short bits: * * * zappa's latest "buffalo" album has been announced as a triple vinyl album set, also a bootleg !! * * * a new dvd bootleg with the barcelona 88 zappa concert should be out * * *  Octafish has a new album ready "Party Alarm" * * * http://idiotbastard.bravehost.com/20xIBS.htm * * *

THE WHIP IT OUT ENSEMBLE

• the whip it out ensemble: live at the ironwood
      (2007, 2cdr, canada, private release)
  
  • "Live At The Ironwood" presents the 2003/12/05 show, as recorded by CKUA Radio.
    The first couple of years, The Whip It Out Ensemble had each time performed a big part of the "We're Only In It" album. From December 2003 on however, they had added a second part to their show.
    Disc one of this concert features the "We're Only In It" part, whereas disc two presents compositions like: Trouble Every Day, Call Any Vegetable and Zomby Woof. Excellent musicianship. Great vocals!
    
    I love it.
    
• the whip it out ensemble: live 03/05/06
      (2007, dvdr, canada, private release)
  
  • This disc was the one that I was really looking forward to. It presents a rather recent concert, May 2006, so it'll show what the band sounds like today, and, even more important: it's a video registration!!
    
    In one word: Sensational.
    
    Not only does the Whip It Out Ensemble sound good, they make a hell of a show out of it as well.
    No whipped cream, but the rest was all there...
    
    

JEFF SIMMONS

• jeff simmons: lucille has messed my mind up / the original soundtrack from naked angels
      (2007, 2cd, ger, world in sound records)
  
  • Here it is, boys and girls...
    The first two legendary Jeff Simmons albums.
    Together in one package.
    
    Frank Zappa, Herb Cohen and Jeff Simmons met in 1968 when Easy Chair (Simmons' band) opened for The Mothers. Zappa and Cohen were impressed and signed Simmons to Straight for 2 albums.
    During the production of these albums, in 1969, Jeff Simmons turned 20 years old!! When the band broke up after the recording, Jeff joined The Mothers...
    
    "Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up" is a superb album. It is filled with excellent musicians performing very fine, bluesy songs, and it features Frank Zappa and Ian Underwood in great shape.
    Simmons' version of "Lucille" is fabulous and Zappa's guitar sounds as dirty as it can get. Zappa takes another solo spot in 'Raye', another blues song, but with a psychedelic edge. Beautiful.
    Another highlight of this album is 'Wino Man', including some tape-manipulated backings... You hear me coming, this is essential stuff. A classic. And in my list, part of the Zappa discography.
    
    "Naked Angels" (which got recorded before the "Lucille" album) has the same bluesy drive as "Lucille", but does sound a bit heavier. Most probably because it's mostly insturmental.
    The record has Jeff on all the instruments (!!), except the drums. Quite a performance.
    
    
  • Essential material!
    http://www.worldinsound.de/
    

WORLD IN SOUND TRACKS - EPISONDE 1

• various artists: world in sound tracks - episode 1
      (2007, cd, ger, world in sound)
  
  • Celebrating fourty years of the 'Summer Of Love', German record label World In Sound released a sampler.
    The disc gives a selection of various World In Sound releases, including Jeff Simmons' 'Wonderful Wino' (Simmons, Zappa), taken from his recent "Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up / Naked Angels" release.
    There's quite a heap of interesting tracks on this album. Now if only the summer could start...
    
    The album comes with a beautiful booklet, filled with pictures, and the lyrics of each song.
    And part of the sales of the album supports Amensty International.
    
    What are you waiting for?
    http://www.worldinsound.de/
    
    

WAZOO

• wazoo: wazoo
      (2006, cd, ger, world in sound)
  

  • Dispite the funny explanation on their self-titled album, Wazoo isn't really from the planet Oozam. But I do believe that they made their recording with a mission: "Give the music back to the people".
    Wazoo, a psychedelic rock band from Michigan, recorded one album in the early seventies. It got re-released on CD in 2006 on the German World In Sound label.
    
