CHICKENFOOT

Bummer....
I just found out...

Chickenfoot played at Graspop a couple of days ago.
FYI, Graspop is a hard rock festival, but the funny thing is that it's held maybe 20 kilometers from where I live.

Chickenfoot is the latest (heavy) supergroup and it features one of my favourite guitar players.

Chickenfoot features vocalist Sammy Hagar (ex-Van Halen), bassist Michael "Mikey" Anthony (also ex-Van Halen), guitarist Joe Satriani and drummer Chad Smith (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers).
They even should have an album out...

http://www.chickenfoot.us/

SUN RA - OTHER PLANES OF THERE

• sun ra: other planes of there
  (1992, cd, usa, evidence 22037)

"Other Planes Of These" can also be found in the Evidence re-issue series. It is by many regarded as an essential Sun Ra album.
Not in the least because it shows a side of Sun Ra's music that one does not often encounter.
As Neil Tesser says in the liner notes: "The 20-minute 'Other Planes Of There' suggest a sort of concerto not for one but many soloists."
or
"Dominated by the long and episodic title piece, and marked by structured, almost schematic compositional techniques, "Other Planes" exists outside the rest of Sun Ra's music - in other words, on the other side of out. Think of it as outside squared."

Sun Ra proves that there are no borders between contemporary music, jazz and experimental music.

Essential listening.

SUN RA - ATLANTIS

• sun ra: atlantis
  (1993, cd, usa, evidence 22067)

Originally released in 1969 on Sun Ra's private Saturn label, the "Atlantis" album got a vinyl re-release on Impulse and a CD re-release on Evidence.
It's a quite peculiar album as Sun Ra plays the Hohner Clavinet (the so-called ultimate funk keyboard as Stevie Wonder showed with 'Superstition'), and it's also the first Sun Ra album where there's a lot of African hand percussion.
The odd one out is the title track, 'Atlantis', where the Arkestra takes the experimental approach. Over 20 minutes long, this dark and tense piece is dominated by Sun Ra's organ. It's one big organ solo, accompanied by percussion.
Yummie...

FESTIVAL L'ALEMBIC ELECTRIQUE 2

There's change in the program of the L'Alembique Electrique 2 festival: Peach Noise will replace Project/Object.

2009/08/21 - 2009/08/22"Festival de l'Alambic Electrique 2",Villiers sur Yonne, France

2009/08/21
Gowy
Children Of Invention
Here & Now
Peach Noise

2009/08/22
Jack Dupon
One Shot
Shyamal Maitra / Tehaï
The Grandmothers w/ Roy Estrada, Don Preston, Napoleon Murphy Brock

ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA IN PRAGUE

• 2009/06/01 Zappa Plays Zappa - concert ‘Archa Theatre‘, Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC

The concert included a guitar giveaway contest. The above picture shows the winner, jamming with Dweezil.

-- picture: Petr Karlicek

RAINER TANKRED PAPPON TRIO IN CONCERT

ZAPPATIKA UPDATE 2009 06 29

ZAPPATiKA's Strictly Frankly Show hits the road this week in Holland

On Saturday 4th July ZAPPATiKA will play the first in their 2009-2010 series of Frank Zappa Musical Revue Shows which they aptly call STRICTY FRANKLY - a live album of the same name will be released in 2010....
The new show is over two hours long and consists 99% of FZ material ranging from WE ARE NOT ALONE, thru TITTIES N BEER, BLACK NAPKINS,CITY of TINY LITES,a little COZMIK DEBRIS, WATERMELON in EASTER HAY ,SLEEP DIRT,some DIRTY LOVE and a bit of SLIME and a good serving of TORTURE,all of this and much more Howie, all of this and more....

The band has just finished rehearsal of the new show and will perform the first show in the series on Saturday 4th July in Holland at THE RAMBLER, in Eindhoven ~
Dates in France(SEPT09) , Belgium/Holland (OCT09) ,Germany(OCT09) and the UK (NOV09) will be announced soon....

SUN RA - THE MAGIC CITY

• sun ra: the magic city
  (1993, cd, usa, evidence 22069)

In an attempt to feed data to the Sun Ra discography, I also added "The Magic City".
In 1993, Evidence re-released this 1966 "saturn label" vinyl album on CD.
Recorded in 1965 in New York City, the album gives a glimpse of what was happening in NYC at that time. The first track on the album, called 'The Magic City' (which refers to Birmingham, Alabama, Sun Ra's home town), is a 28-minute free jazz collective improvisation.
In its year of release, in the rock corner of the music scene, The Velvet Underground were turning heads, and the Mothers Of Invention released their first album.

I was one year old at the time, living in a small town in Belgium, but it looks like NYC was the place to be...

CHICK COREA & JOHN MCLAUGHLIN

Last year, Chick Corea and John McLaughlin toured Europe with their Five Peace Band.
The band featured Kenny Garrett on sax, Christian McBride on bass, and former Zappa sideman Vinnie Colaiuta on drums.
The album that got released by Concord Jazz / Universal is entitled "Five Peace Band".

AL ORKESTA

Al Orkesta is Joe Higham's band. With Al Orkesta he tries to combine turkish, arabic and klezmer music with western jazz. The band features Jean Paul Estiévenart (from The Wrong Object) on trumpet.
Al Orkestra has released an album entitled "Where Are We Now?". Out on Mogno Music.

SUN RA - SPACEWAYS / BAD AND BEAUTIFUL

• sun ra: we travel the spaceways / bad and beautiful
  (1992, cd, usa, evidence 22038)

So what do you do when you have a day off from work?
Tough question?

