No surprise. The Japanese edition of the "Freak Out" box is on SHM CDs:
5 shm-cd + blu-ray
Thursday, October 8, 2026
TWO NEW BOOKS ABOUT FRANK ZAPPA
Two new books, but unfortunately with miserable AI generated cover artwork.
THE IKE WILLIS MEMORIAL BARBECUE AT THE MOSAE ZAPPA FESTIVAL
In about a month, the MOSAE ZAPPA Festival will take place in Heerlen, NL.
It will be the tenth edition already!
https://mosaezappa.wordpress.com/
As a
special event, MOSAE ZAPPA will feature The Ike Willis Memorial Barbecue, where
Roddie Gilliard and Co de Kloet will share some of their memories, moderated by
Tim op het Broek.
Looking forward
to it.
Let me share
three of my Ike Willis moments with you.
My
favourite one happened when I was queuing to get enter some club in Delft, NL,
to catch a concert by Cuccurullo Brillo Brullo, a fine Frank Zappa tribute
band. And on this occasion, Ike Willis would be featured as special guest.
October 2006.
So I’m in line, or I just bought my ticket, and I hear someone explaining to
the counter clerk that he is Jeff Hollie and that he’s a friend of Ike Willis.
If someone could fetch Ike.
By coincidence, I had just been updating the United-Mutations website with Jeff’s
whereabouts (Jeff was performing with Wicked Jazz Sounds and had been living in
The Netherlands for some years at the time) so when some of the Cuccurullo
Brillo Brullo band members came down to check out this tall, dark fellow, I
could explain who he was and they called for Ike.
My mind can be blurred a bit, but I remember it as a touching moment when Ike and
Jeff finally saw each other again in person after quite a number of years.
I was happy to be invited to join them at their table while they were
reminiscing.
And, yes, Jeff had brought his saxophone and performed a couple of tunes with
the band…
What a night.
And it was Jeff’s re-entry into the Zappa world.
The most
impressive memory happened at Zappanale #22 in 2011 (if my notes are correct).
As those who have attended Zappanale know, Zappanale is a very ‘open’ festival.
There are great opportunities to chat with everyone.
Anyway, Doctor Nerve performed at Zappanale in 2011 and at a certain moment, and
I don’t recall how this came about, I’m standing next to Nick Didkovsky and Ike
Willis.
Nick explained to Ike how he joined the Zappa band on stage during a certain
show, as some sort of audience participation, and Ike not only remembered this
but started adding details to that story with his infectious enthusiasm, but
above all with an incredibly impressive memory.
Loved it.
The most
bizarre memory took place in Eeklo, Belgium, when Ike was touring with The
Muffin Men. I don’t remember the year.
We were there well in advance and we were not the only ones.
A couple of Dutch guys came in, searched for Ike, and they left together with
Ike.
When the concert was about to start, no one knew where Ike was. He had
disappeared and only returned much later. He did have issues at the time…
Anyway, November
21, Heerlen will be the place to be.
And add November 20 as well if you’re up for a pre-party with Project Z.
CAN - LIVE IN ARLES 1975
- Can: Live In Arles 1975
(2026, download / streaming, --, bandcamp)
(2026, cd, --, spoon records)
(2026, lp, --, spoon records)
Overseen by Irmin Schmidt, the last surviving founding member of Can, "Live In Arles 1975" is the seventh volume in a series of Can live albums.
- Michael Karoli – Guitar, Vocals
- Irmin Schmidt – Keyboards
- Holger Czukay – Bass
- Jaki Liebezeit – Drums, Percussion
What makes the Arles concert so extraordinary—and widely considered by the band members themselves to be one of their absolute finest live hours—is how it highlights Can's supreme mastery of instant composition. These aren't just extended, loose jams or simple rehashes of studio tracks; they are fully realized, living sonic architecture constructed on the fly.
From the opening minutes, the band locks into that uncanny, hypnotic synchronicity. Liebezeit’s rhythms aren't just keeping time—they are sculpting space, providing an immovable foundation that allows Karoli's jagged, soaring guitar lines and Schmidt's atmospheric, sometimes confrontational keyboard textures to collide and spark. Czukay pulls it all together with heavy, pulsating bass loops that feel forward-thinking even by today's standards.
Beautiful.
-- info: Danny Mathys
ROBEONE
Keyboardist and composer Robeone's new instrumental album, “If You Don’t Know What It Is, It Must Be Jazz,” is out on Transglobal Records. The seven‑track album blends progressive rock, jazz fusion, electronic textures, and playful experimentation. 100% of the album’s proceeds will support The Bob Moog Foundation, continuing Robeone’s long relationship with the organization.
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
TREY GUNN & DAVID FORLANO - SUBPLANE 16
"Subplane 16"
a live recording by Trey Gunn and David Forlano that has just been released through Bandcamp.
I guess that the album title could be interpreted as a musical and spiritual journey to the next level (of existence) but I don't really know about that. I can only say that I like it a lot.
GOV'T MULE
Gov’t Mule takes over The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY for two nights on December 28 & 29, with special guest Audley Freed joining the band for both shows.
These two nights kick off the Mule Year’s Eve run, leading all the way to the big night in Boston on December 31. And if you know Mule, you know there’s no better way to close out the year than a few nights of music, friends and a whole lot of rock ’n’ roll.
HARDY FOX - DEAD CREATURE
- Hardy Fox: Dead Creature – Original Soundtrack
(2026, download / streaming, --, bandcamp)
(2026, cd, Austria, klanggalerie)
Catching up in The Residents' related section, I'm overwhelmed by Hardy Fox' 'Dead Creature' album.
Hardy Fox’s posthumous release, "Dead Creature", is an eerie, yet beautiful minimalistic album.
Released by Austrian record label Klanggalerie, this project stands as the primary composer and co-founder of The Residents' last ever full album, submitted just days before his tragic passing in 2018.
Released by Austrian record label Klanggalerie, this project stands as the primary composer and co-founder of The Residents' last ever full album, submitted just days before his tragic passing in 2018.
Subtitled as an "Original Soundtrack," the record represents Fox entirely unmasked. Having shed his long-running "Charles Bobuck" moniker and the eyeball-headed anonymity of his former band, "Dead Creature" strips experimental electronica down to its bare, haunting bones.
The album functions through minimalist arrangements built out of simple, repeating numerical track titles ("Four One," "Two Four," "Threw For Four," "Four Is Four").
Melancholic, mechanical, but also deeply personal. It carries the DNA of classic Residents vaudeville futurism but isolates it into a quiet, nocturnal chamber.
It balances the thin line between a creepy, abandoned laboratory soundtrack and a deeply touching farewell.
Melancholic, mechanical, but also deeply personal. It carries the DNA of classic Residents vaudeville futurism but isolates it into a quiet, nocturnal chamber.
It balances the thin line between a creepy, abandoned laboratory soundtrack and a deeply touching farewell.
Essential listening !
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)