    I'm quite surprised that I hadn't heard of this band before, and not because of their name, but because they make some excellent music. The album presents eight lengthy pieces, showing the different sides of the band.
    It opens rather quietly with 'The Beginning', a nice piano accompanied intro. Next up is 'Slip On', introducing the psychedelic organ, but quickly turning into a fine funky rock song. 'The Way I See It' is an eleven minute (!) cosmic tune, including a saxophone that accompanies the psychedelic vocal line. Nice.
    'Sleep On' is another great, typical seventies rock song. Tracks number five and six, 'Concert' and 'Arnie Funny Far Fackor' shows the band experimenting: 'Concert' has the band in an orchestrated, mother-esque freak-out session, and 'Arnie...' is a five-minute soundscape . The album continues with 'BH Man', returning to the rock side, including the essential fuzz guitar and psychedelic backing vocals. The record concludes with 'Grand Ol'Land', a piece that sounds a bit like a mixed up and twisted version of a national anthem. Vaudeville at its top.
    
    Very impressive. Check it out !!

  • http://www.worldinsound.de/
    
    John Williams, who did the artwork for the album, gave a copy of the LP to Frank Zappa. This comes as no surprise.

RAINER PAPPON

• rainer pappon: o alemão da guitarra verde
      (2007, cd, brazil, yakisoba records)
  
  • Guitar virtuoso Rainer Pappon has a brand-new album out.
    With his previous album "Rainer Tankred Pappon", Rainer displayed his guitar talents: a fabulous, very powerful guitar instrumental album that he recorded with Humberto Zigler on drums.
    On "O Alemão Da Guitarra Verde", the vocals have returned, but as Rainer Pappon recorded with many different musicians and (very good) vocalists, the album almost sounds like a sampler, showcasing different bands. The common factor is Rainer Pappon's extraordinary guitar work.
    
    "O Alemão Da Guitarra Verde" is a guitar oriented rock album: very fine rock songs with a dominant rock guitar. And you can hear that Rainer plays the lead guitar in The Central Scrutinzer Band. There's some excellent guitar playing going on.
    
    The last track on the album, 'A Lot Of Biucets', kicks off with a zappa-esque melody / rhythm and features eight guitar solos, each by a different guitarist. Awesome. Food for guitar wrestlers.
    
  • www.myspace.com/rtpappon

THE INVISIBLE MEN

• the invisible men: hunt you down / why don't you do me right / this town / gamekeeper
      (????, 7"ep, usa, estrus es778)
  
  • This 7" included Zappa's 'Why Don't You Do Me Right'.

(and I also fixed a bad link to this page...)

(picture by Bernd / xxhoff)

CHESTER THOMPSON

• chester thompson: a joyful noise
      (1991, cd, usa, blue moon / moo records r2 79341)
  
  • Charles Ulrich was kind enough to send a bunch of corrections for the Chester Thompson entry.
    While we're at it, might just as well add the Chester Thompson solo album from 1991. It features a number of Zappa alumni: Charles Owens, Walt Fowler, Steve Fowler, Bruce Fowler and George Duke.
    As for the music, it's some sort of smooth jazz album. Way too smooth for my taste...

and here's Chester's official site: http://chesterthompson.com/

RAINER TANKRED PAPPON

• rainer pappon: tankred
      (2005, cd, brazil, voiceprint brazil)
  
  • Yesterday, I talked about Rainer Pappon's "The Blurps", a very fine album.
    Today, I've been playing "Tankred" for the biggest part of the day. "Tankred" is quite another league. For starters: it's an instrumental album and Rainer Pappon's guitar extravanganza is the key to it all. An excellent choice.
    Where "The Blurps" presented songs, "Tankred" has lyrical, melodical compositions and improvisations. The setting is minimal: guitar, bass & drums.
    
    I really like this!
    
    If you're into instrumental guitar music, you've got to hear "Tankred". My favourite track is called "Uau!". It takes an easy, slow start but it left me speechless after the complete eight minutes.
    
    Highly recommended !!

BOGUS POMP UPDATE

R.T.C.

