THE GEORGE DUKE BAND IN CONCERT, 1979

The George Duke Band
Théatre de l'Empire. March 25, 1979

• George Duke - Keys
• Byron Miller - Bass
• Ricky Lawson - Drums
• Sheila Escovedo - Percussion, vocals
• Napoleon Murphy Brock - Vocals
• Lynn Davis - Vocals
• Josie James - Vocals
• David Myles - Guitar

ANDY EDWARDS INTERVIEWS NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK

 

NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK & THE ED PALERMO BIG BAND

 A message from Ed Palermo:

Big band, little band. Take your pick! Two chances to catch some unbelievable music with special guest Napoleon Murphy Brock (Frank Zappa, George Duke). See you there!

THE NEXT EPISODE OF THE "MUSIC ACROSS" RADIO SHOW FOCUSSES ON NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK, HAMBURG & ZAPPANALE

MUSIC ACROSS
Every first Monday of the month, at 21h00 CET

hosted and produced by Gernot Friedbacher

RADIO ORANGE - ORANGE 94.0
http://o94.at/radio/sendereihe/music-across/
https://cba.media/podcast/music-across

Unter dem Titel „Zappa spielt für Bach“ finden in der Hauptkirche St. Katharinen in Hamburg bereits seit einigen Jahren Konzerte im Vorfeld zur unmittelbar darauf folgenden Zappanale in Bad Doberan an der Ostsee statt, in welchen der charismatische ehemalige Zappa-Musiker Napoleon Murphy Brock gemeinsam mit verschiedenen Ensembles zusammengebracht wird, um mit neuen ungewöhnlichen Hörerlebnissen zu begeistern. 2023 stand das Konzert unter dem Motto „The Great American Songbook“, und es wurden neben Zappa-Stücken auch Frank Sinatra – Klassiker von Napoleon Murphy Brock mit diesem fantastischen Jazztrio interpretiert. Hören Sie in dieser Sendung nicht nur Musik von diesem Konzert, sondern auch Interviews mit dem Mastermind Sebastian Knauer, der das Konzept zu dieser Konzertserie entwickelt hat, der Pastorin von St. Katharinen, Ann-Kathrin Brenke und dem Toningenieur Ralph Kessler. Es ist diese Sendung sozusagen noch ein letzter Rückblick auf die Zappanale 2023, über welche bereits in 4 „Music Across“ Sendungen berichtet wurde, die auch alle im Cultural Broadcasting Archive unter der Webadresse cba.media und der Sendereihe „Music Across“ nachzuhören sind. Zugleich ist diese Sendung aber auch bereits ein Vorgeschmack auf das nächste „Zappa spielt für Bach“ – Konzert in St. Katharinen am 17. Juli 2024 mit Napoleon Murphy Brock und dem holländischen Ensemble „Fuse“, sowie auf die anschließende Zappanale in Bad Doberan von 19. – 21. Juli 2024.

Under the title "Zappa spielt für Bach" (Zappa plays for Bach), concerts have been taking place in the main church of St Katharinen in Hamburg, Germany, for several years in the run-up to the Zappanale in Bad Doberan on the Baltic Sea, in which the charismatic former Zappa musician Napoleon Murphy Brock is brought together with various ensembles to inspire with new and unusual listening experiences. In 2023, the concert was entitled "The Great American Songbook", and in addition to Zappa pieces, Frank Sinatra classics were also interpreted by Napoleon Murphy Brock with this fantastic jazz trio. In this programme you will not only hear music from this concert, but also interviews with the mastermind Sebastian Knauer, who developed the concept for this concert series, the pastor of St. Katharinen, Ann-Kathrin Brenke, and the sound engineer Ralph Kessler. This programme is, so to speak, a final review of the Zappanale 2023, which has already been reported on in 4 "Music Across" programmes, all of which can also be listened to in the Cultural Broadcasting Archive at the web address cba.media and the "Music Across" series. At the same time, this programme is also a foretaste of the next "Zappa spielt für Bach" concert in St. Katharinen on 17 July 2024 with Napoleon Murphy Brock and the Dutch ensemble "Fuse", as well as the subsequent Zappanale in Bad Doberan from 19 - 21 July 2024. 

