TONY TROMBO'S "TALKING ZAPPA"

I mentioned a little while ago that Podcaster Tony Trombo published a book with a selection of his podcast interviews with several musicians who worked with Frank Zappa.
"Talking Zappa".

The book is now also out in a hard-cover version.
I got my copy from Amazon.

THE MALLETS OF INVENTION - - - A LISTENING GUIDE TO FRANK ZAPPA'S PERCUSSIONISTS

The Mallets of Invention: A listening guide to Frank Zappa’s percussionists

by The Percussive Arts Society

https://pas.org/publication-articles/the-mallets-of-invention-a-listening-guide-to-frank-zappas-percussionists/

THE BANNED FROM UTOPIA - - - INCA ROADS (LIVE 2013)

Recorded in Frankfurt.

• Robert Martin - vocals, keyboards, sax, French horn
• Ray White - vocals, guitar
• Ed Mann - mallets, Percussion
• Tom Fowler - bass guitar
• Albert Wing - tenor sax, soprano sax
• Mike Miller - guitar
• Morgen Agren - drums

 

R.I.P. ED MANN

Ed Mann's Groove Unit.
Recorded in concert in 2015.

-

-- link: Harald Häring

ZAPPA HOLOGRAM TOUR FLASHBACK

An audience recording from a 2019 concert from The Zappa Band's hologram tour got seeded on Dime recently.
Actually, it was the first concert of the tour.

The Zappa Band
Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
19 April 2019

"The Bizarre World of Frank Zappa" Tour

Mike Keneally (guitar, keyboard, vocals), Scott Thunes (bass), Ray White (guitar,vocals), Robert Martin (keyboard, sax, vocals), Ed Mann (percussion), Joe Travers (drums)
special guest: Ahmet Zappa (vocals on 'Dead Girls Of London)

Intro * Cosmik Debris * Montana * Trouble Every Day * Village of the Sun > Alien Orifice * Penguin in Bondage * Apostrophe * Zomby Woof * The Evil Prince * #2 * Why Does It Hurt When I Pee? * Peaches en Regalia * Stink‐Foot * Father O'Blivion * The Dangerous Kitchen * Dinah-Moe Humm * My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama > Dead Girls of London * Dirty Love * Cheepnis * Camarillo Brillo

ED MANN - - - HIRED BY FRANK ZAPPA PART 2

Gonzo Today just published the second chapter in Ed Mann's "Hired By Frank Zappa" story.

https://gonzotoday.com/2021/08/17/hired-by-frank-zappa-chapter-2-the-first-week/?

ED MANN ARTICLE - - - HIRED BY FRANK ZAPPA

 Fine article by Ed Mann : Hired by Frank Zappa.

On Gonzo Today :

https://gonzotoday.com/2021/07/29/hired-by-frank-zappa/?

ED MANN FEAUTURED ON DOONER'S WORLD PODCAST

Ed Mann was featured on Dooner's World with Mike Muldoon.

Episode 82.
Lots about Zappa.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dooners-world/id1506884104

RAY WHITE, ROBERT MARTIN, ED MANN, MIKE KENEALLY, SCOTT THUNES, JOE TRAVERS, AHMET ZAPPA

In others words, The Bizarre World Of Frank Zappa.

Here's 'City Of Tiny Lites' from the Amsterdam show.
And 'No.2' and 'Why Does It Hurt'...

I wasn't there, but unicapb21 made some audience recordings.
Goosebumps (again)...

THE BIZARRE WORLD OF FRANK ZAPPA

What a fun week it was...
We went to see tBWoFZ (the Bizarre World of Frank Zappa) in London (UK) and in Oostende (BE).

I loved it.
Reverse karaoké, that's what it was. Musicians playing live to accompany a pre-recorded vocal part or guitar solo by the late Frank Zappa.
Mixing classic sing-alongs with (my favourite) more complex and instrumental compositions.
Top musicians with completely over-the-top projected animation and graphics, including some gigantic Bruce Bickford claymation clips.

Paraphrasing (the amazing !!) Mike Keneally during the Oostende concert : "Frank Zappa's music is a friend for life."

Here's a shot of Hot Dog Frank playing a guitar solo. This had me laughing out loud.