• r.t.c.: seropositive
      (1987, lp, nl, future music f.m. 1001)
  
  •  Including two Zappa pieces: ‘Revised Music’ and ’The Black Page Part 2’

Does anyone out there have a copy of R.T.C.'s "Tomorrow We Talk About Your Career"? It should include a Zappa tune as well, but I'm not sure about that.

Anyone...?

Anyway, I'm looking for the info, as well as for a copy of the album...

ALARM WILL SOUND

Zappa's 'Dog Breatch Variations' and 'Uncle Meat' have been performed on various occasions.

THE CZECH FRANK ZAPPA FANCLUB

Here's one of their latest products: an FZ hat !

TWO NEW BOGUS POMP DVDS

• bogus pomp: zappaween XI
      (2006, dvdr, usa, private release)
  
  • For me, this is how I prefer my Zappa. Fresh arrangements, and leaning heavy on a feedback guitar.
    
    An excellent gig and great fun to watch.
    A bit weak on the vocals maybe, ... but I guess we're all a bit spoiled when it comes to that...

• bogus pomp: the bogus pomp low budget semi-acoustic orchestra
      (2007, dvdr, usa, private release)
  
  • Now this is really neat. The Bogus Pomp Band (8 musicians, including a violin, a cello and vibes) performing Frank Zappa compositions in a semi-acoustic setting.
    Jerry Outlaw plays a beautiful Ovation guitar. I just love that sound. Here's the setlist:
    

    • chunga's revenge

    • little umbrellas

    • mom & dad

    • zoot allures

    • uncle meat

    • black napkins

    • cleetus awreetus awrightus

    • eat that question

    • blessed relief

    • black page no.2

    • t'mershi duween

    • dupree's paradise

    • holiday in berlin

    • little house i used to live in

    • king kong
      

  • This is a stunning and beautiful concert.
    
    Recommended viewing and listening !!
    
  • www.boguspomp.net

RAINER PAPPON - THE BLURPS

• rainer pappon: the blurps
      (1998, cd, brazil, yakisoba records)
  
  • Rainer Tankred Pappon plays the lead guitar in The Central Scrutinzer Band, a band from São Paulo, Brazil, that performs the music from Frank Zappa. He also contributed to a couple of chapters to Fabio Massari's book, "Detritos Cósmicos".
    "The Blurps" got released in 1998, and it's Rainer Pappon's second solo album.
    It's a very impressive album. Rainer Pappon plays some fine jazz & rock guitar. One can tell that he's into Zappa, Keneally, Vai and the likes.
    
    Icing on the cake is the guest-appearance of none other than Ike Willis, who sings the part of the spaceman in 'Spacedope'.
    
    You'll love it...
    
    More Rainer Pappon real soon...

NEW ZAPPA BOOTLEG ON RED VINYL

• frank zappa: austin 26 oct 1973
      (2007, 2lp-bootleg, ??, zap007)
  
  • A couple of months after the black vinyl release, the red vinyl release is out.
    
    Bootleg & limited.
    
    Does it surprise anyone that Zappanale is only a couple of days away?

NEW ZAPPA BOOTLEG PICTURE DISC

• pink floyd: pink floyd meets frank zappa
      (2007, picture disc bootleg, ??, shadow man records)
  
  
  • It had been announced for a couple of months, and here it finally is: the Pink Floyd Meets Frank Zappa picture disc vinyl bootleg.
    
    This is exactly the same release as the various coloured vinyl edtions of "Pink Floyd Meets Frank Zappa" that we saw last year. If my memory serves me richt, I've seen black, peach, green, red, yellow, blue and even clear vinyl...
    
    Beautiful. Absolutely!
    Necessary? Hmmm. Not really...
    

NEW ZAPPA BOOTLEG DVD

• frank zappa: the chorus and the club
      (2007, dvd-bootleg, ??, apocalypse sound as 114)
  
  • Earlier this year, Europe 2, a French commercial TV station, did a re-broadcast of the "Chorus" special that showed about 40 minutes of Zappa's 1980 concert in France.
    Add to that pre-broadcast version of the "Beat Club" special from 1968 on German TV and you have a very impressive DVD.
    
    Yes, this is a bootleg, but the quality of these recordings is as good as it can get.
    If I'm not mistaken, both recordings have been made available throught the Zappateers site as well.