THE VEGETARIANS FEAT. NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK - YMCA

Produced by Hans Annellsson.
Performed by HA with Hugo Gerdmar (Accordion) & Napoleon Murphy Brock (Lead & Background Vox).
Composed by Belolo, Morali & Willis © Annellssongs 2023

NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK & ENSEMBLE MUSIKFABRIK - BAD DOBERAN & ELSEWHERE

• Napoleon Murphy Brock & Ensemble Musikfabrik: Bad Doberan & Elsewhere
      (2023, cd, Germany, yatakrecords)

Last year, at the St. Katharinenconcert, I bought a copy of the promotional EP that Ralph Kessler and Ali N. Askin were working on.
The concert that I attended was by Napoleon Murphy Brock and Mats Öberg. Wonderful concert. In the meantime, it got released in the "Zappa Spielt Für Bach" series.
The EP that I bought, however, was from a collaboration between Napoleon Murphy Brock and the Ensemble Musikfabrik. As a result, the evening had two highlights: A wonderful concert and a beautiful CD from an upcoming project.

We're one year later now, and the actual album is out. Or it will be out shortly.
Subtitled “Napoleon Murphy Brock & Ensemble Musikfabrik Play The Music Of Frank Zappa”, this album got recorded at Zappanale on July 21, 2019.
The Ensemble Musikfabrik, directed by Dirk Rothbrust featured Frank Wingold among others, a name that one might remember from the Underkarl band.

The album got mixed by Ali N. Askin (who also did the orchestration, the arrangements and the production), mastered by Ralph Kessler (who also co-produced) and Jonas Brommer, and displays artwork by Cal Schenkel.

Do I need to say more?
This is an excellent Frank Zappa tribute album.
I saw this concert at Zappanale in 2019 and I don't know how they did it, but the sound is way much better than I remember it.

An essential release for every Zappa fan.

Released on Ali N. Askin’s YatakRecords label.
Should be available soon  from YatakRecords or from the MusikFabrik website.

• Village Of The Sun
• Echidna's Arf (Of You)
• Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?
• The Black Page Drum Solo / Black Page #1
• The Black Page #2
• RDNZL
• Sofa No.1
• Florentine Pogen
• Inca Roads
• Lemme Take You To The Beach

NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK & ENSEMBLE MUSIKFABRIK

It's out !!
Or it will be out very soon, but there already were a couple of copies for sale during the St. Katharinen concert.

HAMBURG

Hamburg is a nice place.
One of the reasons might be that a visit of Hamburg always coincides with a concert, but we also try to walk through the Karolinerviertel which also adds quite some bonus points.

Record store to visit: Zardoz records:

There are quite a few record stores in Hamburg but Zardoz stands out (for me) as they have both new and older stuff.

I also visited a little shop where they sold lots of punk singles and LPs, as well as alternative magazines and a bunch of Do It Yourself publications / zines. There even was a section that served as some sort of library. The weirdest thing, however, was that everything smelled like pot, and that the guy was playing reggae music...
I was quite impressed which probably was the reason why I forgot my umbrella in the shop in question.

Main event of Wednesday was Napoleon Murphy Brock's concert at St. Katharinen.
Accompanied by a jazz trio, Napoleon brought a mix of songs that were made famous by Frank Sinatra, and a nice set of Frank Zappa tunes.
It was in a church. With church acoustics.
If I was nitpicking, I would say that drummers should only uses brushes when playing in a church, but it was a fine concert.
The low double bass notes will do better on the Zappanale main stage, as will the drums. And Napoleon will not have to hold back when singing. 
This was fine, but a main stage concert should sound way better so I'm looking forward to that.

This was concert number 12 at St. Katharinen. At least, that's what I heard in the opening speech.
How time flies.

Looking back, those who immediately come to mind, are the Ensemble Ambrosius, last year's Mats & Napoleon, and the concerts with Inventionis Mater (the Italian duo).
Always a nice start to Zappanale.

INVENTIONIS MATER IN CONCERT WITH NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK

I guess it's that time of the year where you can hear a lot of Frank Zappa music in concert...

