILLIS


ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA

I just heard that the upcoming Zappa Plays Zappa gig in Utrecht, NL, (next October) is sold-out !

http://www.zappaplayszappa.com/tourdates.html


SHUGGIE OTIS' FREEDOM FLIGHT GETS A VINYL RE-RELEASE

Shuggie Otis played bass on Zappa's 'Peaches En Regalia'. His second solo album, "Freedom Flight", is being re-released on the Music On Vinyl label.



PHI YAAN-ZEK HAS A NEW ALBUM OUT

Guitar player and composer Phi Yaan-Zek has a new album out. With a trio.
It's called "Ley Lines".

http://phiyaan-zek.com/


THE DWEEZIL ZAPPA UPDATE

Check out the latest Dweezil Zappa update on his new album !!

http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/dweezilzappa/updates/52168


CARLOS SANTANA



Wednesday, April 22, 2015

DWALMACAT 605

This week on the Dwalmacat radio show.

https://www.mixcloud.com/Dwalmacat/dwalmacat-605/

THE RUDY SCHWARTZ PROJECT – An orange’s nothing but a juicy pumpkin
SAVANT – The neo-realist
HARALD SACK ZIEGLER – Zwei Wochen zwei
SNAKE AND REMUS – No tape outside (excerpt)
POND – Sitting up on our crane
R. STEVIE MOORE – I’m out of my mind
BIOTA – Moom
LES BAXTER – Terror
THE RESIDENTS – Would we be alive?
JAD FAIR & DANIELSON – Here’s our time
YOKO ONO – Will you touch me
CARIBOU VIBRATION ENSEMBLE – Ahmed, Colin, James, Kieran, Kyle, Rob and Steve (Live in London)
DDAA – Ode Ă  l’alcool de riz




RANDYLAND EPISODE 31


In this brand new episode of RandyLand Randy explains the future of The Residents and what will happen now that Charles Bobuck has retired from touring.




CHATO!'S NEW ALBUM IS ON BANDCAMP

Chato Segerer's first album.

Check it out on bandcamp !

http://chato.bandcamp.com/album/prog-fusion-with-balls

Physical release will be out in a couple of weeks!




THEORY OF OBSCURITY


https://ralphsells2u.squarespace.com/

Upcoming screenings of the documentary about The Residents, and more !!




FABRIZIO CASSOL TALKS ABOUT THE UPCOMING AKA MOON CONCERT


Aka Moon : BalkAlefBa création

Mardi 12.05.15



Sunday, April 19, 2015

STEVEN WILSON - HAND.CANNOT.ERASE.

Steven Wilson's excellent "Hand.Cannot.Erase." album is something you should definitely check out.
Contemporary sounding prog rock.
The album features Marco Minnemann on drums and Guthrie Govan on guitar.
Chad Wackerman also drums on one track.

The album comes in quite a number of different versions. From a regular CD to luxurious book with the CD, a second CD with demos, a DVD and a Blu-Ray with the music in different formats and lots of bonus material.



DALE BOZZIO - DON'T TURN THE VOICES OFF




-- info: franktomatozappa at zappateers

FRANK ZAPPA - HALLOWEEN IN THE BIG APPLE



Sutra records released a part of Frank Zappa's October 31, 1977 concert at the Palladium.
A great band, doing a great concert.
Taken from a radio broadcast; unauthorised by the Zappa Family Trust.

Maybe, next to "Joe's Corsage", "Joe's Camouflage", etceteras,  the ZFT should start a "Joe's Radio Shows" collection, releasing all of these FM-broadcasts themselves.
And if they don't have or can't get the original tapes, I'm sure the Zappateers would like to help them out.


Saturday, April 18, 2015

TROUT MASK REPLICA

Warner Brothers / Rhino Records is re-releasing Captain Beefheart's "Trout Mask Replica".
On red vinyl.



GOOD GOD

American band Good God recorded Frank Zappa's 'King Kong' and released it on their 1972 album.