ZAPPA BOOKSHELF

zappa vox

by yasuo yagi & dominique chevalier
    (1988, book, japan, ??)

- "Zappa Vox" consists of a slipcase with two books. Both books are pictured below

• zappa breath in the year of the plague - vol.1

  by yasuo yagi
      (1988, book, japan, ??)

  - First book in the Zappa Vox set. 475 pages.
  

• viva zappa !

  by dominique chevalier
      (1988, book, japan, ??)

  - Second book in the Zappa Vox set. 166 pages.

by frank zappa and peter occhiogrosso
    (2005, book, france, l'archipel)

french re-edition with extra material of translation and notes by jean-marie millet
foreword by christophe delbrouck

by rémi raemackers
    (2003, book, monaco, la mémoire et la mer)

CPT.CHEESE-BEARD & THE 7 SISTERS OF PREVENTION

Captain Cheese-Beard & the 7 Sisters of Prevention are scheduled to perform at "Route 66" in Verviers, Belgium on September 11, 2007. 

• 2007/09/11 Cpt.Cheese-Beard & the 7 Sisters of Prevention - concert 'route 66', verviers, belgium

TRIGON - THE EMERGENT ALBUM

• trigon: emergent
      (2007, cd, ger, private release)
  
  • Trigon's latest album is called "Emergent". Where their previous album, "Herzberg 2004" was recorded live as a quartet, "Emergent" shows the band in the usual line-up:
      - Rainer Lange: guitar
      - Stefan Lange: bass
      - Tihomir Lozanovski: drums
    
    Stefan Lange and Tihomir Lozanovski provide a steady powerful and rolling rhythm, while Rainer Lange plays lead guitar.
    
    This is instrumental, guitar orientated progressive rock at its best. "Emergent" has it all: great improvisations, progrock twists and turns, melodic and jazzy tunes,... You name it.
    
    A must-have release, and a perfect invitation to see and hear the band Friday night, live at Zappanale.

JOS STEEN

I added a discography for Jos Steen. Jos also has an album out, called "The China Pig Blues Band". Can't go wrong with a name like that.

-> more info on Jos Steen soon.

THE ZAPPA FAMILY TRUST

I've been a fan of Frank Zappa's music for a long time. I listen to his albums. I buy every new album. I go to concerts where they play Zappa's music. I have a lot of friends who have the same hobby. Usually, we don't call it a hobby, we call it a way of life.
Still, with the years going by, a lot of my friends, and long-time Zappa fans have quit.

You want to know why? Because every fan needs a new release from time to time, because every fan wants to go to a concert to get to hear his favourite music from time to time...

Thanks to organisations like the Arf Society and to bands that play Zappa's music, his music is still alive.

We want to listen to Zappa's music. We want Zappa's music to be alive. We're in it for the music.
If the Zappa Family Trust threatens musicians, bands, fan clubs and organisations, obviously our goals aren't alike.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 Zappa Wife Threatens Musicians' Collective; Fan Club Responds

Bad Doberan, July 24, 2007 - This Saturday, the city of Berlin will dedicate a street to the memory of Frank Zappa. But Gail Zappa, wife of the late rock iconoclast, has threatened to sue the musicians' collective behind the naming unless Germany's formally-chartered Zappa fan club withdraws from the event.

A letter from a Dusseldorf law firm accuses Arf-Society e.V. (the fan club) of exploiting the street dedication for its own purposes, and of copyright violations and other rights infringements. The letter also contends that Gail Zappa did not know about the street-naming, and that she should have been contacted for approval.

In response, Thomas Dippel, Arf-Society chairperson, released the following statement: 
"With great dismay and surprise, Arf-Society - organizer of biggest known Zappa festival in the world for the last 18 years - must take note of Gail Zappa's effort to prevent our participation in the inauguration of Frank-Zappa-Street in Berlin.

"How this all came about: Acting on a proposal by the ORWOhaus musicians' collective, the Marzahn-Hellersdorf district board approved renaming 'Road 13' as 'Frank-Zappa-Strasse', the first street in Germany named for a rock musician. This major recognition of Frank pleased us greatly, of course. We immediately contacted ORWOhaus to assure them of our help in any way we could.

"When Ahmet Zappa [Zappa's second son] was in Berlin on November 6, 2006, publicizing his first book, members of ORWOhaus invited him to take part in the preparations and the event itself. By making contact with the Zappa family, ORWOhaus hoped to spark a dialog about plans for the event. The family never responded to these overtures.

"So, Arf-Society began to help by contacting Zappa tribute band 'Sheik Yerbouti', and by arranging the participation of Napoleon Murphy Brock, revered Zappa band member and star of last year's Zappa Plays Zappa tour. In fact, Arf-Society is paying half of Mr. Brock's travel expenses, which enables ORWOhaus to put a serious representation of Zappa's music on stage for the celebration, despite a very limited budget.

"But then ORWOhaus received a letter from Thomas Schmitz, of the Dusseldorf law firm Reiman Osterreith Kohler Haft, dated July 10, 2007, saying that they were retained to represent the legal interests of Gail Zappa and her children after press releases saying that Arf-Society would be involved in the street-naming. Gail Zappa would sue because Arf-Society 'is constantly violating her trademark rights and copyrights, and exploiting the artistic heritage of Frank Zappa. Our client will under no circumstances put up with that Society taking publicity from the street renaming for their own purpose.'

"These groundless accusations hurt us deeply, as we have strived for almost two decades to honor and preserve Frank Zappa's musical heritage. Long before 2004, we repeatedly invited Gail Zappa and her family to work together with us, especially since they would profit from our work promoting Frank's legacy. Yet, Gail Zappa's only answer reads: 'If you want to play with me, you have to play it by my rules!' She has also threatened other Zappa tribute bands and artists with restraining orders for quite some time."

"Mrs Zappa, we protest explicitly against the unwarrented claims you raised. As Frank would have asked, are you 'only in it for the money?'"

###
Contacts:
Thomas Dippel
Chairperson/Public relations
Arf-Society e.V.
Am Markt 3
18209 BAD DOBERAN
Germany
+49 38203 / 598207
office@arf-society.de 
www.arf-society.de 
www.zappanale.de

DWALMACAT

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

And click on "Luister".

THE ROCKIN' REBELLIONS

The Rockin' Rebellions, from Birmingham, Alabama, recorded and released Frank Zappa's 'Anyway The Wind Blows' as a B-side for their 'Don't Let Go" 7".

Hans-Peter Schmidt adds that three different versions / labels of this release exist. They have been added to the Rockin' Rebellions' entry.

RAY WHITE

TRIGON HERZBERG 2004 ALBUM

• trigon: herzberg 2004
      (2005, cd, ger, private release)
  
  • Instrumental Progressive Rock band Trigon will be one of the headliners of Zappanale. In about a week, Friday 2007 08 03, Trigon will close the first day of the festival.
    
    As the title suggests, this CD got recorded at the Herzberg Festival, July 2004. It consists of 14 tracks, all improvisations around a certain theme, a vamp or a repeating chord sequence. If their Zappanele set will be something like their "Herzberg 2004" album, we're in for a real treat.
    At Herzberg, Trigon performed as a quartet, adding Udo Gerhards to their usual trio line-up. At Zappanale, Trigon will perform as a Power Trio: guitar, drums & bass.
    
    Guitarist Rainer Lange explains: "Our way to explore music is always a jam... For live events we do arrange this stuff with still jam parts in it."
    He adds: "For an instrumental trio it is kind of hard to book good locations, so to have a gig at the Zappanale is absolutely perfect for us. Everybody there is used to listen to guitar orientated and sometimes instrumental music. No expectations from top10radiolisteners."
    
    It sure sounds good to my ears. One of the hightlights on this "Herzberg 2004" album is the up-tempo track number 6, 'Coitus Trigonus Continuum'. It has a fine Zappa-esque chord vamp, a great guitar solo and a fabulous guest appearance by Frogg Café's Nick Lieto (flügelhorn) who givest it all a beautifull jazzy atmoshphere.
    
  • Highly recommended !!
    

THE MAGAZINE PICTURE COLLECTION

• rockbill
      (1988/05, magazine, usa)

• nuggets
      (1977/04, magazine, uk)

ENSEMBLE ASCOLTA

The Ensemble Ascolta is a German ensemble that performs contemporary music. The band recently performed two 'unheard' Zappa pieces in concert: 'I Was In A Drum' and 'Reagan At Bitburg'.

March 2007, the band had agreed a long-term co-operation deal with Gail Zappa to arrange a number of these unpublished pieces, plus the possibility to produce a CD on the Zappa label.

-- info from the Zappateers site & from www.idiotbastard.bravehost.com/

ZAPPA LISTENING SESSIONS IN BERLIN

Jansen Bar [ www.jansenbar.de ]
Gotenstrasse 71
10829 Berlin Schöneberg

• 2007/07/31 - Zappa in Buffalo 1974

http://www.bitlabor.de/

-- info: Bernd at the Zappateers site

AHMET ZAPPA

• de monsterlijke memoires van een machtige mcmoedig
  
  by ahmet zappa
      (2007, book, nl, pimento)
  
  • A couple of months ago, Ahmet Zappa's "The Monstrous Memoirs..." got a Dutch translation.

ECONOMIE ESKIMO

• économie eskimo - le rêve de zappa
  
  by pacôme thiellement
      (2005, book, france, éditions mf)
  
  • A couple of years ago, Pacôme Thiellement wrote quite an interesting book. I stumbled only upon it recently, and although I still haven't read it completely, I'm sure that I'll stay on the shelf...
    Pacôme Thiellement looks at Zappa's lyrics in regards to the eskimocratie (achieving happiness without making anyone else unhappy); the way Zappa looks at the world around him (compared to the philosophies of Spinoza and others); the difference of approach compared to the Velvet Underground, the Beatles; the way The Residents use 'the eskimo' in their projects.
    Very impressive. Small chance that it will ever be published in english, or in dutch... and that's a pity.

• The book has a beautiful back-cover, drawn by Jean-Christophe Menu.
  Menu is a French comic book artist, and one of the founding member of one of the most prestigious comic book publishing houses in France, l'Association. He's also a huge fan of both Frank Zappa and The Residents.
  The back-cover displays the "Hot Rats" album cover, but shows an eyeballed Resident coming out of the swimming pool instead of miss Christine Frka.

• One of the chapters in Pacôme's book gives the mysterious N.Senada some thought. N.Senada being some sort of mentor / guru of the Residents.
  
  I almost slapped myself when Pacôme explained the very obvious link to Beefheart:
  On the right, a picture of the street where Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band recorded "Trout Mask Replica": Ensenade Drive in the Woodland Hills.

LAST YEAR'S ZAPPANALE

Here's a couple of setlists from last year's zappanale. Audience recordings of these shows were available through the Zappateers site.

The Zappatistas

• 2006/07/14 concert "zappanale", bad doberan, germany
  • John Etheridge - guitar, Steve Lodder - keyboards, Annie Whitehead - trombone, Jez Wiles - percussion, Simon Bates - saxophones & flute, Paul Jayasinha - trumpet, Rob Statham - bass, Mike Bradley - drums
  • Peaches en Regalia, Grand Wazoo, Let's Make The Water Turn Black, Sofa no1, Eat That Question, Sexual Harassment, King Kong, Sleep Dirt, Big Swifty, Harry You're A Beast - Oh No - Orange County Lumber Truck

The Paul Green School of Rock, feat.Adrain Belew as special guest

• 2006/07/16 concert Zappanale, Bad Doberan, Germany
  "Paul Green School of Rock plays the music of Frank Zappa"
  • Soundcheck, Call Any Vegetable, Black Page #2, Crew Slut, Fifty-Fifty, Night School, My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama, Dog Breath, Mom & Dad, What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body?, Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance, Mother People, Village Of The Sun / Echidna's Arf / Don't You Ever Wash That Thing, Jones Crusher, Stevie's Spanking , Guitar Jam, Paul Green introduces the musicians

Adrian Belew Power Trio

• 2006/07/17 concert ‘Zappanale‘, Bad Doberan, Germany  

  • Adrian Belew - Guitar and vocals, Eric Slick - Drums, Julie Slick - Bass

  • intro announcement by Jim Cohen, Writing On The Wall, Dinosaur, Ampersand, I Remember How To Forget, Young Lions, Eric Slick drum solo, Beat Box Guitar, Madness Man, The Lone Rhinoceros, Of Bow And Drum, Big Electric Cat, Frame By Frame, band intros, Three Of A Perfect Pair, crowd and Jim Cohen encore announcement, Elephant Talk, Thela Hun Ginjeet, outro crowd and announcement, Adrian Belew becomes a member of honour of The Arf Society

AAAFNRAA

www.frankzappa.at is no more. the beautiful sofa has found a new place on the web:

www.aaafnraa.de

Burkhard Schempp did an excellent job with this transfer: new lay-out, new links, new data...
Check it out.

DON PRESTON TO TOUR EUROPE

Zappa/Mothers Keyboard Legend Don Preston To Tour Europe

Composer/Pianist/Electronic Artist Don Preston And Akashic Ensemble Scheduled To Perform In Austria, Czech Republic And Famed ZAPPANALE Festival in Germany.

Los Angeles, CA - 7/21/07 - Keyboard legend Don Preston was quite possibly the first person to add synthesis to live rock performances, taking Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention into uncharted musical territories over several tours and albums. Today, four decades after having built "analog synthesizers" from scratch before most people had heard of such things, Preston is a living legend and a pioneer who now tweaks synthesizers on his Apple laptop. This summer Don Preston will set off on tour of Europe with his Akashic Ensemble, including a stop at the legendary, annual ZAPPANALE festival in Bad Doberan Germany. Having appeared there in the past with his Grande Mothers ensemble of fellow Zappa-alumni, Preston will bring his jazz-electronica-experimental trio to the stage in August of 2007. He will also make appearances in other European cities, including Vienna.

About Don Preston:
Most people probably know Don Preston's pioneering work with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention , with whom he toured and recorded over a dozen records with the groundbreaking band from 1966-1974, including the critically acclaimed fan favorites We're Only In It For The Money and Roxy And Elsewhere. Previous to joining the Mothers, in 1958 Preston toured Canada playing piano for Nat King Cole, he has also played bass with Carla and Paul Bley, Elvin Jones, Yousef Lateef and Herbie Mann, who he met when they were stationed with the U.S. Army in Trieste, Italy. After the Mothers, Don embarked on a wild ride through a myriad of musical situations, which include the likes of Flo &Eddie, Leo Sayer, John Carter and The Residents to name a few. In the early '70s Preston collaborated and played piano with Meredith Monk as part of the burgeoning New York avant garde/moderndance music/composers nexus. Don even shocked Robert Moog, inventor of the synthesizer, with the sounds he made on Moog's own instruments! Since the rebirth of Preston's Akashic Ensemble in 2002, the group has released a CD and toured throughout the Northeast. The diverse ensemble includes Cheri Jiosne on drums, percussion, electronics and processing, and Andre' Cholmondeley (of Zappa tribute band Project/Object) on guitar, electronics, synths and samples.

Don Preston also continues to compose and perform with the Grande Mothers, a group based around former Mothers of Invention members that Don started in the 1980s with Jimmy Carl Black and Bunk Gardner that now features Zappa-alumni Napoleon Murphy Brock and Roy Estrada. After an extended period of playing Zappa material and originals with his fellow Zappa-alumni in the Grande Mothers, Preston was ready to go on tour and play some more 'positive electronic music'. The Akashic Ensemble combines ambient moods with sampled vocals, analog tweaks and percussive loops-all with Preston's playful trademark sense of melody, dynamics and drama.