Inventionis Mater with Ferdinando Romano and Napoleon Brock

• July 15 - In Florence, @ Piazza Santo Spirito
  info: https://shorturl.at/oruKR
  
  
• July 19 - In San Leo, @ Palazzo Mediceo
  info: https://shorturl.at/dgtAC
  
  
• July 21 - In Chianciano, @ Piazzolina dei soldati
  info: https://shorturl.at/rENR1

This looks impressive.
Especially if you know that Napoleon will be doing a concert in Hamburg on the 12th,
and that he'll be performing at Zappanale on the 14th.

NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK MASTER CLASS IN ITALY

A message from Inventionis Mater

Dear friends,

hoping to do you a favour, we would like to inform you about the masterclass on voice maintenance and singing held by Napoleon Murphy Brock, legendary singer and saxophonist of Frank Zappa's band. The masterclass will be held from 17 to 19 July 2023 in San Leo (RN), Italy.

From daily exercises, to nutrition, to body management, a complete overview from the experience of one of the finest voices of the 70s (and today).

Napoleon Murphy Brock began his career in the South Bay Area of San Francisco in the late 1960s as a singer, songwriter and arranger in the "Communication Plus". In the early 1970s came the meeting with Frank Zappa in Hawaii and the beginning of the collaboration. Napoleon Murphy Brock appears on nineteen Zappa albums and three George Duke albums.

At the 51st Grammy Awards, on February 8, 2009, Napoleon won a Grammy for his performance of the song "Peaches en Regalia" with the group Zappa Plays Zappa, which also included Steve Vai.
Supporting the great singer will be Andrea Pennati, a guitarist who has been active for more than ten years in transcribing and promoting Zappa's music, with concerts to his credit in half the world, for years in collaboration with Napoleon in numerous concerts and recordings.

Registration fee: 50 euros
Course fee: 90 euros

Informations about the masterclass
LEGAMIDARTE – APS
+39 333 7480487 (Mon. and Sat. 9-12, Wed. and Fry. 15-19 (Italian hours))
legamidarte@gmail.com or masterclass@gmail.com
www.legamidarte.it

 

MUSIC ACROSS

Every first Monday of the month, a new podcast of the Music Across radio show gets aired.

The next one, due on Monday, April 3, 2023, will focus on last year's Zappa Spielt Für Bach concert.

Hosted, edited and produced by Gernot Friedbacher.

Gernot adds:

In July 2022, as part of my trip to the Zappanale in Bad Doberan on the Baltic Sea, I also took the time to make a short detour to Hamburg to experience the concert "Zappa Plays for Bach" live in the main church of St. Katharinen, which has always taken place in the run-up to the Zappanale for several years. On 13 July 2022, this concert featured the brilliant blind Swedish musician Mats Öberg and the legendary Zappa singer and saxophonist Napoleon Murphy Brock as a duo under the name Colour Flash, and they received a standing ovation for their performance in a packed church.

In this programme, listen to music from this concert and interviews with the artists Mats Öberg and Napoleon Murphy Brock, as well as the host, Pastor Anne Wehrmann, the organiser of the concert series "Zappa Plays for Bach", Sebastian Knauer, and a concertgoer I spoke to before and after the concert.

Among other things, I talk with my interview partners about what the devout Johann Sebastian Bach, who dedicated all his works to God, and Frank Zappa, who has often expressed criticism of religion in interviews, have in common, and whether Frank Zappa would be happy about his music being played in a church...Quote Napoleon Murphy Brock: "He would not be happy, he would be thrilled...". And the pastor, Anne Wehrmann, on the question of Zappa music in church ?: "Of course, this touches on the fundamental question is God only in it where God is written on it...".

Listen to extraordinary interviews with extraordinary music!

Additional details:
https://o94.at/programm/sendung/id/2130259

Check out the podcast at:
https://cba.fro.at/podcast/music-across

CO DE KLOET'S "CO LIVE !" RADIO SHOW

 Next Saturday, Jan 7, Co de Kloet will be airing the first episode of "Co Live!".