Here's a link (and some interesting info) :
http://overdoseoffingalcocoa.blogspot.com/2015/04/good-god.html

-- info: Jan van Kemenade


THE GAMMA MEMORIAL BARBECUE


2015 05 17 "Gamma Memorial Barbecue", 'The Enterprise', London, UK
= a belated wake for Gamma, Zappa freak and a fascinating personality.

with
Evil Dick & The Banned Members
The AMM All-Stars
SpannerTate

http://www.idiotbastard.com/news.htm


ROMANTIC WARRIORS III, CANTERBURY TALES

  • movie: romantic warriors III, canterbury tales
        (2015, dvd, usa, zeitgeist media productions)

the film highlights the following 60s/70s canterbury scene bands:

  • wilde flowers (uk)
  • soft machine (uk)
  • caravan (uk)
  • gong (france)
  • uriel (uk)
  • delivery (uk)
  • egg (uk)
  • matching mole (uk)
  • hatfield and the north (uk)
  • gilgamesh (uk)
  • national health (uk)
  • in cahoots (uk)
  • quiet sun (uk)
  • supersister (netherlands)
  • moving gelatine plates (france)
  • forgas (france)
  • glass (usa)
  • the muffins (usa)

among the musicians of the canterbury scene (that were active in the 70s), the following have been interviewed for the film :
pye hastings & geoffrey richardson, (caravan) dirk "mont" campbell (uriel, egg, national health), brian hopper, (wilde flowers, zobe), david sinclair (caravan, hatfield and the north), bill maccormick (matching mole, quiet sun), robert jan stips (supersister), didier malherbe (gong) phil miller (delivery, hatfield and the north, national health, in cahoots), roy babbington (nucleus, delivery, soft machine), john etheridge (soft machine), didier thibault (moving gelatine plates), patrick forgas (forgas), benoit moerlen (gong, pierre moerlen's gong, mike oldfield's band, gongzilla), theo travis (soft machine legacy, steven wilson), david newhouse (the muffins), richard sinclair (caravan, hatfield & the north, caravan of dreams), and daevid allen (gong, university of errors).

celebrated underground, the legacy of canterbury music continues to flourish in the innovative work of contemporary bands such as:

  • soft machine legacy (uk)
  • forgas band phenomena (france)
  • the wrong object (belgium)
  • syd arthur (uk)
  • planeta imaginario (spain)

in addition we'll hear the opinions of many younger contemporary musicians that are members of some of the bands mentioned above, canterbury scene experts, label owners, and fans of the canterbury progressive scene. interviewees include:

  • michel delville
  • marc capel
  • alfonso muñoz
  • vasco trilla
  • liam magill
  • joel magill
  • raven bush
  • fred rother
  • and with the opinion of our expert guests
  • bruce gallanter
  • leonardo pavkovic
  • aymeric leroy

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

SIMPLE

Pierre Vervloesem's Simple did a concert in Antwerp last Saturday.
The concert took place at 'Het Bos'. It was pretty dark, standing room only, loud and late, but an excellent gig.
A Rat Records event.
I was glad to catch it.

Pierre Vervloesem (bass, compositions)
Didier Fontaine (drums)
Bruno Vansina (sax)
Joris Caluwaerts (keyboards)

The Rat Records label will be present at Het Bos again in a couple of weeks. May 2, 2015 :
http://www.hetbos.be/agenda/2015/5/2/#341

Next to various concerts (Elko Blijweert + Frans Van Isacker, Chaos Of The Haunted Spire plus Jurgen Desmet, Pierre Vervloesem and Dries Delahaye), the Rat Records label will be presenting a (new) vinyl release by Chaos Of The Haunted Spire !!