THE BIZARRE WORLD OF FRANK ZAPPA - - - TOURDATES

The Bizarre World Of Frank Zappa 2019 UK tour

May 09: Edinburgh Playhouse
May 11: Gateshead Sage
May 12: Manchester Bridgewater Hall
May 13: Birmingham Symphony Hall
May 14: London The Palladium

https://www.loudersound.com/news/frank-zappa-hologram-tour-is-coming-to-the-uk-in-may

The touring lineup includes Ray White, Mike Keneally, Scott Thunes, Robert Martin, Ed Mann and Joe ‘Vaultmeister’ Travers, while “hours of never seen before Zappa performance footage from the early 70s” will also feature in the shows.

THE GRANDMOTHERS OF INVENTION - FREE ENERGY

• the grandmothers of invention: free energy
      (2018, cd, usa, private release) 

The most recent Grandmothers tour had Ed Mann teaming up with Bunk Gardner, Don Preston and Christopher Garcia.
The band did a small number of concerts in Europe in April and came back for a final gig at Zappanale. Unfortunately for the Zappanale audience, Ed Mann hurt his pelvis recently and was unable to make it to Bad Doberan.

"Free Energy" has a lot of the tunes that The Grandmother performed during this recent tour. It is obvious that both Don and Bunk don't play as fluent as they used to, but it's nice to hear Ed perform with The Grandmothers.
Private release. Available from Don.

1. free energy (don preston)
2. the eric dolphy memorial bbq (frank zappa)
3. the eternal question (don preston)
4. modern man (george carlin)
5. king kong (frank zappa)
6. flower punk (frank zappa)
7. silicon hump (don preston)
8. evelynn the modified dog (frank zappa)
9. dark matter (don preston)
10. lament (don preston)
11. dr. know (ed mann)
12. talkin' ruth, chris, don, bunk
13. dupree's paradise (frank zappa), incl. ruth (don preston)

THE BIZARRE WORLD OF FRANK ZAPPA

Or in other words, the Frank Zappa hologram tour.

Here's the latest news, taken from Mike Keneally's newsletter :

Meanwhile, planning for The Bizarre World of Frank Zappa 2019 tour is ramping up considerably. The core band for the tour has got me, Joe Travers, Scott Thunes, Ray White, Robert Martin and Ed Mann. Holy cow.

THE GRANDMOTHERS OF INVENTION & SHENKAR

Tonight, May 12, in Oslo, Norway :

THE GRANDMOTHERS OF INVENTION, SHENKAR (L. SHANKAR), RONNI LE TEKRØ, and the NORWEGIAN WIND ENSEMBLE

organised by the ZappaUnion team.

Frank Zappa veterans Don Preston, Bunk Gardner, Ed Mann and Christopher Garcia make up the Grandmothers of Invention. May 12 will be the last chance to see them in Norway.

The concert will be unique :
Legend Shenkar (L. Shankar, violin) flies in from India only to perform with The Grandmothers.
On request of The Grandmothers, Ronni Le Tekrø will join the ensemble on the guitar.

Plus, the band will be joined by the Norwegian Wind Ensemble (Norwegian Blåseensemble (DNBE)). The DNBE has played several concerts with Dweezil Zappa and has released albums with Frank Zappa compositions.

I'm assuming that various Zappateers will be attending the concert. Let's hope that an audio or video turns up.

THE GRANDMOTHERS OF INVENTION

I saw The GrandMothers Of Ivention in concert last week. Once in Heerlen and again in Tilburg.

Don Preston, Bunk Gardner, Ed Mann and Christopher Garcia.

The Heerlen concert was quite a disaster, actually. Lots of mixer and monitor sound problems took the vibe away. Not only for the audience, but also for the musicians. Once that the issues had been resolved, the keyboards still sounded saturated... Quite frankly, It was a mess. Despite some fine solos, this concert could not be saved.

Tilburg was quite another story. With no scheduled or unscheduled breaks, the band played for two hours. Tight, or at least more tight then in Heerlen, and with great solos, it was like this was a completely different band. Add a superb sound (tip to the hat for the soundguy) and a fine audience and one gets a great evening.

THE GRANDMOTHERS OF INVENTION - LIVE IN BREMEN

• the grandmothers of invention: live in bremen
      (2018, 2cd, ger, sireena)

Started in the early eighties by Jimmy Carl Black, Don Preston and Bunk Gardner, The Grandmothers have gone through various line-ups and incarnations.
During one or their most recent tours, November 2014, The Grandmothers recorded the concert that they did in Bremen, Germany. Next to the ever-present Don Preston, Bunk Gardner (and Christopher Garcia !!), the line-up included Eric Klerks on bass and vocals and Max Kutner on guitar and vocals.
It's great to have this concert available as on official release, especially since the Grandmothers will be starting their final tour in about a week.
Sure, Don and Bunk are in their seventies and they don't play as fluent as they used to, but the emotional / historical aspect plus the excellent performance by Chris, Eric and Max make up for that.
Love it.

On their final tour, Chris, Don and Bunk will be joined by Ed Mann.
Let's hope they bring a guitar and bass player along as well.

The Grandmothers Of Invention

22 Apr 2018  The Underworld London United Kingdom
23 Apr 2018  The Robin 2 Bilston United Kingdom
24 Apr 2018  Band on the Wall Manchester United Kingdom
25 Apr 2018  Nieuwe Nor Heerlen Netherlands
26 Apr 2018  Blue Notez Dortmund Germany
27 Apr 2018  Paradox Tilburg Netherlands
28 Apr 2018  Jazzclub Nordhausen Nordhausen Germany
29 Apr 2018  Stadttheater Landsberg Germany
01 May 2018  Blue Note Milano Italy
02 May 2018  Burghof Lörrach Lörrach Germany
03 May 2018  Kammgarn Schaffhausen Switzerland
04 May 2018  Mühle Hunziken Rubigen Switzerland
05 May 2018  Treibhaus Innsbruck Austria
06 May 2018  Kino Siska Lublijana Slovenia
07 May 2018  Porgy & Bess Wien Austria
08 May 2018  Metro Music Bar Brno Czech Republic
09 May 2018  Lucerna Music Bar Prague Czech Republic
10 May 2018  Quasimodo Berlin Germany
11 May 2018  Beta Copenhagen Denmark
12 May 2018  John Dee Oslo Norway
13 May 2018  Kulturhuset Stadsteatern Stockholm Sweden
22 Jul 2018  Zappanale Bad Doberan Germany

THE GRANDMOTHERS OF INVENTION & SHENKAR

Shenkar, or L.Shankar when he recorded an album with Frank Zappa, will join The Grandmothers Of Invention at their Oslo concert during their last tour.

May 12, 2018, at the Rockefeller / John Dee / Sentrum Scene in Oslo, Norway.

As you could have thought, it's a ZappaUnion Event.

http://rockefeller.no/jd120518.html?bb=R

FRANK ZAPPA - HALOWEEN 77 - SHOW #1

I've been listening to the first show of FZ's "Haloween 77" set and I've enjoyed it a lot !!

Released as part of the Halloween 77 box, but also available on iTunes !!

What a show.
What a band.
With 24 minutes of 'Wild Love'  !!


frank zappa: guitar, vocals
adrian belew: guitar, vocals
patrick o'hearn: bass, vocals
terry bozzio: drums, vocals
ed mann: percussion, harmonica, vocals
tommy mars: keyboards, vocals
peter wolf: keyboards

live at palladium, new york city, ny, 10/28/1977 - show 1 (02:17:24)

1. introductions (03:28)
2. peaches en regalia (02:42)
3. the torture never stops (13:05)
4. tryin' to grow a chin (03:37)
5. city of tiny lites (06:04)
6. pound for a brown (08:05)
7. bobby brown goes down (04:33)
8. conehead (09:19)
9. flakes (04:03)
10. big leg emma (01:47)
11. envelopes (02:29)
12. terry's solo (04:42)
13. disco boy (03:53)
14. lather (03:36)
15. wild love (24:05)
16. titties n beer (07:16)
17. audience participation (00:48)
18. the black page #2 (03:02)
19. jones crusher (02:48)
20. broken hearts are for assholes (03:52)
21. punky's whips (09:43)
22. encore audience (01:21)
23. dinah-moe humm (04:55)
24. camarillo brillo (03:35)
25. muffin man (04:36)

DOCUMENTARY - FRANK ZAPPA, EAT THAT QUESTION

• documentary: frank zappa - eat that question
      (2017, dvd, ger, arsenal filmverleih)

The German release of the "Frank Zappa - Eat That Question" documentary by Thorsten Schütte includes over 40 minutes of bonus material.
(extra) Interviews with Tommy Mars, Arthur Barrow, Bruce Fowler, Tom Fowler, Ed Mann, Kurt McGettrick, Chad Wackerman and Robert Martin.

WOLFRAM KLUG

Wolfram Klug recorded and released his "Burt, The Nerd" album in 2014.
It featured various musicians from Frank Zappa's band :
Ike Willis, Tommy Mars, Arthur Barrow, Robert Martin, Ed Mann and Albert Wing.

Wolfram has just announced a sequel : "L.A. Bang Bang".

Read all about it here :
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/another-album-with-frank-zappa-s-original-band#/