The radio show will be broadcast on Concertzender.nl and has some interesting names in the playlist !!

https://www.concertzender.nl/programma/co_live_699188/

1. Teus Nobel Liberty Group – When Riku Saw The Colors Dancing Part I (A.van Popta) 07’33 
2. Teus Nobel Liberty Group – Human First I (T. Nobel) 15’14 
3. Michiel Borstlap – Blues For Cees Schrama (M. Borstlap) 02’28 
4. Toon Roos/Karel Boehlee/Humphey Campbell – Stelle By starlight (V.Young) 07’23 
5. The Preacher Men – Organic Moves (R. Mostert) 08’13 
6. Napoleon Murphy Brock/Metropole Orkest – Patience (N.M.Brock) 05’57” 
7. Todd Rundgren/Metropole Orkest – The Smell Of Money (T. Rundgren) 04’47

MATS ÖBERG & NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK - ZAPPA SPIELT FÜR BACH

• mats öberg & napoleon murphy brock: zappa spielt für bach
      (2022, cd, Germany, stiftung johann Sebastian)

July 13, 2022, Mats Öberg and Napoleon Murphy Brock performed at the St. Katharinenkirche in Hamburg, Germany.
The first set featured Mats solo on the grand piano, performing pieces from his “Frankful” album.
The second set saw Napoleon Murphy Brock joining Mats. The duo (also known as Colour Flash performed standards, including several Frank Zappa compositions.

 
The “Zappa Spielt Für Bach” album captured some of the highlights of this concert.
The setlist also included Lionel Hampton’s ‘Midnight Sun’, a piece from which Frank Zappa borrowed the marimba riff.
Post-production by Ralph Kessler.

Love it.
And not just because we were at this concert but because this is one amazing album.
It doesn't get much better that this...

Essential listening.

• Lumpy Gravy
• Läther (= I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth)
• Zoot Allures
• Outside Now
• Toads Of The Short Forest / Inca Roads
• Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance
• What’s The Ugliest Part Of Your Body?
• Oh No
• Son Of Orange County
• More Trouble Every Day
• Somewhere Over The Rainbow (H. Arlen)
• Midnight Sun (L. Hampton)
• Uncle Remus (George Duke, Frank Zappa)
• My Ship (K. Weill)
• Yo' Mama

COLOUR FLASH

Colour Flash is Napoleon Murphy Brock and Mats Öberg.
The duo will be releasing a CD later this month.
Recordings will be taken from the concert Napoleon and Mats did in July in Hamburg.

-- info from Napoleon on Facebook

HAMBURG REVISITED

 Napoleon Murphy Brock & Mats Öberg at the St. Katharinenkirche in Hamburg...

ZAPPANALE 2022 - #3

During the intermission of the Mats Öberg / Napoleon Murphy Brock concerts at the St.Katherinenkirche in Hamburg, Hans Annéllsson was selling the last copies of Mats Öberg's "Frankful" album (that he produced).

* * yes, it's still Wednesday * *

As you may know, the album got released on CD in a limited edition of 150 (numbered) copies in 2019.
In 2020, a digital download was made available through Bandcamp, and in 2021, the album got a re-release as a 2 LP set. Around the same time a limited re-run of the CD was pressed as well.

The second nice item that was offered for sale at this concert, was a CDR by the Ensemble Musikfabrik.
Recorded at Zappanale in 2019, and featuring Napoleon Murphy Brock, four pieces were presented as a teaser for an upcoming project (album?).
The tracks had been mixed by Ali N. Askin and mastered by Ralph Kessler.

• Village Of The Sun
• Echidna's Arf (Of You)
• Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?
• Florentine Pogen

Sounds great. Can't wait to hear more !!

ZAPPANALE 2022 - #2

Since 2009 (if I'm not mistaken), Sebastian Knauer has been organizing "Zappa Spielt Für Bach" concerts at the St.Katharinenkirche in Hamburg, In support of the restauration of the St.Katharinen pipe organ.

These concerts take place on the Wednesday prior to the Zappanale festival, so they're sort of a pre-Zappanale concerts. Perfect for those, who like me, have to pass Hamburg on their way to the Zappanale festival.