Sunday, April 12, 2015

MOO-AH! SPECIAL ON GERMAN ROCKRADIO TONIGHT

Later tonight (from 20h00 to 22h00) German Rockradio will focus on the recent Moo-Ah! festival.
(= a Zappa tribute festival)


If everything goes well, host Steffen Schindler will be talking to / skyping with Kevin Crosby (of the Z.E.R.O. ensemble) and with The Muffin Men.

http://www.rockradio.de/


FRANK ZAPPA ANDERS

Organised by Belgian national radio: "Frank Zappa Anders", a concert that will put the spotlight on the music of Frank Zappa.
With Yves Rechsteiner (church organ), Henri-Charles Caget (percussion) and special guest Bruno Vansino (sax).
May 9, 2015, at the Katharina Church in Hoogstraten, Belgium.

The Black Page #1
RDNZL
Introduction - Peaches en Regalia
Watermelon in Easter Hay
We are not Alone
G-Spot Tornado
The Dog Breath Variations - Uncle Meat
The Black Page #2
Echidna’s Arf (of you)
The Idiot Bastard Sun - Yo’ Mama
Let’s make the water turn black - Harry, you are a beast - The Orange county Lumber Truck - Oh No - Theme from Lumpy Gravy



MANDRE

Andre Lewis performed and recorded with Frank Zappa and Johnny Guitar Watson to name two.
He also recorded four solo albums as Mandre.
His first album, the eponymous one, got released in 1977 and included Andre's take on FZ's 'Dirty Love'.

The album just got re-released on CD by the Fever Dream record label.

Here's a picture of the 1977 vinyl album:



Sunday, April 5, 2015

EDDIE JOBSON - FOUR DECADES



Eddie Jobson celebrated his 40 years of making music with a concert in Tokyo, Japan, in April 2011.
Next to Alex Machacek (guitar), Ric Fierabracci (bass) and Marco Minnemann (drums) who are part of his band, Eddie Jobson had invited Sonja Kristina, John Wetton and Aaron Lippert.

An incredible concert and performance.
Eddie Jobson does indeed have something to celebrate as he performed and recorded with Curved Air, Roxy Music, Frank Zappa, Jethro Tull, Yes, UK and UKZ.
The concert included an excellent rendition of Frank Zappa's 'Lather' !

Released on video and on audio in one breathtaking box.
Pretty expensive if you want to get it out of Japan, but worth considering.

The excellent review by Galeans, on the Zappateers website:
http://www.zappateers.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=29252


Saturday, April 4, 2015

FRANK ZAPPA DANCE ME THIS UPDATE


Artwork by Dan Eldon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Eldon

Tracklist and more:
http://globalia.net/donlope/fz/notes/Dance_Me_This.html


RICCARDO FASSI TANKIO BAND - SEVEN PIECES FOR LARGE ENSEMBLE

In 1995, the Italian Splasc(h) Records label released "Riccardo Fassi Tankio Band Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa", a record that should be a part of every Frank Zappa record collection.
The Splasc(h) label added an interesting companion to this album in 2007 : "Seven Pieces For Large Ensemble", a disc that collects various live and studio recordings from 1999 until 2005. Next to the superb 'Frank (R.Fassi) / Eat That Question (F.Zappa) / I'm The Slime (F.Zappa)' medley, the album also includes a beautiful 'Uncle Meat'. Both of these recordings were made at the 1999 Tivoli Jazz Festival.
Very nice.

Here's an audience recorded live fragment from 1997.

-- thanks to Danny Mathys for pointing this one out to me


Wednesday, April 1, 2015

ZAPPA ALBUM #100 : DANCE ME THIS

www.zappa.com

Dear People of Earth,

From the WHEN of Ever, we are pleased to bring you in this 75th year in the Life and Times of Frank Zappa, the 100th Album in the Official Discography, Dance Me This. An extreme case of east meets East, this was originally conceived as a Work for modern dance. It is the last title FZ finished in 1993 along with Trance-Fusion; the last chapter in his Master Work, Civilization, Phase III; and of course, The Rage & The Fury, The Music of Edgard Varèse.

xxx,

gz & the barfies

VANBINSBERGEN PLAYSTATION

Corrie van Binsbergen's latest project : Vanbinsbergen Playstation