I don't know. My day started with the fabulous Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra, zapping me back to the late fifties. The "We Travel The Spaceways" and "Bad And Beautiful" CD that I listened to this morning, is a reissue of two album that initially got released on Sun Ra's private Saturn label. "Spaceways" got released in 1966, and "Bad And Beautiful" in 1972.
"Spaceways" includes material that got recorded during Sun Ra's last years in Chicago. It's classic big band jazz: melodic swing, directed by Sun Ra's piano, and with some great horn solos.
"Bad And Beautiful" presents tracks from 1961, which means that the band had moved to New York City. It's a much smaller band. Lots of room for Sun Ra's piano and for the Arkestra. Check out Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, Ronnie Boykins and Tommy Hunter!!

Beautiful!

OFF THE CHARTS

I'm a bit too late with this message, but the link is still valid, so check it out:

"Hey, just wanted to give you all a little update on Magic Bus Movie night this Thursday.

I will be curating "Off the Charts" the song poem story.
The opening is a short 25 min film "Dancing outlaw".
If you haven't seen or heard of these movies they are great and must be seen on the big screen, more info and trailers on my blog:
http://www.dirtydonnyart.blogspot.com

Producer Henry S. Rosenthal will be introducing the film and John Trubee who wrote the song "Blind Man's Penis" will be in attendance and said "I'll bring some cool shit to sell" so I'll be the first in line for that.
We will also have free pizza during intermission courtesy of (Escape from NY). Thanks Tim!

Two buck beers, pizza and a movie, how's that for recession special?
And hey, sorry for the e-mail. It's more of a what, when and where note for ya... and cause I want you to come out for a movie, eat pizza and have beer with us!

Hope to see you!"

-- Donny

BOHOUŠ IN ZAPPA T-SHIRT

Hey look !!
IT'S BOHOUŠ !!
And he's wearing the brand-new Czech Frank Zappa Fanclub T-Shirt...

THE RESIDENTS MOLESHOW DVD/CD SUPER DELUXE PACKAGE

a message from the RalphGang:

Hello Residents friend

Some news:
A new RalphAmerica.com site is here. Finally...

A new MOLESHOW DVD/CD super deluxe package is also here.This is limited to 400 pieces (only 350 made available for purchase), allnumbered, each set comes with 12 postcards (5.5" x8.5") with backdropdrawings from the show (6 mole and 6 chub), a miniature shovel (diggingnot recommended), a chipboard digipak featuring a CD with the Australianradio special (70 minutes) and a single camera DVD of the uninterruptedlive MOLESHOW, filmed at the Kabuki Theater in San Francisco. All wrappedup in a printed, drawstring burlap bag.

The video quality is from a single VHS camera back in the early 80's,which is probably a notch or two (or three) under a flip video camera.Audience sound as well. So think of it as yer own lo-fi time travelaccessory...peeking thru a rip in the fabric of time, thru a hole in thewall of the theater. So DO NOT expect a high production release - there'snot even a menu, just push and play for the gritty Mole reality. The CD isa REAL gem, featuring music and interviews with the Cryptic Corp duringthe days of the 444 Grove St. warehouse just before the Moleshow tour. Alot of talk of how the 'music industry is changing' and that no one isbuying music anymore...back in 1982.

MIKE KENEALLY UPDATE 2009 06 24

MK says:

Well then -- the response to the MyKeneally house concert announcement has been tremendous. Thank you everyone! You've surpassed our expectations. This is going to be insanely fun.

The MyKeneally tour schedule is falling together nicely. We still have some slots available, specifically Monday August 10 in the Northeast/New England region, and August 15-18 in the Great Lakes area and Southward from there. Please get in touch if you're interested in doing something there and then (see email address below).

Also we're already putting together a West Coast leg for the early part of December. If you want to get in on that action, please let us know.

Several of the people hosting these gigs are joining forces with their friends to make it work, basically forming a promotion team. Some are doing it in their homes and some are booking venues. We're open to all of it. This is a creative collaboration between us and you and the possibilities for interesting gigs are infinite -- potentially much more interesting than a standard club tour.

So thank you again for taking to this concept so readily -- and please get in touch if you're interested in taking part. We'll be in touch again very soon with the next important announcement regarding Scambot. See you then!

Your pal,
Mike

SUN RA NEWSFLASH

Michael, who runs the Transparency label, says:

"It is with the utmost pleasure that I am finally able to announce that Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Solar Research Arkestra "Helsinki 1971 - The Complete Concert and Interview" is at the pressing plant. The set will be available in July."
The above picture shows Marshall Allen at the Helsinki 1971 gig.

Furthermore, Transparancy also will be releasing part six in the Sun Ra Lost Reel Collection:

• Sun Ra: "Lost Reel Collection Volume 6 - The Road to Destiny"

FLAT EARTH SOCIETY - CHEER ME, PERVERTS

• flat earth society: cheer me, perverts!
  (2009, cd, bel, crammed discs cram 138)

"Cheer Me, Perverts" (an anagram for Peter Vermeersch) is the latest Flat Earth Society album.

This is big band music like you 've never heard before (not counting the previous FES albums). Up-tempo, hyperkinetic, angular and funny melody lines and rhythms are mixed into 10 impressive compositions.
The band has a very rich and colourful sound. The solos are superb and fit in perfectly with the compositions. This is music at its best.

Frank Zappa, Raymond Scott, the Sun Ra Arkestra, … you name it. They're all in there somewhere.

This latest FES album is essential listening.
But then again, we wouldn't expect less.

I want to see cartoons that use this music !!

www.fes.be

EDGARD VARESE

June 13 & 14 featured the works of Edgard Varèse at the Holland Festival. The same weekend, dutch radio 6 would also be focusing on Varèse.
And one week earlier, a documentary by Frank Scheffer was shown on dutch national tv.

I hope some of this surfaces, 'cause I'd really like to hear / see some of this.

Nice 3-page article in dutch VPRO gids as well (dutch magazine).

-- info: Klotz

DWEEZIL ZAPPA IN THE PAPERS

on http://www.nu.nl/muziek/2025383/dweezil-zappa-gaat-klassiek.html Dweezil Zappa says:

Voor Dweezil Zappa levert het project in elk geval nieuwe dingen op. “Recentelijk vroeg iemand mij of ik interesse had een stuk te schrijven voor een honderdkoppig orkest en dat samen met stukken van mijn vader uit te voeren. Zo'n project lijkt me erg leuk om te doen"

Which might be translated into something like:

"Recently somebody asked me if I would be interested in writing a piece for a 100-piece orchestra, to be performed together with some of my dad's compositions. Seems like fun."

SUN RA - FATE IN A PLEASANT MOOD / WHEN SUN COMES OUT

• sun ra: fate in a pleasant mood / when sun comes out
  (1993, cd, usa, evidence 22068)

"Fate In A Pleasant Mood" presents material from Chicago concerts, dating back to 1960 and 1961. "When Sun Comes Out" was recorded shortly after the Arkestra's move to New York City.
Although the "When Sun Comes Out" contains the ultimate Sun Ra Classic ('We Travel The Spaceways'), it's also a Classic free jazz album with Marshall Allen, Danny Davis, John Gilmore and Pat Patrick in great shape.

These two albums are so different, and yet, they fit together perfectly.

If you want to check out Sun Ra & his Arkestra, "Fate / When Sun" is a nice place to start.

SUN RA - COSMIC TONES / ART FORMS

• sun ra: cosmic tones / art forms
  (1992, cd, usa, evidence 22036)

In 1992, the Evidence record label released nine Sun Ra albums. The entire series were reissues of early "Saturn" releases, the Saturn label being Sun Ra's private record label.
"Cosmic Tones / Art Forms" is in fact the sum of "Cosmic Tones For Mental Therapy" and "Art Forms Of Dimensions Tomorrow". Both of these were originally released in the early sixties.

Beautiful.

SUN RA - POINTS ON A SPACE AGE

• sun ra arkestra under the direction of marshall allen: points on a space age
  (2009, dvd, usa, mvd)

For this documentary, Ephraim Asili followed the Arkestra in 2006 and 2007.

Here's a little YouTube introduction:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GZCe20kgBQ

-- info: Danny Mathys

EDGAR BROUGHTON BAND - KEEP THEM FREAKS A ROLLIN'

• edgar broughton band: keep them freaks a rollin'
  (2009, cd, uk, emi / harvest 66179 cd)

This brand-new Edgar Broughton Band album has the band in concert at Abbey Road, December 1969. The setlist and this album include Don Van Vliet's 'Dropout Boogie'.

HAPPY ELF IS A SEXMACHINE !

New free mini album by Happy Elf, available now:

http://www.wmrecordings.com/releases/wm096.htm

More grooves, more lyrics and another guest vocalist: welcome to SEXMACHINE, a mini album filled with sounds of legendary synthesizers and dirty guitars.

Willem van Dullemen, a famous blues guitarist/singer from Rotterdam joins Happy Elf's hitmachine on two tracks. This album features songs about relations, sex and dreams. But don't take it too seriously: it's Happy Elf!

This is free release #96... What should we do to celebrate our 100th free album later this year?
Mail your suggestions to info@wmrecordings.com

best wishes,
Marco Kalnenek
http://www.wmrecordings.com

FZ CONCERT TAPE TRADERS

Well, that's what it used to be called: "concert tape traders". We're talking early eighties, at least in my case.
After that, it went to CDR trading. People sharing recordings of concerts, of radio shows and such on CDR. That was a good thing. There was no loss in quality when a CDR got copied, and a lot of better sounding shows entered the trading community.
And since the internet, you've got P2P, peer to peer, trading through sites such as DimeADozen, TheTradersDen, and, for Zappa freaks, Zappateers.

The last couple of years, Zappateers has been a great source for high quality recordings as a great number of master recordings found its way to the site. This does not mean that the other P2P sites don't have links to extraordinary material as well.

The latest example is Skoochie who is seeding an enormous bunch of master recordings of various Zappa shows.
The latest one is a batch he calls "1978 10 xx Palladium", including:
- 1978 10 27 Palladium New York City NY USA - Early show
- 1978 10 27 Palladium New York City NY USA - Late show
- 1978 10 28 Palladium New York City NY USA - Early Show
- 1978 10 28 Palladium New York City NY USA - Late show
- 1978 10 29 Palladium New York City NY USA
- 1978 10 31 Palladium New York City NY USA

Just to say that there's a lot of great material out there.
Buy the official releases & support the artists, and listen to their live shows as well.

Thank you Skoochie.

ZAPPA ON VIDEO

Over at the Zappateers site, Al Fresco is sharing his Zappa video collection.
Just sign up, get yourself a torrent program and pick up the goodies through P2P.

Here we go:

Al Fresco Collection - DVD I 125.38 PAL

• 1990 03 25 Outrage At Valdez (Cousteau Special w/ FZ music)
• 1989 11 16 CNN, Crossfire "Is This Art?"
• 1989 11 07 FFN Network - US Cable TV
• 1990 04 08 ZDF TV - Musikwerkstatt (German overdubs)
• 1993 12 06 TV Memorial Clips

Al Fresco Collection - DVD II 103.36 PAL

• 1967 00 00 Inside Pop - CBS News Documentary w/Leonard Bernstein [50:48]
• 1971 03 00 Rock 'n' Roll Years - Sky Channel 2 [02:00]
• 1980 10 28 Netherlands Blazer Ensemble - Revized Music for Low Budget Orchestra w/ FZ interview [03:53]
• 1981 11 00 That's Life - FZ interviews FZ, Canadian TV [05:44]
• 1982 00 00 Takeoff - Nightflight [08:38]
• 1983 06 17 Sounds - Australian TV Interview w/ FZ, Moon & Dweez & FZ Footage [27:22]
• 1983 11 02 American Songwriter - US TV Special [05:09]

Al Fresco Collection - DVD III 116.44 PAL

• 1985? Howard Stern Pilot [9.18]
• 1987 03 08 MTV VJ's - Frank & Dweezil Introduce Videos [36.42]
• 1988 MTV - The Zappas Present: A Train To Washington [33.34]
• 1988 MTV FZ Interview w Steve Blame on The Jesus Army [8.43]
• 1988 02 09 NBC: Live At 5: Warner Theater, Washington DC Interview [3.50]
• 1988 03 01 Buffalo After Midnight Backstage Interview [8.17] 1990 04 00 TV Zagreb on Expo 92 etc [15.15]
• 1991 06 00 FZ in Prague With A Hedgehog [0.49]

Al Fresco Collection - DVD IV 105.21 PAL

• 1987 03 05 Nightlife w/ David Brenner Interview announcing Jazz From Hell, G-Spot Tornado & The Synclavier [15.46]
• 1991 07 21 Canadian TV, The New Music - BTB Release Interview [10.08]
• 1991 08 31 ITV, UK - Raw Power: Interview [6.24]
• 1991 10 24 The Learning Channel: Your Vote - Narrated by FZ [27.25]
• 1992 07 21 Yellow Shark Press Conference, Frankfurt (1st gen private footage) Chapters at start & end of FZ's question session [45.19]

Al Fresco Collection - DVD V 16.28 PAL

• 1963 03 04 The Steve Allen Show [16.28](v1)
• 1963 03 04 The Steve Allen Show [16.28] (v2)

Al Fresco Collection - DVD VI 45.06 PAL

• 1993 07 11 ZDF TV: Amerikanische Träume [45.06]

Al Fresco Collection - DVD VII 45.06 PAL

• 1992 09 17 Premier TV: 25 Jahre Extravaganza

Al Fresco Collection - DVD VIII 49.44 PAL

• 1984 00 00 Swedish TV Interview & footage [2.26]
• 1984 09 14 Tele Illustrierte, Loreley (German Overdubs) [3.15]
• 1985 00 00 MTV, Liner Notes: New Music Seminar [4.35]
• 1986 12 07/12 Movie Channel: Future Shock (FZ Guest Hosting) [7.56]
• 1988 10 31 WPVI Philadelphia: AM Interview with Frank Zappa & Kal Rudman on PMRC & Censorship (incomplete) [7.26]
• 1988 12 19 CNN: Showbiz Today (Broadway The Hard Way) [2.53]
• 1989 06 07 NBC TV : "The Today Show" - FZ interview by Jane Pauley [3.41]
• 1990 12 25 TV2, Finland: The Perfect Stranger [14.02]
• 1992 00 00 Euro TV: Aida (FZ For President) [3.23]

-- info & more: Javier

MIKE KENEALLY UPDATE 2009 06 17

Mike Keneally and Bryan Beller are available for the first-ever MyKeneally Tour, beginning Thursday, August 6, 2009 through Thursday, August 20, 2009.

Announcing the MyKeneally Tour, featuring Mike Keneally and Bryan Beller performing live at the venue of your choice – your living room, your favorite local club, your school auditorium – you name it, you set it up, and Mike and Bryan are there!

MyKeneally lets you present a customized Keneally concert for you and your friends. You can work with Mike in advance to put together the setlist YOU want to hear. Mike and Bryan play for you… hang out with you… they can have dinner with you and your family… try out your coach… pet your pets… answer that question you’ve been wondering about… leave an insouciant outgoing message on your answering message… the possibilities are somewhat endless!

If you’re interested in holding one of the first MyKeneally concerts during that time period and you live in the continental United States of America, send Mike an e-mail.

Concerts

Saturday, June 27, 2009 Crossroads - A Tribute to Eric Clapton
Featuring special guest Mike Keneally
Anthology
San Diego, CA 92101

Saturday, July 4, 2009 Mike Keneally, Doug Lunn and Kofi Baker playing whatever they feel like playing
Patrick's II
San Diego, CA 92101

Saturday, August 22, 2009 Mike Keneally, Robbie Pagliari and Kofi Baker
A Tribute To Cream
Brick By Brick
San Diego, CA 92110

ZAPPATIKA AT THE ZAPPATEERS PARTY, MARCH 2009

Zappatika performing Zappa performing Santana... Sort of.
Live at the Zappateers party in the UK, march 2009

JOHN TRUBEE 2009 06 17

Polarization Thanks To Denial
Copyright 2009 John Trubee

Day denies night
Success ignores failure
Optimism disdains realism
The triumphant blithe to tragedy
Happiness insensate to loss,
pain,
grief,
sorrow--
til all so polarized
the world explodes.

Denial, willful ignorance,
fear of the 50% dark side of life
Inform the overconfident
Who run things.

Let’s hang them
although it’s too late to remedy
the infernal chaos their dumb overconfidence
engendered.

--John Trubee

TO BE AND NOT TO BE

"To Be And Not To Be" is a new movie / documentary by Frank Scheffer.
Yes, Frank Scheffer, who also made documentaries about Zappa, Cage and Varèse.

"To Be And Not To Be" is about the Teheran Symphonic Orchestra (and they have performed Zappa's 'Dog Breath' in concert).

