Z.E.R.O. - TOLERANCE

• z.e.r.o.: tolerance
      (scheduled, cd, uk, cordelia cd 067) 

True, this album hasn't been released yet. It's scheduled to be released in a couple of months on the Cordelia label.
It's just that I was able to give it a 'pre-release listening' last week and it's so good that I can't wait to tell you about it.

Z.E.R.O. or the Zappa Early Renaissance Orchestra is a bunch of excellent musicians from the U.S. of A. "Z.E.R.O. Tolerance" is their second album and the band is scheduled to perform at the next edition of Zappanale !!

"Z.E.R.O. Tolerance" has it all. Top musicians, Motheresque humor, musical puns and references, and superb arrangements and performances of classic Zappa material.
It even features Ike Willis on one track.
This is going to be a lot of fun at Zappanale.

Here's the tracklist:

• my dog has fleas
• who are the brain police?
• montana
• son of mr.green genes
• my dog has fleas #2
• little house i used to live in - solo piano intro (revised)
• take your clothes off when you dance
• little house is used to live in
• king kong
• village of the sun
• dilemma
• let's move to cleveland
• any way the wind blows
• sofa #2

And some live footage:

KEVIN KASTNING - SKYFIELDS

• kevin kastning: skyfields
      (2016, cd, usa, greydisc gdr3530)

Composer and guitar player Kevin Kastning has just released "Skyfields". On this brand-new release, Kevin presents 5 pieces, 'Skyfield I' up to 'Skyfield V'.
The compositions are performed on a 36-string double contraguitar and on a 15-string extended classical guitar.
The result is astonishing. Solo guitar soundscapes but with an enormous range and depth. An exploration of sounds.
This is nice. Very nice.

You can check out samples of Kevin's latest albums at :
http://www.kevinkastning.com/

FLAT EARTH SOCIETY - TERMS OF EMBARRASSMENT

• flat earth society: terms of embarrassment
      (2016, cd, bel igloo 272)

March 2014, Zjakki Willems organised the two-day Arf! Arf! Arf! happening at 'De Singel' in Antwerp, Belgium. The festival featured concerts by Captain Cheese-Beard, The Wrong Object, The Brussels Philharmonic (with Robert Martin), and by Flat Earth Society.

Flat Earth Society had prepared a special program for the occasion: "Terms Of Embarrassment". The concert included Zappa pieces next to compositions that had been written by Peter Vermeersch and by Pierre Vervloesem. And to add a bit of extra spice, FES had invited Mauro Pawlowski as a reinforcement.
The concert was quite good and, fortunately, the band got the possibility to take "Terms Of Embarrassment" on the road for a series of concerts in Belgium, The Netherlands and Japan.

The results of this tour can be found on this brand-new album. Recorded in concert in Ghent, Mechelen, Rotterdam, Sint-Niklaas and Breda, "Terms Of Embarrassment" presents 7 amazing pieces.

1. Me Standard, You Poor  (Peter Vermeersch)
2. Random Riffs  (Frank Zappa)
   = some sort of mash-up of different licks from various Zappa tunes !!
3. Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance  (Frank Zappa)
4. Abracadabra  (Pierre Vervloesem)
   including various Frank Zappa vamps and typical chord changes
5. Solitude  (Frank Zappa)
   the infamous song that Frank wrote for Gail but that never got performed live.
   There's a tape circulating from the Zappa Universe rehearsals where this track got performed, and Ed Palermo has performed it with his big band as well.
   Vocals by Mauro Pawlowski and Berlinde Deman.
6. Ahmad & Juan  (Peter Vermeersch)
   Beautiful. Just beautiful.
7. City Of Tiny Lites  (Frank Zappa)

Add vocals by Mauro Pawlowski, the typical FES sound and arrangements, exceptional guitar solos by Pierre Vervloesem, one kg of humor per square meter, and you might be able to imagine what you could expect.
This is a must-hear !
Essential listening !!

http://fes.be/

 -

THE RESIDENTS

Could have gone for 'Easter Woman' but that would have been too obvious.

BAND FROM UTOPIA RETURNING TO EUROPE

October 2016, the Band From Utopia will be doing concerts in Europe.

The first concert has been scheduled :

2016 10 14 'N9', Eeklo, BE

NEW ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA DATES

ZpZ is returning to Europe next July.
And they will be playing in Germany again !

Zappa Plays Zappa

2016 07 14 Kirjurinluoto Arena, Pori, Finland
2016 07 19 Burghof, Lörrach, Germany
2016 07 20 Porgy & Bess, Vienna, Austria

Additional information, Zappanale is scheduled to take place on July 15, 16 and 17...
I'm just wondering...

EASTER EGGS ON ZAPPA'S ROXY THE MOVIE

There are 2 "Easter eggs" contained on Zappa's "Roxy The Movie" DVD:

- Select "Yes & but also" & press "Up" button & click on the moustache for a "Cheepnis" Monster Movie footage.

- Select "Titles" & "Next" & "Back" & click "Up" Button & click "sun" icon for sped-up footage of the sound-check.

JULIE SLICK - TERROIR

• julie slick: terroir
      (2012, cd, usa, slick sound 04)

February 24, the Adrian Belew Trio played a fabulous show at the Paradox club in Tilburg (NL).
Next to Adrian, the band featured Julie Slick on bass and Tobias Ralph on drums and they rocked.

After the concert, I picked up Julie Slick's "Terroir" album. To be honest, I didn't even know that Julie had released a solo album. Anyway, I'm glad that I brought a copy home. Actually, I'm very glad that I brought a copy home.
The album is a sort of compilation of different tracks in different settings. Almost every track has a completely different line-up. The nice thing about this is that you get a lot of variety. It's not just different pieces, there's also the different guests adding their own particular sound to the compositions.

"Terroir" is a fine album and the title is well chosen. You get an insight into Julie Slick's musical world (and it's a beautiful one).
The list of the musicians that participated to "Terroir" is quite exceptional: David Torn, Pat Mastelotto, Eric Slick, Robbie 'Seahag' Mangano, Marco Minnemann, Adrian Belew, ...

Instrumental, contemporary progressive rock.
I love it.
Essential food for melomaniacs !!

"Terroir" is Julie's second solo album.
More info can be found on Julie's Bandcamp page :
https://julieslick.bandcamp.com/

WILD MAN FISCHER'S AN EVENING WITH WILD MAN FISCHER RE-RELEASED ON CD

About a month ago, the UK-based Gonzo Multimedia record label re-released Wild Man Fischer's "An Evening With Wild Man Fischer".
Originally released in 1969, produced by Frank Zappa and featuring FZ, various Mothers and even the GTO's.

Oddly enough, no data of the release can be found on the Gonzo Multimedia website...
Might the album have been withdrawn?

UWE KROPINSKI - AMERICAN DREAM * FOURTEEN SOLO GUITAR PIECES

• uwe kropinski: american dream - fourteen solo guitar pieces
      (2005, cd, ger, acoustic music records / rough trade)

German guitar player Uwe Kropinski released "American Dream" in 2005.
A remarkable album. Not in the least because Uwe Kropinski mixes jazz and classical guitar, creates beautiful original pieces and performs incredible arrangements of compostions by Frank Zappa, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and Oscar Hammerstein.

Uwe's seven-plus-minute reworking of Frank Zappa's 'King Kong' had me (almost) holding my breath during the entire piece.

Highly recommended !!

Here's Uwe Kropinski with Joe Sachse :