CAPTAIN BEEFHEART - FULL MOON IN COWTOWN

• captain beefheart: full moon in cowtown
      (2014, cd, uk, iconography)

"Full Moon In Cowtown" presents the radio broadcast of the April 22, 1974, Kansas City concert.
Previously released on various bootlegs ("Crazy Little Things", "Captain Hook",...)

Out on Iconography and available from most retailers. If you need it, that is.

Data has been added to the United Mutations Archives.

JIM DVORAK, PAUL DUNMALL, MARK SANDERS & CHRIS MAPP - CHERRY PICKIN'

• jim dvorak, paul dunmall, mark sanders and chris mapp: cherry pickin'
      (2014, cd, uk, slam productions slamcd294)

Recorded in concert at the Birmingham Conservatoire in July 2013, Jim Dvorak, Paul Dunmall, Mark Sanders and Chris Mapp performed a track in which they quoted Frank Zappa's "It Can't Happen Here".
Actually, it's Jim Dvorak singing the lyrics.

ZAPPATIKA TO RELEASE 'WE ARE NOT ALONE'

Earlier this year, webmaster, writer and Zappophile Andrew Greenaway put together "Rare Episodes", an album that collected various bands and ensembles performing Frank Zappa compositions that Zappa never released himself. It's a great album and it's out on Cordelia Records.

Track number 13 has Zappatika playing 'We Are Not Alone', with lyrics !!

After some months of remastering and additional vocal "tweakz" Zappatika will be releasing 'We Are Not Alone' as a single on iTunes, CDBaby, Spotify, etceteras.

I was able to give it a listen, and I have to say that it sounds quite good.

Here's the link :

http://www.reverbnation.com/store/store/artist_168547?item_type=music

ZAPPANALE #25 - PART 1

Zappanale 2014 – Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Bad Doberan is about 700 km away from where I live. Hamburg about 525 km.
(That almost sounds like a geometry task : get your compass and your ruler out, and see where I live…)

Anyway, ever since the people over at the St.Katharinenkirche in Hamburg started doing their pre-Zappanale concerts, I’ve been there. It’s the perfect stop in-between. You get a rest AND you get a concert. Bogus Pomp has already played there, and so did the Ensemble Ambrosius, just to name two.
Furthermore, the fellows of St.Katharine take their job quite seriously. They have released a number of these concerts on CD.

released in 2009 : Bogus Pomp at the St Katharina Church

released in 2011 : Ensemble Ambrosius at the St Katharina Church

This particular Wednesday, the St.Katharinenkirche offered a double bill: the String Trash Project and The American-European Mothers Of Music.

After the usual wrong turn and the classic traffic jams, I arrived at the church around 17:00 h.
The St.Katharinenkirche is very close to the new harbor. If you ever get the opportunity to visit it, you should. Old warehouses next to modern buildings. Beautiful. I try to take a walk there every time when I’m in the neighbourhood.

Heading back towards the church, I ran into Stephen Chillemi and Mary-Jane.Some call it coincidence, some call it karma, I call it a close encounter of the Zappa kind. A pleasant reunion.

The String Trash Project featured Peter Görs on guitar, Mick Zeuner on bass, and Siglinde Koch-Sembdner on harp. The sound of that harp was great. Siglinde sure knows how to play it. Unfortunately, the guitar and bass weren't up for the job.
A solo harp concert would have been great. Or maybe with a minimal accompaniment.
A missed opportunity.

Peter Görs (guitar), Mick Zeuner (bass)  -  picture by Jens-Jürgen Schäfer

Siglinde Koch-Sembdner (harp)  -  picture by Jens-Jürgen Schäfer

Next up was the American-European Mothers Of Music ensemble, an occasional quartet that was put together by former Zappa sideman Napoleon Murphy Brock.
Next to Napoleon Murphy Brock on vocals, flute and saxophone, the band featured Mats Öberg on keyboards and chromatic harmonica, Benoît Moerlen (from French band Peach Noise) on marimba and Siglinde Koch-Sembdner on harp.

They played some Eric Satie, George Gershwin, J.S.Bach, and of course, some Zappa.
Napoleon looked sharp as always and he sounded good (but he did skip a few notes here and there).

Quite an impressive ensemble. Seeing Mats playing the chromatic harmonica with one hand and keyboard with the other, was quite unbelievable.
Favorite pieces were RDNZL and Chunga’s, the second one being mixed with a Wayne Shorter tune (in an arrangement of Ed Palermo). That made my day. I wanted more where that came from, but someone else had been in charge of the setlist…

Napoleon Murphy Brock: flute, saxophone, vocals (picture by Jens-Jürgen Schäfer)

Mats Öberg: keyboard, chromatic harmonica (picture by Jens-Jürgen Schäfer)

Benoît Moerlen: marimba (picture by Jens-Jürgen Schäfer)

Siglinde Koch-Sembdner: harp (picture by Jens-Jürgen Schäfer)

Chatting with Hans Annellsson, I did learn that he will be re-recording his Swedish version of ‘Penis Dimension’. You might know that Frank Zappa once gave permission to Hans to record and to release a Swedish version of ‘Penis Dimension’.

Hans released it in 1993 on his “Tra La Larson” album.
This time, he will be doing another version with it with Mats Öberg on keyboard and with a female vocalist. It will again be in Swedish, but the lyrics will be re-written so that they can be sung from a woman’s point of view.
Looking forward to that!

Matthew Galagher was also in the audience. I remember corresponding with him some twenty-five years ago, and actually seeing him in Frankfurt at the Yellow Shark performance in the early ninetees... Matthew (who lives in the States) flew over to attend the very first edition of the Zappanale festival 25 years ago. He wrote an article about it in Society Pages magazine way back then.

ANOTHER DODGY ZAPPA CD RELEASE

Another dodgy and doubtful release has been spotted: The Mothers Of Invention's "Wollman Rink, Central Park, NY, August 3rd 1968".
Out on Keyhole Records (UK).

BANNED FROM UTOPIA NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2014 TOURDATES

The Banned From Utopia, performing the music of Frank Zappa

with former Zappa (and Zappa Plays Zappa) musicians

• Ray White
• Chad Wackerman
• Robert Martin
• Albert Wing
• Tom Fowler
• Jamie Kime

06.11.2014 - Jazz Studio, Umea (S)

07.11.2014 - Cosmopolite, Oslo (N)

08.11.2014 tbc (Clarion Hotel, Örebro (S))

09.11.2014 -  Katalin, Uppsala (S)

11.11.2014 - Heimathaus, Twist (D)

12.11.2014 - Patronaat, Haarlem (NL)

13.11.2014 - Jovel, Münster (D)

14.11.2014 - Roepaen, Ottersum (NL)

15.11.2014 - BÜZ, Minden (D)

16.11.2014 - De Bosuil, Weert (NL)

18.11.2014 - Grammatikoff, Duisburg (D)

19.11.2014 - Theaterstübchen, Kassel (D)

20.11.2014 - Kesselhaus, Berlin (D)

21.11.2014 - Free Blues Club, Szczecin (PL)

22.11.2014 - HsD Gewerkschaftshaus, Erfurt (D)

23.11.2014 tba

25.11.2014 - Rockfabrik, Nürnberg (D)

26.11.2014 - Z7,  Pratteln (CH)

27.11.2014 tba

28.11.2014 -  Les Abattoirs, Bourgoin-Jallieu (F)

29.11.2014 tba

30.11.2014 - Maison de Bégon, Blois (F)

02.12.2014 tba

03.12.2014 - The Scene, Swansea (WAL)

04.12.2014 - Flower Pot, Derby (ENG)

05.12.2014 - Yardbirds, Grimsby (ENG)

06.12.2014 - King George's Hall, Blackburn (ENG)

07.12.2014 - The Jazzcafe Camden, London (ENG)

CHAD WACKERMAN WITH THE BAKED POTATO ALLSTARS NEXT WEEK

Friday, August 8, 2014, at the Baked Potato:

Baked Potato Allstars
Chad Wackerman...Drums
Mitch Forman...Keys
Jimmy Haslip...Bass
Jeff Richman...Guitar

GRYPHON LABS AT THE BAKED POTATO 2014 08 13

Wednesday, August 13, 2014 : Gryphon Labs at the Baked Potato

Gryphon Labs
Pete Griffin: Bass
Jamie Kime: Guitar
Andy Sanesi: Drums
Chris Norton: Keys
Lee Wertman: Guitar

That's about 60% of Zappa Plays Zappa experienced players.

http://www.thebakedpotato.com/Calendars/08Aug/august14.html

ZAPPAZ - - - ZAPPA WEEKEND IN MECHELEN BELGIUM

Friday, September 26 - FLAT EARTH SOCIETY'S TERMS OF EMBARRASSMENT
(Zappa tribute, with special guest Mauro Pawlowski)
at the Standsschouwburg in Mechelen

Saturday, September 27 - SINISTER SISTER PERFORMS ZAPPA
at club Nona in Mechelen

DANS DANS - I/II

• dans dans: I/II
      (2013, cd, bel, unday records unday018CD)

"I/II" is the second album by Belgian trio Dans Dans.
Originally made available only as a 2LP set (with a bonus CD), "I/II" has now been made available as a CD as well. I've been playing it all week. It's beautiful.
Original material mixed with compositions by Sun Ra, Tom Waits, David Bowie, Robert Wyatt, Ornette Coleman,...

Here's 'Au Hazard', an original composition by guitar player Bert Dockx, performed live at the recent Record Store Day in Bergen Op Zoom (NL).