There's a full page article about the screening of this documentary in the NRC Handelsblad (dutch newspaper) from 2009/06/05.
The movie could be seen at the Amsterdam Filmfestival on june 12 & 14, but will shortly also be broadcast on dutch television: June 26 on dutch NED2 TV.

-- info: Klotz

WARNING: PARENTAL ADVISORY

In 2002, a TV movie was made about the censhorship on music that emerged from the PMRC / Washington Wives.
Entitled "Warning: Parental Advisory" this VH1 TV Movie had Griffin Dunne as Frank Zappa.

-- info & movie: Zappateers

VEENCE HANAO - SAINT-IDESBALD

• veence hanao: saint-idesbald
  (2008, cd, bel, skinfama)

Saint-Idesbald is a little village on the Belgian sea-side. Veence Hanao took a 4 month leave from his Brussels life, and went to Saint-Idesbald, a place he visited often with his parents when he was a kid.
The result can be heard on "Saint-Idesbald". It's a rap album, and it's in French, so don't tell me I didn't warn you, but it's quite good.
The booklet with the lyrics is essential (at least, for me).
And the big suprise, although I gave it away last week, is that he uses Zappa samples in two tracks.

• 'sexentrex' - samples 'what's the ugliest part of your body'
• 'force et honneur' - samples 'harry you're a beast'

NEW ZAPPA VINYL BOOTLEG

A new Zappa vinyl bootleg has been spotted:

"Igor's Transylvanian Ballet Music".

A total run of 500 copies: 100 copies of each colour: blue, green, red, white & yellow.

It's the famous Appleton 1969 concert.

ZAPPATIKA AT CDBABY

Folks interested in ZAPPATiKA's debut studio album
- The Short But Legendary Flight of the Dodo -
can now preview the WHOLE album, and of course, buy a copy at :

http://cdbaby.com/cd/zappatika

DWEEZIL ZAPPA INTERVIEW

Dweezil Zappa in the Scotsman.

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/features/Interview-Dweezil-Zappa--Proud.5349330.jp

info from The Evil Prince, over at the Zappateers site.

TONIGHT IN PARIS...

FESTIVAL DE L'ALAMBIC ELECTRIQUE 2

August 21 & 22 in Villiers-sur-Yonne in France.

ADRIAN BELEW INTERVIEW IN CRAWDADDY

Here's part one of the interview that Max Mobley did with Adrian Belew for Crawdaddy:
(dated June 10, 2009)

http://crawdaddy.wolfgangsvault.com/Article/Part-I-King-Crimsons-Adrian-Belew.html

-- info: Klotz

AN INTERVIEW WITH MICHEL DELVILLE

Writer and musician Michel Delville is probably best known to you as the mastermind behind The Wrong Object.

Other musical projects that Michel lends his guitar to, include collaborations with Markus Stauss (entitled "Trank Zappa Grappa in Varese?) and The Moving Tones project (with Frank van der Kooij, Guy Segers, Dirk Wachtelaer and Catherine Smet).
His most recent collaboration is the power trio Doubt, with Alex Maguire and Tony Bianco. Doubt is scheduled to record its first album early August.

Later in August, Michel will be joining Doot! at the Zappanale festival.


Hello Michel,
I heard about your scheduled Zappanale gig with Doot! Tell me a bit about it. How did it come about?

Michel Delville: I met Steve Chilemmi at last year's Zappanale and spent some time with him, comparing notes and sharing our influences and experiences with other artists. He emailed me a few months later and asked me if I wanted to be one of their guests. I was very happy to say yes and look forward to this new collaboration.

You have performed twice at Zappanale, right? Did you see Doot! perform on any of these occasions? I think Doot! performed in Bad Doberan in 2006, although both Pete and Steve have been on the Zappanale stage more then once.

Michel Delville: Yes I actually played 4 gigs at 2 previous Zappanales: the first one took place in 2004, with The Wrong Object. I also played with "Ed Mann & Friends" in 2004. Last year The Wrong Object played a live set based on our last studio album to date, _Stories from the Shed_ (Moonjune Records, 2008) and I also took part in Stanley Jason Zappa's panchromatic extravanganza, "The New Texture Pan Tonal Fellowship".

I wasn't there in 2006 to see DOOT! but I did have a chance to listen to an audience recording of their show and I saw Steve play with a different line-up the first in the Summer of 2008. I also heard and enjoyed the early Doctor Dark line-up.

I'm familiar with The Wrong Object, with The Moving Tones and with Trank Zappa Grappa In Varèse. All of these bands use jazz or rock compositions to improvise on. This might be original material, or a coverversion. With Doot! this might be far more experimental. What do you prefer, and what's the most challenging thing to do?

Michel Delville: Although I am not allowed to divulge the details of our "masterplan" (LOL) at this stage, I'm sure that there will be a lot of "controlled improvisation" involved. The set will follow a blueprint to which each member of the band has been asked to contribute a piece and some ideas for arrangements. Maybe there will be some kind of happening as well. Maybe one of us will talk to the audience. Maybe there will be trouble (LOL). Be that as it may, the most exciting and challenging thing about such gigs is that you are supposed to connect with people whom you've never played or rehearsed before. I suppose we all like a bit of adventure.

I know that you're a big prog rock (and Zappa) fan. What do you think about this year's line-up? Who do you definitely want to see?

Michel Delville: This year's line-up is very strong and diverse. Of course, I won't miss Terry Bozzio and the Grande Mothers. But I am also a big Gong and Steve Hillage fan and look forward to seeing my good friend and "Moving Tones" ally Guy "Univers Zero" Segers perform with Acid Mother Guru Guru Gong -this should be one one of the highlights of the festival! I have also heard great things about Sebka Chott.

I don't need convincing. I'll be there anyway. But what would you like to say to the U.M. readers about the Zappanale festival?

Michel Delville: As I said before, I love the idea of using unusual guests and urging band and musicians to collaborate and take risks. This has been the philosophy of the festival for some years now, and great things have come out of such unlikely combinations.

Excellent.Thank you & see you soon.

-- peter van laarhoven

Doot!, featuring Michel Delville, will be performing at the Zappanale festival on Thursday, August 13, 2009, in Bad Doberan at the Kamptheater!

SUN RA - NUITS DE LA FONDATION MAEGHT VOL.1

• sun ra: nuits de la fondation maeght vol.1
  (2003, cd, italy, universe / cometrecords uv 080)

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you probably know that I'm fascinated by the music of Sun Ra. Every once in a while, I try to add a couple of items to the Sun Ra discography.
(http://www.united-mutations.com/r/sun_ra.htm)

The first volume of the "Nuits De La Fondation Maeght' got released in 1971, and got the CD-treatment in 2003.
The album offers the first part of the concert that Sun Ra and his Arkestra did in Saint-Paul-de Vence in August 1970. Classic Sun Ra material: 'Enlightment', 'The Star Gazers', a mind-blowing 13-minute version of 'Shadow World', and a moog solo by Sun Ra entitled 'The Cosmic Explorer'.

I don't know about the vinyl version, but the CD has been out-of-print for a while already. Contrary to the second volume, this first volume isn't something that you will come across very easy. Which translates into: if you see it, get it!

DWALMACAT

This week, the Dwalmacat radio show offers:

• WEVIE STONDER – A buddha made of mud
• MILOVAN SRDENOVIC – The couch
• THE MARX BROTHERS – I’m against it
• FRANK SUMATRA & THE MOB – The story so far
• PIGBAG – As it was (Live)
• STEINSKY & MASS MEDIA – The motorcade sped on
• THE BALLISTIC BROTHERS – Peckings
• FREEMAN STOWERS – Railroad blues
• FELIX KUBIN & KUCHARCZYK – Kathedrale Kopernikus
• ROSA YEMEN – Rosa Vertov
• ENRICO SEROTTI – 1.707.000
• LAURENT GARNIER - (I wanna be) waiting for my plane
• OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN – Physical
• ALAN JENKINS – Gargling with shelves
• LE FORTE FOUR – Bikini tennis shoes (one pair)
• PERE UBU – Folly of youth
• SOLEX – Goldwaffle

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

and click on "Luister".

PIERRE VERVLOESEM - NOT EVEN CLOSE

• pierre vervloesem: not even close
  (2008, cd, bel, off records opv001)

Last year, the Off Records label released the latest Pierre Vervloesem album.
Pierre Vervloesem, as you should know, is a belgian guitar player and producer. "Not Even Close" is his seventh solo album, but his contributions can be found all over the belgian music scene: Flat Earth Society, X-Legged Sally, dEUS, and more.
Check out http://www.pierrevervloesem.be/.

"Not Even Close" is one big surprise. Pierre is a guitar player, and yet, you cannot hear one single guitar note on this album. I was told by Pierre that he linked his guitar to a synthisizer and that he recorded all the parts that way. It probably took a lot of sound modifications (or 'knobs twiddling' as the liner notes say), but the result is great.
The album sounds like it was recorded on a Synclavier. Very impressive.
And the music is even better. There's a lot of Zappa influences on this disc: quirky melodies, angular rhythms and funny as hell. I love it. A lot of great music and a lot of variation. I wonder what this music would sound like if it was to be played by a band.

Highly recommeded !!

http://www.myspace.com/offlabel

ALLA - DIGS

• allá: (digs)
  (2009, cd5", bel, crammed discs cram 143)

Listening to bands that have covered a Residents tune has never dissapointed me. The same goes for this new mini-album by Allá.
"(Digs)" presents six tracks:

• 'Si Se Puede' is an original composition, short and poppy;
• 'New Hymn' is the Residents composition. It got released on the Residents'"Intermission" album in the early eighties, and Allá makes it sounds very fresh and fragile. I love it;
• 'Church Of Anthrax' is the John Cale / Terry Riley composition, from the 1971 album with the same name. I never heard the original, but I really like it. Guess I should check out the original. Almost ten minutes of fuzzy bass (John Cale) and improvising organ (Terry Riley). Very nice.
• 'Smog' is another coverversion. The original can be found on the Dug Dug's 1972 "Smog" album. (Los Dug Dug's were a famous mexican rock band.)
• 'It's A Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl' is from the 1972 album "Faust So Far" by, you guessed it right' Faust. It's another impressive coverversion, emphasizing that Allá's influences can be found in powerful progressive rock music.
• The last track on this mini album, 'Love Lockdown', was a hit record for Kanye West. Not my cup of tea, the music of Kanye West. The Allá version, however, is pretty good. Straight forward, not too smooth...

I'm all in favour of artists recording a set of their favourite songs. In the Allá case, the result is a nice mixture of great songs, and an impressive bunch of coverversions !!

R.I.P. HUGH HOPPER

Hugh Hopper

April, 29, 1945 - June, 7, 2009

ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA 2008 07 13 NORTH SEA JAZZ CONCERT UP AT DIME

An audience recording of the ZpZ band, live at the North Sea Jazz Festival, last year in July, is up at DimeADozen.

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=252542

RAY WHITE SPECIAL GUEST WITH PROJECT/OBJECT ON 2009 07 04

The Project/Object newsletter already said that Ray White will be sitting in with the band at the 2009/07/04 concert.
And that's not all as Ray will be performing with the Willie Waldman Project the same night.