I've seen quite a number of impressive concerts over there: German bands Sheik Yerbouti and Frank Out, but also international groups like Bogus Pomp, Ambrosius Ensemble, Valentina Ciardelli and Inventionis Mater, often with artists that have recorded with Frank Zappa such as Napoleon Murphy Brock, Robert Martin and (Ensemble Modern cellist) Fried Dähn.

And although I'll be the first one to admit that churches do not have the best acoustics for amplified concerts (because of the ongoing echoes), the "Zappa Spielt Für Bach" concerts are something very special: the concerts are one of a kind, the atmosphere is amazing, and recordings of these concerts have resulted in a very impressive series of Frank Zappa tribute albums.

Expectations for this year's event were quite high: Napoleon Murphy Brock and Mats Öberg would perform a selection of tunes, including some Frank Zappa pieces.
And as if that would not be spectacular enough, the first part would be Mats Öberg performing music from his "Frankful" FZ-tribute album on the grand piano.

Mats Öberg's "Frankful" album is one of the finest FZ-tribute albums that I know of. It's not just a tribute. It's a celebration. It's Mats improvising on several Zappa pieces. Channeling them, if you like, in his own, typical way.

When I had first listened to the "Frankful" CD in 2019, I told my wife that if this was ever going to be performed in concert, we should be there. Anywhere. Anyplace. Anytime.
And now it was happening. In Hamburg. Our 2022 pre-Zappanale concert.

During his journey to Hamburg and during the concert, Mats was assisted by Hans Annéllsson (who had released the "Frankful" album on his Annellssongs label: CD in 2019 and as 2 LP set in 2020). Hans told me that it had not been an easy exercise due to cancelled flights and everything, but that they were very happy to have arrived.
The concert itself was an absolute highlight.

Mats played for about 45 minutes and even played his chromatic harmonica simultaneously with the grand piano at a certain moment. Truly amazing.

• Lumpy Gravy / Läther
• Toads Of The Short Forest / Inca Roads
• Zoot Allures
• Pound For A Brown
• Outside Now

The second concert of the evening added Napoleon Murphy Brock to the stage. Napoleon knows how to work / avoid the echo in the church and Mats and Napoleon are a great duo. Everybody could tell that they enjoyed it as well as we did.

A fine selection of songs resulting in a very nice concert.

The duo played for almost 90 minutes !

Mats Öberg: grand piano, keyboard, harmonica, vocals
Napoleon Murphy Brock: saxophone, flute, percussion, vocals

• Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance (F.Zappa)
• What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? (F.Zappa)
• Oh No / Son Of Orange County (F.Zappa)
• Trouble Every Day (F.Zappa)
• Yeah, We Going (G.Duke)
• Somewhere Over The Rainbow (H.Arlen, Y.Harburg) = with pre-recorded orchestra
• How About You (H.Nilsson)
• flute solo / Aybe Sea (F.Zappa)
• Midnight Sun (L.Hampton) = with pre-recorded orchestra
• Uncle Remus (G.Duke, F.Zappa)
• My Ship (K.Weill, I.Gerswhin, arr.G.Evans)
• Yo' Mama (F.Zappa)

What a night.
Happy faces all around, with Till, Sybille, Angel, Steffen, Maggie, Christian, Mick, Noisy Peter, Hans, Wim, and many more.

Selfie with Angel

If you haven't done so already, check out Mats Öberg's "Frankful" album, also on Bandcamp :

THE STINKFOOT ORCHESTRA, FEATURING NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK

The Stinkfoot Orchestra Featuring Zappa Alum Napoleon Murphy Brock Makes Debut In San Jose.

https://www.jambase.com/article/stinkfoot-orchestra-zappa-napoleon-murphy-brock-debut-setlist?

 

NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK INTERVIEW

 Two years ago, Live Music News & Review did an interview with Napoleon Murphy Brock.

About his time in Frank Zappa's band, and playing FZ's music with Project/Object.
Mind you, it's from 2018, so the announced tour dates are for 2018 as well.

https://livemusicnewsandreview.com/2018/12/napoleon-murphy-brock-interview/?

UK BAND TREACHEROUS CRETINS DOES SHORT TOUR WITH NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK