Sunday, July 31, 2022

CLUB D'ELF - YOU NEVER KNOW

  • club d'elf: you never know
        (2022, 2lp, usa, private release)
Revolving around bassist / leader Mike Rivard, the Club d’Elf is a Boston-based ever-shifting collective of musicians.
Bandcamp adds: The music draws from a startingly wide spectrum of styles, including jazz, hip hop, Moroccan gnawa, electronica, avant garde, prog-rock and dub.
The band’s “You Never Know” album presented their 11-minute version of FZ’s ‘King Kong’.
Released through Bandcamp as a digital download, as 2 LP set, and on CD.

Fine album. Excellent version of 'King Kong' as well.



CONNOR MCMULLEN - THE ALBUM

  • connor mcmullen: the album
        (2022, download, --, bandcamp)

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based multi-instrumentalist Connor McMullen released "The Album" a couple of weeks ago.
An experimental 6-track mini album.
'Ben' sampled FZ's 'Lemme Take You To The Beach', 'Emma' sampled 'Lonely Little Girl'.

-- info: Hans-Peter Schmidt

CORY WONG & CANDY DULFER

Three weeks ago, July 10, 2022, Candy Dulfer joined Cory Wong's band feat. Dave Koz on stage during North Sea Jazz...
How funky can you get?



EASY MEAT

'If I Was You' by Hugo Remmelt & Thijs Muus.
Written by Hugo Remmelt.
From 1999.

Earlier today, I bought an album by Dutch band Easy Meat (from The Hague), entitled "New Facts In The Strange Case Of Easy Meat", a band that featured Thijs Muus on guitar and vocals.
From 1995.
Their second album.
According to the Dutch Pop Encyclopedia, they used to perform Zappa songs when they started out...

Kees Zuurbier (Easy Meat) adds:
We played at Dutch Zappa fanclubconcerts, and are big fans of Zappa music. However, we never released any Zappa music.
'City of Tiny Lights' was a standard for years in concert, as was 'Stinkfoot' and 'My Guitar wants to kill your mama'. We did some concerts playing Zappa exclusively, and had much fun doing so. The band plays their own work, occasionally with a Zappa cover. Big influence by Zappa. Otherwise rock.

Nice album.
Blues/Rock.


VARIOUS ARTISTS - ART SCHOOL DANCING

  • various artists: art school dancing
        (2002, cd, uk, harvest)
The 2002 "Art School Dancing" compilation CD that got issued by the Harvest record label, featured some highlights from some of their artists.
It included Babe Ruth's version of FZ's 'King Kong', originally released on their 1972 "First Base" album.


ZAPPANALE 2022 - #4 - WELCOME TO BAD DOBERAN

Thursday, July 14, we drove from Hamburg to Bad Doberan, the little village that becomes Zappa Town for one week every year.
At least that what the huge plates on the side of the road say  :-)

picture by Erik Schuurman

And I guess every Zappanale visitor has the same ritual when he enters the city. You go to the town's square and look for the Frank Zappa statue.


It has a nice spot, looking at the main entrance of the town.
Some people even rub the statue's nose for good luck...
And it's next to the main street that one has to follow to get to the market place where the Exhibition Room is located.

Here's a shot with a larger view, with a non-random person to put it all in perspective.


And then it all started. From this moment onwards, Zappanale was one sequence of meeting nice people and listening to good music.
Walking to the market place, we ran into Evelien, Bas, Jessica and JP, and a couple of minutes later, Luc drove by on a bike ! Great to see them all again.


Saturday, July 30, 2022

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND'S LATEST PROJECT

Tedeschi Trucks band's latest project is called "I Am The Moon".
Four album & four movies.
(Part three has just been released.)

Check it out here: https://www.tedeschitrucksband.com/i-am-the-moon

-

-


CORY WONG & JOE SATRIANI

 Cory Wong analyses his tune 'Massive' that features Joe Satriani on the guitar.


The actual track:


LITTLE FEAT'S "WAITING FOR COLUMBUS" RERELEASED AS AN 8 CD BOX SET

The deluxe re-issue of Little Feat's "Waiting For Columbus" is an 8 CD box !!
Feat. Lowell George and including the Elliot Ingber-penned 'Don't Bogart That Joint'.

This special 8 CD super deluxe edition comprises the original album remastered across CDs 1 and 2 with the remaining 6 discs comprising 3 previously unreleased in full live shows from the original run of live recordings that comprised the Waiting for Columbus album. CDs 3 and 4 include a previously unreleased live show recorded at Manchester City Hall in Manchester, England on July 29, 1977. CDs 5 and 6 include a previously unreleased in full show recorded at The Rainbow in London, England on August 2, 1977. CDs 7 and 8 include a previously unreleased in full live show recorded Lisner Auditorium in Washington D.C. on August 10, 1977. It’s a deep dive into truly one of the best live albums ever and is the definitive edition of a classic that truly will "boogie your speakers away.” The 8CD is packaged in a box approx. 7” x 7”; CDs are housed in wallets in cut-out at bottom of box and will feature a 24 page booklet.


Friday, July 29, 2022

TWO NEW BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT OF FRANK ZAPPA

The first one is from last year and lists Zappa's discography.


The second is more recent and tells the story of one of the most famous FZ pictures, including how fellow Zappateer and buddy Javier located the original negatives of the shoot.
Great story.
Nice reading.


AKA MOON AT JAZZ MIDDELHEIM

If I would have to pick one day to attend the upcoming Jazz Middelheim festival in Antwerp next August, it would be Sunday, the final day.
Not only will Aka Moon perform with special guest Joao Barradas, but Kurt Rosenwinkel is scheduled to perform, and Philippe Catherine has been added (with guest Alexandre Cavalière on the violin) as well.

August 15, 2022

  • 12.45 – 13.45: Flight of the Black Zebra ft. Jakob Bro
  • 14.30 – 15.45: Aka moon with João Barradas
  • 16.30 – 17.45: Kurt Rosenwinkel Trio
  • 18.30 – 19.45: Philip Catherine Piano trio
  • 20.30 – 22.00: Fred Hersch Trio & Desguin String Quartet


FROM THE UPCOMING SNARKY PUPPY ALBUM

Snarky Puppy
'Bet'

 

Thursday, July 28, 2022

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 !!

R.I.P. VINCENT DEROSA

July 18, 2022, American hornist Vincent DeRosa passed away.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_DeRosa

He was a part of the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra (Feb - March 1967) when Frank Zappa recorded the orchestral parts for "Lumpy Gravy", and he also participated in the recording of Jean-Luc Ponty's "King Kong" album !

-- info: Charles Pater


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 :



Wednesday, July 27, 2022

TERRY BOZZIO & JOE TRAVERS

Last week, the Drum Channel put below video on YouTube:
Terry Bozzio jamming with Joe Travers.
It's all over Facebook, but I'm mentioning it here in case you haven't' seen it.


-- info: Harald Häring


Monday, July 25, 2022

JONI MITCHELL

Joni Mitchell sings, steals show with surprise Newport Folk Festival concert

https://www.npr.org/2022/07/25/1113351769/joni-mitchell-brandi-carlile-newport-folk-festival-2022


MAXAYN

American funk/soul group Maxayn was named after Maxayn Lewis (Paulette Parker) and featured former Zappa band member André Lewis on keyboards.
In 1977, the group morphed into the Mandré project to explore a more electronic/disco sound.

In 2017, the three Maxayan albums got released as a box set, entitled "Maxayn Reloaded".

-- info: Harald Häring


FREAK OUT! BEER

Spotted by Jeroen in a specialized beer shop in Tilburg, NL.

Freak Out! beer.

-- info: Jeroen J.


Saturday, July 23, 2022

FRANK ZAPPA & DUANE ALLMAN

 Nice article about FZ, Whipping Post & Duane Allman:

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/song-frank-zappa-wrote-for-duane-allman/

And there's more: 
(picture by Bob Hornfeck on Facebook)


SHARP ELEVEN ELECTRIC BAND

Word has it, that the Sharp Eleven Electric Band will be performing at the KitchenJazz festival in Oud Turnhout (Belgium) on August 21, 2022.