Below is a YouTube video of Ray White performing Hendrix' 'Little Wing' with Generic Produce.

DWEEZIL AND GAIL ZAPPA IN VILNIUS

Check it out: Dweezil & Gail Zappa in Vilnius;

Here's the TV footage:

http://tv.delfi.lt/video/kCUnoeQ8/

And here's a little YouTube compilation video from the concert:

BRUCE BICKFORD AT ZAPPANALE

The Amazing Mr. Bruce Bickford will be a special guest at Zappanale 20

Bruce is bringing lots of his work over to Bad Doberan where you can see his creatures right at the exhibtion. He also brings along a couple of his newest pictures and his new film.

Biography

Bruce Bickford was born in 1947 in Seattle Washington . He began animating clay in the summer of 1964 at the age of 17.
He graduated from high school in 1965; and engaged in military service from 1966 to 1969. Upon his return he resumed animation,
and did his first line animation in 1970, then in 1973 he went looking for work in Los Angeles -where he met Frank Zappa.
He worked for him from 1974 through 1980. Afterwards, he returned to Seattle and resumed animating mostly his own personal work.

AN INTERVIEW WITH GUY SEGERS

Guy Segers has been a part of the RIO music scene since the early seventies. He recorded and toured with Univers Zero and has performed with various musicians from all over the place. He's also the co-founder of the legendary Carbon 7 record label.

Hello Guy,
you will be performing with Acid Mothers Guru Guru Gong at the ZAPPANALE FESTIVAL on Saturday. How did this come along?

Guy Segers: Makoto KAWABATA contacted me. I have played twice with him, and it seems that he liked it.

What was it like to play together with Makoto Kawabata?

Guy Segers: The two concerts with Makoto were very nice. I was completely free to do whatever I wanted. We started the two concerts without any planning, just play... It went, well, mostly based on energy. Any harmony or rhythm to follow, but at the same time many changes of harmony and rhythms!

What can we expect at the Zappale? Did you already share the stage with Daevid Allen and Mani Neumeier? And have you already discussed the concert with the other members of the band?

Guy Segers: No, nothing has been said, and until now I still have to exchange the first words with Mani and Daevid. There will be many options I guess. In the coming weeks I’ll listen to some of their respective music so that I can understand with what I can help them to feel comfortable.

Are you familiar with the Zappanale festival? Had you ever heard of it before?

Guy Segers: Not really, I heard about it the first time only last year. It is Michel Delville with whom I play in a new band who told me about it. He is also playing at the festival this year.

I really like the fact that you'll have musicians from different bands playing together. It's a bit like the new band that you mentioned, The Moving Tones. Can you tell us a bit about this Moving Tones project?

Guy Segers: Yes, it is a bit like MOVING TONES, but at the same time very different. Here we come from different countries as well. But the main difference is that Daevid, Makoto, Mani and I come from the “Rock” scene, the energy is different.

With MOVING TONES, I am the only musician that is not coming from the Jazz scene. The concept is nice, and consists in bringing some own compositions as well as “covers”. This brings us in a very wide spectrum of styles. In the same repertoire we play things that shouldn’t be together, like some Tony Williams and some old Pink Floyd or Radiohead. It looks iconoclast, but the fact that we put our personalities in it, gives a new lecture of these pieces. We include in each song a large space for improvisation, and this also gives us the possibility to include a guest musician. I think that more and more this way of mixing styles will appear with new bands because most of the actual musicians have access to all kind of music styles and live with this mixed background. It is a much more flexible situation than in the past. Perhaps it will take a little time to be legitimate as “new” because some people will think that playing some old Pink Floyd is old fashioned. All the difference is how and in which context!!!

What else can we expect from you in the near future?

Guy Segers: Quite a lot I hope.

Live I also play sometimes with “Sibel” a Turkish oriented music. And soon I’ll start a new band called “Emergent Sea”, this time a “Rock” oriented band including improvisation in a “Rock” context. I also record my bass as guest with different people all over the world. I like that, because here again you are not bound to a specific style, people or instruments. I already had some good experiences, but now that I started playing again, I am looking for more, especially joining musicians for live performances.

Thank you for your time & see you soon !

Guy Segers: If you want to know more, have a look here :
http://www.myspace.com/guysegers – or ask me !


-- peter van laarhoven

MIRTHKON

MIRTHKON, or miRthkon as they prefer, is an Oakland based band.
I don't know too much about them, but they do have a new album out.
The album is called "Vehicle", and you can listen to some samples over their MySpace page.

http://www.myspace.com/mirthkon

ALLA

Mexican / American trio Allá has a new miniCD out.
It's called "(Digs)" and it includes a coverversion of The Residents' 'New Hymn'.

THE BLACK NAPKINS

The Black Napkins is a Dutch trio that plays improvised music / jazz.
They're named after a famous Zappa tune & they have a new CD out, also called "The Black Napkins".

Sanne van Hek: trumpet
Jasper Stadhouders: guitar
Gerri Jäger: drums

http://www.myspace.com/theblacknapkins

RAY COLLINS SPEAKS

Vivalapsych, at the Zappateers forum:

Ray Collins speaks:

http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_12484780

EDGAR VARESE AND FREE JAZZ

over at the Zappateers site, CheepnisAroma says:

"What a nice find! A tape recording of composer Edgar Varèse conducting a workshop of Jazz musicians in 1957!!"

http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2009/06/edgar-varèse-and-the-jazzmen-mp3s.html

Quote:
Edgard Varèse conducts a workshop with jazzmen Art Farmer (trumpet), Hal McKusik (clarinet, alto sax), Teo Macero (tenor sax), Eddie Bert (trombone), Frank Rehak (trombone), Don Butterfield (tuba), Hall Overton (piano), Charlie Mingus (bass), Ed Shaughnessy (drums), probably John La Porta (alto sax)... We don't know who is on vibes...

It might be the first free jazz recording (totally unissued) of History of Music. Varèse might have influenced jazzmen or was he only aware of what was happening on the jazz scene? No matter of the answer, it's a bomb, as this music is 3 years earlier than Free Jazz by Ornette Coleman! We also know Charlie Parker wanted to study with Varèse in autumn 1954 but the composer flew to Europe to conduct Déserts. When he came back to New York in May 1955, Parker had already died. We also know that Varèse used to listen to John Coltrane at the Village.

Between March and August 1957, these Sunday jam-sessions were followed by arranger George Handy, journalist Robert Reisner, composers James Tenney, Earle Brown and John Cage, choreographer Merce Cunningham. The organizers were Earle Brown and Teo Macero who will become Miles Davis' producer among others. Varèse used certain extracts of the workshop for his Poème électronique. The original of this tape is at Fondation Paul Sacher.

THE RETURN OF THE NEW ZAPPA T-SHIRT

Bohous tells me that the above painting by Karel Saudek will be on the Zappa t-shirt that the Czech Frank Zappa Fan Club is preparing for Zappanale.
It will be in yellow and black, with the above picture on the front, and the Czech FZ Fan Club logo on the back.

click for a bigger picture:
http://www.united-mutations.com/z/frank_zappa/zappa_k_saudek01.htm

PC-3o

PC-3o is not your average Star Wars robot, it's the Pieter Claus Trio.
& Pieter Claus used to play the vibes in Whatchamacallit, a belgian band that played the music of Frank Zappa.

PC-3o is scheduled for two performances this week. Both in Belgium.

2009/06/04 @ Los Perros Calientes (Goudstraat 2, Gent) at 21 h
2009/06/05 @ Buster (Antwerpen) at 22 h

PC-3o is

• Pieter Claus: vibes
• Jouni Isoherranen: bass
• Lander Gyselinck: drums

ZAPPOSTROPHE 114

The latest issue of the Czech Frank Zappa Fanzine is out!
Number 114.
More info soon.

ARNO HINTJENS

• arno: best of 3cd
  (2009, 3cd, bel, emi 5 099996 442722)

"Best Of 3CD" collects songs from Arno Hintjens' entire career. It also includes his version of Van Vliet's 'Hot Head', originally released in 1994 by Arno & The Subrovnicks on the album "Water".

Arno turned 60 the other day. Happy Birthday !!

VAN VLIET ON A T-SHIRT

Here's a picture of a t-shirt that was used for the "Studio Marta" school theater technicians in Brno in the Czech Republic. It features a beautifal Van Vliet drawing.

ZpZ SETLISTS

Here are a couple of setlists of recent ZpZ concerts.
They have been added to the ZpZ entry over at United Mutations:
http://www.united-mutations.com/z/zpz.htm

2009/05/22 Zappa Plays Zappa - concert ‘Handelsbeurs‘, Ghent, BELGIUM

• Apostrophe, Montana, Magic Fingers, Inca Roads, The Black Page Drum Solo / Black Page #1, Black Page #2, Cosmik Debris, The Purple Lagoon, Village Of The Sun, Echidna's Arf (Of You), Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?, Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up, Outside Now, A Pound For A Brown, Zomby Woof, Peaches En Regalia, Trouble Every Day, Token Of My Extreme Outro
  encores: Bamboozled By Love, Willie The Pimp

2009/05/23 Zappa Plays Zappa - concert ‘Effenaar‘, Eindhoven, NETHERLANDS

• The Purple Lagoon, Imaginary Diseases, Penguin In Bondage, Wind Up Workin' In A Gas Station, Magic Fingers, Inca Roads, Lumpy Gravy Theme, Peaches En Regalia, Village Of The Sun, Echidna's Arf (Of You), Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?, Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up, Outside Now, Bamboozled By Love, King Kong, Trouble Every Day, Token Of My Extreme Outro
  encores: Cosmik Debris, Zomby Woof, Willie The Pimp

2009/05/25 Zappa Plays Zappa - concert ‘Paradiso‘, Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS

• Black Napkins, Penguin In Bondage, Pygmy Twylyte, Dirty Love, Inca Roads, Village of the Sun, Echidna's Arf (Of You), Don't you ever wash that thing?, Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up, Outside Now, Mammy Anthem, The Purple Lagoon, Magic Fingers, Bamboozled By Love, Cosmik Debris, Apostrophe, Zomby Woof, Willie the Pimp

2009/05/28 Zappa Plays Zappa - concert ‘Venue TBA‘, Berlin, GERMANY

• Lumpy Gravy Theme, The Purple Lagoon, Inca Roads, Why Don't You Do Me Right?, Penguin In Bondage, Village Of The Sun, Echidna's Arf (Of You), Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?, Cosmik Debris, Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up, Outside Now, The Black Page Drum Solo / Black Page #1, Black Page #2, Bamboozled By Love, Trouble Every Day, Grand Wazoo Theme (Band Improvisation), Token Of My Extreme Outro
  encores: Black Napkins, Peaches En Regalia, Zomby Woof, Willie The Pimp

2009/05/29 Zappa Plays Zappa - concert ‘Theatrefabrik’, Munich, GERMANY

• A Pound For A Brown, Montana, Penguin In Bondage, Village Of The Sun, Echidna's Arf (Of You), Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?, Dirty Love, Lumpy Gravy Theme, Peaches En Regalia, Inca Roads, The Black Page Drum Solo / Black Page #1, Black Page #2, Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up, Outside Now, Bamboozled By Love / Owner Of A Lonely Heart, King Kong, Cosmik Debris