Not confirmed at the website, but let's hope it will happen.
Sounds like a perfect reason to visit the festival !!

https://www.jazzkitchen.be/



MOSAE ZAPPA #7

November 26, 2022, the seventh (!!) edition of the Mosae Zappa festival will take place in Heerlen in The Netherlands (on the border with Belgium and Germany).

Pre-party on the 25th,
and a matinee jazz gig on the 27th,
if you go for the early bird and/or weekend edition of the ticket.

https://oefenbunker.stager.nl/Mosae%20Zappa%202022/tickets


And, no, "The Others Of Invention" is not a listening session to some of the music that I've mentioned in the books that I compiled last year, although I have given that some thought...
Playing some of the music by various bands through the speakers while typing comments on a big screen. Might be fun.
But, no, The Others Of Invention is the reincarnation of a Dutch Zappa cover band, previously known as FiftyII50. That should also be fun.


PIERRE VERVLOESEM GROUP AT JAZZ CLUB DE SINGER NEXT SEPTEMBER

I've mentioned this earlier, but as the tickets are on sale, it needed another plug !

Pierre Vervloesem Group at De Singer in Rijkevorsel, Belgium

  • Bruno Vansina: alto sax
  • Pierre Vervloesem: guitar
  • Nicholas Dechêne: bass
  • Marcus Weymaere: drums

On September 23, 2022

https://www.desinger.be/en/program/23-09-2022/pierre-vervloesem-group-ft-bruno-vansina

Bruno Vansina - Pierre Vervloesem


Friday, July 22, 2022

OINGO BOINGO 1985 CONCERT ON YOUTUBE

Danny Elfman / Oingo Boingo Live At The Ritz 1985


-- info: Harald Häring


NIGHTHAWKS - LIVE IN HAMBURG

  • nighthawks: live in hamburg
        (2012, cd/dvd, germany, herzog records)
Cologne/Hamburg-based band Nighthawks got recommended to me by a friend. As a good taste in music is a minimum requirement to belong to my limited circle of friends, I was all ears.

Nighthawks.
I wasn't familiar with the band and I have to say that it's a real discovery.
Lounge jazz/funk but with an improvised & psychedelic touch.
Trumpet and guitar, what a perfect combination.
This is really good. From 2012 !!
Check out the link below.
  • Reiner Winterschladen: trumpet/flugelhorn
  • Markus Wienstroer: guitars
  • Jürgen Dahmen: fender rhodes/percussion
  • Oliver Jäger: keyboards
  • Thomas Alkier: drums
  • Dal Martino: bass
"Live In Hamburg" got recorded at the Elbjazz festival.
Out on vinyl, and also as a CD/DVD package.


-- info: Mick Zeuner

JEAN-PAUL ESTIÉVENART INTERNATIONAL QUINTET IN CONCERT

November 10, 2022, Jean-Paul Estiévenart's International Quintet will be performing at Flagey in Brussels.

  • Jean-Paul Estiévenart, trompet
  • Bram De Looze, piano
  • Clemens van der Feen, contrabas
  • Ben Van Gelder, saxofoon
  • Jeff Ballard, drums

https://www.flagey.be/nl/activity/9421-jean-paul-estievenart-international-quintet


ZAPPOSTROPHE 148

Our Czech friends are working on the next (and final?) issue of the Frank Zappa Fanzine.
It will be no°148 and is due out in September.


ZAPPANALE 2022 - #1

This year, our Zappanale adventure kicked off with a Steve Vai concert in Antwerp.
Of course, Steve's concert was not really part of the Zappanale festivities but the concert was on Sunday evening and our trip started on Tuesday, so it felt like a pre-pre-Zappanale concert.

The OLT in Deurne, near Antwerp is a superb location. Most importantly, it's an amphitheater so everybody's got a good view.

Nicholas Meier opened.
Electro-acoustic guitar. Oriental flavoured jazz sound. Also fretless electro-acoustic and a 10-string guitar of which I forgot the name.
Vai’s show started pretty loud. Too loud, actually. I’m still wondering why.
Is it because the guys at the mixing board are getting deaf? Is it because they measure the sound level only from the p.a.?? I don’t see the benefit of a band being amplified too loud and the audience needing earplugs!?! Earplugs never not do justice to the actual sound balance…
Halfway through the show, I decided to continue without the earplugs. A wise decision sound- wise, if you discard the ‘heavy head’ afterwards.
Still, over two hours of instrumental wonderment. 

(picture by Frank Laforce)

On Tuesday, we left for Hamburg. Arriving in the evening, we went for tapas in the Karolinenviertel. Nice.
The next day, we had to return to the same neighbourhood as it's also the location of some fine record shops: Fischkopp-plattenshop, Groove City and Zardoz are only a stone's throw apart.

Last year, I picked up the 2019 re-issue of Sun Ra's "Space Is The Place" at Groove City. On blu-ray and DVD.


This year, I brought home a copy of MF Doom's "MM.. Food?" album, a repress from 2020 on green and pink vinyl, from the Zardoz record shop.
(track1, 'Beef Rap' includes a sample of Zappa's 'Would You Like A Snack?', track 8, 'Gumbo', includes samples of Zappa's 'Holiday In Berlin, Full Blown' and of 'Would You Like A Snack?'.)


A fine start it was, and it was only Wednesday afternoon...


THE RESIDENTS' "TRIPLE TROUBLE" MOVIE TO PREMIERE AT CHICAGO FILM FESTIVAL NEXT WEEK

From the CherryRed newsletter

The Residents - Triple Trouble
will be shown at the Chicago Underground Film Festival
On July 29, 2022

Friday, July 29, 2022 7:00 PM CDT
Logan Theatre




...it seems the film has been selected for a premiere showing at the highly prestigious Chicago Underground Film Festival on Friday July 29th! Rumour is the Eyeballs themselves may be in attendance, chaperoned as ever by Homer Flynn. It's big news, and all of the information you need on show time, the venue and the film itself can be found right here: https://cuff29.eventive.org/schedule/62ab86f124c35800bcbe6566


RECENT STEVE VAI CONCERT RECORDINGS

 A couple of concert recordings of the current Steve Vai tour showed up on DimeADozen.

The June5 gig at Manchester,
the June 18 gig from Gothenburg,
And the July 10 concert from Antwerp.

It does seem that Steve has altered the setlist slightly since the start of the tour, replacing 'Sandman Cloud Mist' with 'Whispering A Prayer'.

The Antwerp setlist :

Intro * Avalanche * Giant Balls Of Gold * Little Pretty * band intro * Tender Surrender * Lights Are On * Candlepower * Dave Weiner solo * Building The Church * Greenish Blues * Bad Horsie * I'm Becoming * Whispering A Prayer * Dyin’ Day * drum solo * Zeus In Chains * Liberty * For The Love Of God * Fire Garden Suite IV - Taurus Bulba

A beautiful concert.
And a perfect warming-up for my (our) trip to Hamburg and to Zappanale that kicked off a couple of days after this gig.

Picture by Frank Laforce :



Wednesday, July 20, 2022

THE RESIDENTS - TRIPLE TROUBLE

Triple Trouble
A film by The Residents

https://consequence.net/2022/07/the-residents-triple-trouble-trailer-homer-flynn/

 

THE RESIDENTS IN CONCERT IN GERMANY IN SEPTEMBER

The Residents in concert in Karlsruhe, Germany on September 10 and 11, 2022.

THE RESIDENTS  -  GOD IN THREE PERSONS


https://zkm.de/en/event/2022/09/the-residents-god-in-3-persons


BKO - DJINE BORA

New release by BKO on the Les Disques Bongo Joe.

In response to the current political and ecological turmoil, the famous Malian quintet BKO appeals to the magical spirit of the djinn with Djine Bora (the appearance of the genie). An explosive and mystical third album, embodied by a music of resistance, the fruit of their unique experimentation with Mandingo music and their extraordinary history.

 

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

BABE RUTH - DARKER THAN BLUE

  • babe ruth: darker than blue
        (2022, 3cd, uk, esoteric recordings)
Subtitled “The Harvest Years 1972-1975”, this 3 CD clamshell boxed set includes the albums and singles by Babe Ruth recorded for the Harvest label between 1972 and 1975. Newly remastered from the original master tapes, it includes the 1972 “First Base” album that presented the band’s version of Frank Zappa’s ‘King Kong’. 
The three CDs are each packed in a cardboard cover.
Comes with a 36-page booklet.





NEW ALBUM BY CONDOR GRUPPE

Antwerp-based ensemble Condor Gruppe will be releasing a new album in September.
Out on Sdban Records.

You can already listen to two tracks (and pre-order the album) over at Bandcamp :


WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND REISSUES

 A few years ago, both Jackpot Records and the Music On Vinyl record label reissued the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band's "Part One" album. 
This was the WCPAEB's third release and it's well-known by fans of Frank Zappa's music as WCPAEB recorded and released FZ's 'Help, I'm A Rock' on this album.
For those who are into these sort of things, there's a 'Help, I'm A Rock' button on the album cover as well.

Anyway, Jackpot Records did another reissue earlier this year:
500 copies of a ‘cool blue’ vinyl edition, distributed by exclusively by Newbury Comics, and a limited edition on ‘orange sunset’ vinyl.






NEW DANS DANS ALBUM IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Out next September but already available for pre-order.

white vinyl LP
standard LP
CD
and/or
digital download


 

STINKFOOT ORCHESTRA TOURDATES

The Stinkfoot Orchestra with Ike Willis
performing the music of Frank Zappa


Monday, July 18, 2022

JOE DENINZON & STRATOSPHEERIUS

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius just added their 2018 album, "Guilty Of Innocence" to their Bandcamp page.
If you don't know it yet, check it out !


JEFF COTTON'S ALBUM WILL BE OUT IN AUGUST

I just returned from the Zappanale festival, only to find some additional news on the upcoming Jeff Cotton album in my e-mail box !!

"The Fantasy Of Reality".
Scheduled for release on on August 12.
Out on Madfish
Artwork by Cal Schenkel
Available from Plato / Concerto in neighboring country The Netherlands, which means that there won't be additional costs for customs.

Pre-order now: https://jeffcotton.lnk.to/fantasyofreality

Jeff Cotton of Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band fame to release his first ever solo album - The Fantasy of Reality.

After playing guitar, lap steel and vocals with the legendary Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, appearing on the ground breaking album Trout Mask Replica (under the pseudonym Antennae Jimmy Semens), as well as playing on Strictly Personal & Mirror Man, Cotton withdrew from the commercial music business for nearly 50 years. Using the island state of Hawaii as a home base, he emerges from his seclusion in 2022 with his first ever solo album; The Fantasy of Reality.

Whimsical, playful and tongue-in-cheek - Cotton delivers a psychedelic journey that will delight Beefheart devotees while bringing plenty of new ideas to the table across the sprawling 22 track, 66 minute runtime. Trout Mask Replica cover designer Cal Schenkel collaborates once again as he returns to contribute to the internal artwork of the album to continue the Captain Beefheart canon into the 2020s.

Across the decades, the Magic Band’s power and influence has only grown in might, and the cult following of 1969’s Trout Mask Replica still excites fans to this day, in part due to the mystery and enigma of members such as Antennae Jimmy Semens (aka Jeff Cotton). In 1967, Cotton was scoped by Don Van Vliet - Captain Beefheart himself, replacing Ry Cooder on guitar. He then went one to help craft some of Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band's most vibrant recordings and later contributed to the cult band MU.

Now blending together musical strands such as jazz, delta blues, Hawaiian and the avant-garde to create a melting pot of ideas, Cotton will astonish fans with his comeback.

The magic will continue on The Fantasy of Reality, available on CD via Madfish.

And here's an interview with Jeff, from Guitar Player Magazine:

https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/captain-beefheart-guitarist-jeff-cotton-shares-5-insightful-tips-for-guitar-players


Monday, July 11, 2022

THE ZAPPANALE TIME-TABLE

HAMBURG - in co-operation with Zappanale

Wednesday, 13.07.2022
starting at 20h00 - Napoleon Murphy Brock & Mats Öberg
at the St.Katharinenkirche


BAD DOBERAN
https://www.zappanale.de/

Wednesday, 13.07.2022 - Zappanale Ausstellung - Bad Doberan, Am Markt 3
starting at 14h00
Thursday to Sunday from 10h00 to 14h00 : live acts

Thursday, 14.07.2022 - Zappanale WarmUp-Party - Bad Doberan, Klosterhof
starting at 16h00
  • BEND (DE)
  • Miserablen Hurensöhne (DE)
  • Blanck Zappath (DE)
  • Who's Pink? (DE)
Friday, 15.07.2022 - Zappanale Festival - Galopprennbahn Bad Doberan
starting at 15h00
  • Jazzprojekt Hundehagen (DE)
  • Tante Tofu (DE)
  • FiDOplaysZappa & Special Guests (CH)
  • Klangfusion (DE)
  • Potenzial (DE)
  • Marco Pacassoni Group (IT)
Saturday, 16.07.2022 - Zappanale Festival - Galopprennbahn Bad Doberan
starting at 15h00
  • Oiapok (FR)
  • Run Logan Run (UK)
  • Liberation Orchestra (AU)
  • Valentina Ciardelli (IT)
  • Raoul Petite (FR)
  • Yasi Hofer Trio (DE)
Sunday, 17.07.2022 - Zappanale Festival - Galopprennbahn Bad Doberan
starting at 15h00
  • Co de Kloet (NL)
  • Colosseum (UK)
  • Art Tripp (US)
  • The Mike Keneally Report (USA)
  • Good Bye Session (DE)
  • DRH (FR)

 

R.I.P. TOMMY MORGAN

Tommy Morgan passed away at the age of 89.
Harmonica Player For ‘Cool Hand Luke’ And ‘Dances With Wolves’, he also played harmonica on Zappa's "Orchestral Favorites".

-- info: Charles Pater

 


Sunday, July 10, 2022

BLACK MIDI RECORDED MOONLIGHT ON VERMONT

 Black Midi recorded Don Van Vliet / Captain Beefheart's 'Moonlight On Vermont' and released it as part of their "Cavalcovers" digital EP last March.

https://bmblackmidi.bandcamp.com/album/cavalcovers

To make things more interesting, Black Midi released their latest album, "Cavalcade", in different editions, the difference being added flexi discs to the LP.

The red flexi is the band's version of CB's 'Moonlight On Vermont';
The green flexi has a cover version of Taylor Swift's 'Love Story';
The white flexi  has a cover version of King Crimson's '21st Century Schizoid Man';
The blue flexi  has a cover version of Prince's 'Nothing Compares To You';

And these are just the ones I came across. There might be more...

-- info: Ive Hapers


Saturday, July 9, 2022

NEW DANNY ELFMAN ALBUM TO BE RELEASED NEXT MONTH

Danny Elfman
"Bigger.Messier"
Out in August


-- info: Harald Häring


THE SONS OF KEMET

Sons Of Kemet, with Shabaka Hutchings

"From The Basement"

-- info: Harald Häring


THE ROBERT DAVIDSON PHOTOGRAPHS

Prints of the Robert Davidson photographs are available here:

https://www.modernrocksgallery.com/robert-davidson-photographe



"I SHOT FRANK ZAPPA - MY LIFE IN PHOTOGRAPHY" BY ROBERT DAVIDSON

A brand-new book that might be of interest to Zappa fans:

"I Shot Frank Zappa: My Life In Photography"
8 July 2022
by Robert Davidson and John Elliott



KRONER CIRKUS - KOMETA KRONERA

  • kroner cirkus: kometa kronera
        (2021, cd, Poland, gad records)
People who visit this blog should be familiar with Michał 'Matragon' Worgacz.
In 2006, Michał performed at the Zappanale festival with his Pikantik project. The band even released a couple of promotional CDR albums around that time. (Unfortunately, my copies have degraded and can't be played anymore...).
Anyway, Pikantik played an amazing concert at Zappanale in 2006, so I was happy to re-acquaint with Michał through Facebook a couple of years ago.
Last year, Michał re-released / upgraded a cassette he had released in 1999 (!!). At the time, he fronted rock band Kroner Cirkus, a Krakau-based rock band. The "Kometa Kronera" cassette was the band's only release (although promotional CDR copies exist!)
The re-release on the GAD Records label used the original DAT tapes and added a handful of English versions as a bonus.

Kroner Circus ceased to exist in 2006 and it looks like Michał is taking part in a lot of Pink Floyd tributes nowadays. Maybe "Kometa Kronera" will revive the project.

If you're into guitar-oriented classic (hard) rock, you should definitely check out Kroner Cirkus.



VARIOUS ARTISTS - SECRET RECORDS COMPILATION 2021 1/2

  • various artists: secret records compilation 2021 1/2
        (2021, cd, USA, secret records)
This little package took a while to get in Belgium but I'm quite happy it finally arrived: the "Secret Records Compilation 2021 1/2", with material from the various 2021 vinyl albums : The Residents, Snakefinger, Hardy Fox, Renaldo & The Loaf, Chrome,...


HÄNDL PLAYS ZAPPA - AN UPDATE

In a recent message, Fred Händl announced that his next album, "Händl Plays Zappa", will be released in a limited edition of 100 copies.

About 40 copies have already been sold / reserved.
If you want a copy, you shouldn't wait to contact Fred !

Fred also added that he is working on both 'Absolutely Free' and 'Filthy Habits' to be recorded for this new album.


PRINCE - THE GOLD EXPERIENCE (RSD RELEASE)


The Gold Experience was the first full-length Prince album to be credited to his unpronounceable symbol and was released at the most public, heated stage of his battle with the major label industrial complex.

With the word “SLAVE” written on one cheek, Prince shined on the opulent ballads “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” and “Gold” and the defiant single “Eye Hate U,” and the album earned widespread critical acclaim.

The Record Store Day re-release of The Gold Experience is an homage to the rare US-only promo version of the album that was released in 1995.

The 2LP set is pressed onto 140g translucent gold vinyl with a bonus suite of “Eye Hate U” remixes on Side D.



DAVID BELMONT WITH BRENT ARNOLD - INTERNATIONAL STEEL GUITAR

  • david belmont with brent arnold: international steel guitar
        (2014, cd, USA, private release / windwater productions)
New York City-based guitarist, composer and producer David Belmont’s collaboration with Brent Arnold resulted in “International Steel Guitar”, an album on which David plays dobro, drums and percussion, and Brent can be heard on the cello. The final track of the album is their version of Frank Zappa’s ‘Watermelon In Easter Hay’.


M.E.D., BLU, MADLIB - BAD NEIGHBOR

  • m.e.d., blu, madlib: bad neighbor
        (2015, cd, usa, bang ya head )
In 2015, hip-hoppers and MC’s M.E.D. (real name Nick Rodriguez), Blu (real name Johnson Barnes III) and Madlib (real name Otis Jackson, Jr) released their collaboration, “Bad Neighbor”. The album included ‘Get Money’, a track that ended with a snippet of FZ’s ‘Florentine Pogen’. 
Released on CD and as 2 LP.

As far as I know, the 2017 "Bad Neighbor Instrumentals" edition did not include the Zappa outro.

The original album would get a re-release in 2019 on ‘red and black swirl vinyl’ in a limited edition of 500 copies.
Another re-release was issued in 2021, a single LP on red and black vinyl. This edition had shorter tracks, different sequencing and some tracks missing, compared to the original release.
I don't know if this 2021 edition still used the zappa outro.

Not too impressed with the outro, however.
They could have done something better with that.


VARIOUS ARTISTS - 13 DRIFTS TO GUESTLING

  • various artists: 23 drifts to guestling
        (2008, cd, UK, iham)

Originally released on cassette in 1983, "23 Drifts To Guestling", got re-issued on CD in 2008.

Compiled with permission, “23 Drifts To Guestling” was the fourth and final issue of the Nanavesh magazine. It was a sonic collage of interviews, music, telephone conversations, radio broadcasts, etcetera, related to the band Throbbing Gristle.
It included 38 seconds of ‘E Talks To Frank Zappa’, credited to Genesis P-Orridge (= Neil Andrew Megson) and Frank Zappa.
= track 42 and not the best sound quality.

N-LITE - THE COMPOSITIONS BY FRANK ZAPPA (HEIKKI POROILA)

  • heikki poroila: n-lite - the compositions by frank zappa
        (2022, book, finland, honkakirja)
Heikki added :

The first edition was a handbook for Finnish speaking Zappa fans, the second one as a PDF publication tried to be the same for anybody reading and understanding at least some English. This third incarnation has been put together to celebrate the Zappanale 2022 and – of course – to update the original information.

"N-Lite - The Compositions Of Frank Zappa" is a 440-page book that lists every Frank Zappa composition that has been released, with info on the album(s) it got released on, as well as a bit of trivia.

B5-format.
Paperback.

Nice. Includes some fine cover artwork by Marko Nakari.


GENE PRITSKER UPDATE

A message from Gene Pritsker

Hey All,

Hope everyone is having a great start to their summer. I am in Berlin starting a 5+ week concert & festival tour.

July 9
First stop Berlin, producing the event Composers Concordance @ Hosek Contemporary Gallery, lots of my music performed at this concert including the premier of 'Vocal Canons' and 'Quotes from People Bork On July 9th, as well as performances of 'Light, Night and the Replaceables’, 'Renascence', and 'The difference Unhappiness'.

July 15
I go to Augsburg, Germany for the premiere of The mini opera 'Soubrette auf der Toilette Chamber Jazz Version’. Performed at the Kleiner Goldener Saal. Also on the program the songs ‘Path’, 'Purcell Laid back Groove’ and a Chamber Jazz Version of ‘Blues From An Airport Bar’. Performed by soprano Ljiljana Winkler, trumpeter Peter Oswald and many great local musicians

July 19
I travel to Vienna and on the 19th where Sound Liberation Di.J. Quartet performs at Wienstation, a set of my music featuring me as Di.J./guitar/rap With Clemens M. Rofner, Simon Springer and Peter Oswald

July 23
I go to Nuremberg, Germany and conduct the program Rockin ‘Ruins, Re-Imagined by GP, with the voice of Chanda Rule, basically my orchestrations/arrangements of rock music and the premiere of my composition 'A Deeper Purple Overture’ at the cool open air venue Katharinenruine With ensemble CONTRASTS

July 24 - August 14
I'm is back at the Outreach Festival in Schwaz, Austria. Premiers include the new trumpet concerto for Markus Finkler, 'Closest Thing To Joy & Love Duet' , with the Outreach Orchestra, and many workshops, concerts with various groups and composition classes. - will Be a fun time as usual -

August 7
And in the middle of my Outreach stay Sound Liberation travels to Passau, Germany to perform at the Jazzfest Passau, presenting my 'Lets Save The World Suite’, with Franz Hackl, Thomas Kugi, Clemens, Simon and me. This will be the European premiere of the full suite - we do it again in NYC on my birthday, Sept. 7th as the official CD release premiere concert.



CARL KING - THAT MONSTER SHOW

Early 2019, Carl King started a Kickstarter project to be able to produce a pilot episode for "That Monster Show", an animated series.
Carl King created and wrote "That Monster Show", and he also wrote the music !!
It was animated by Lance Myers, with voices by Joanie Brosas, LeeAnna Vamp, Dan Foster, Laila Berzins, Mark Borchart, Julia Aks and Cole Johnson.


As a backer, I received the Blu-ray with the pilot episode last week.
Quite a story actually. A couple of months ago, I got informed by Belgian Customs that I had to pay import and handling fees for a package from the US. Despite the fact that I paid, they returned the package to sender. Their mistake, they admitted, and they would even refund my fee. But they wouldn't refund the postage costs for the package to be sent again.

Anyway, the complete exercise started again from scratch (thank you, Carl), and I received the Blu-ray last week.


Love the animation and the music is great !
Four versions are to be found on the Blu-ray:
- original pilot episode
- with subtitles
- with Carl King voice over
- with only the music


Friday, July 8, 2022

PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION - LIVE

Not my typical Saturday morning music as my energy level isn't up to Prince's yet, but I'll get there.

Prince And The Revolution, "Live", the 1985 concert, which doesn't seem that long ago at all.


I'm enjoying the 2CD / Blu-Ray package that recently got released by the Prince Estate (or whatever they're called).
Perfect packaging, even if it's too high to fit in my CD shelves.
Beautiful booklet. CDs and Blu-Ray in separate cardboard album covers.
And an amazing concert.

True, nothing really new as we've seen and heard this concert before but a perfect reason to revisit.


CD 1


CD 2


Blu Ray