Don Preston's experience performing with everyone from Elvin Jones, Lou Rawls and Frank Zappa to Carla Bley, Meredith Monk, The Residents, Jack Bruce and Robbie Krieger provide him with a unique perspective on utilizing synthesis, musiqueconcrete and sampling in a variety of musical settings. His keyboard solos on Zappa and Michael Mantler records, as well as countless soundtracks including Apocalypse Now, are groundbreaking moments in synthesizer history. Today, Preston's stylistic range keeps expanding, currently grafting new
technologies into his experimental palette with software synths, laptop recording technology and digital interactive effects. After a half-century in the music business, Preston remains as active as ever! In 2006 alone, Don did three tours with the Grande Mothers, toured throughout two continents with the Akashic Ensemble , performed upright bass for a musical in Los Angeles, held separate concerts of solo electronic music and his jazz quartet at the L.A. County Museum, and performed Stravinsky's "L'Histoire Du Soldat" in L.A. and Bergen, Norway, also with the Grande Mothers.

This year Don Preston will reach his 75th Birthday (21 SEP) and looks forward to several months of hard work composing, recording and touring to celebrate this long, ongoing life on the cutting edge of music. His performances today range from solo piano that bridges jazz, 12-tone and classical sensibilities, and hard-core experimental electronic music ranging from beats to ambience, flavored by avant-garde poly-rhythms and political satire.

For more information, please visit:
www.myspace.com/donpreston
www.donprestonmusic.com

Tour Dates:

AUGUST 2007

04 Zappanale Bad Doberan, Germany
09 Rock Cafe' Prague CZ
10 Porgy &Bess Vienna, Austria
11 Porgy &Bess Vienna, Austria
12-14 TBC

SEPTEMBER 2007

22 MOOGFEST BB Kings. NYC

ADRIAN BELEW POWER TRIO

2007 07 23

André Cholmondely says:

Hey everyone Hope all is well. Lots going on.... too much at times, I can't think straight 

We're about to leave for EUROPE -- one show at Zappanale with Project/Object, one set with Don Preston Akashic, then we go onwards with Don to Prague and then Vienna. Being a musician really sucks sometimes.....LOL.
Then we have a 75th birthday tour with Don in sept..and a major P/O tour in Oct/Nov with Ike Willis & Napoleon Murphy Brock (ex-vocalist for Dweezil's ZPZ!) In any event... I have been booking some shows - and I have my FIRST EVER full on Production/Promotion (which really means - I'm the jerk who loses his shirt if enough people don't show up!!) Stay tuned for further developments --but if you are in the Asheville NC area (where I now live), c'mon down to the show -- or tell someone you know in Western NC!! Spread the word, let;'s pack this place. -thanks Andre'

ADRIAN BELEW POWER TRIO SUNDAY 19 AUGUST 2007

Stella Blue
31 PATTON AVE
Asheville
NC 7PM 

Adrian Belew Power Trio. 21+ Tickets $18 adv, $20 day of 

• 2007/08/19 Adrian Belew Power Trio - concert 'Stella Blue', Asheville, NC, usa

Join Legendary Adrian Belew in a rare appearance in Asheville NC. Catch one of his few USA dates this summer. The Power Trio will be fresh back from a week-long engagement in Japan (where they survived the earthquake!!). Adrian Belew is noted not only for his incredible and varied solo albums since 1982, but also for his countless tours and sessions with Herbie Hancock, Frank Zappa, Laurie Anderson, The Bears, Tom-Tom Club, Talking Heads, David Bowie, Jean-Michel Jarre, Paul Simon, Nine Inch Nails, Jars Of Clay, Mike Oldfield and more. Prog-heads know him well as the lead-vocalist and guitar-partner to Robert Fripp in KING CRIMSON since 1981. His trio since 2006 has consisted of Eric Slick/Drums and Julie Slick/Bass. (some of you may know Eric from his drum-chair position in PROJECT/OBJECT)
Featuring : Big Electric Music from Belew's entire career, incredible guitar textures and loops, and spirited trio improv.
Venue Phone: 828.236.2424
Event Email: guitartour@earthlink.net
Websites: http://www.stellabluelive.com
Ages: 21+
FOR TICKETS CLICK HERE: http://www.inticketing.com/evinfo.php?eventid=17685
Adrian Belew Power Trio
Date of Event: Sun Aug 19/07
Doors Open: 6:00 PM
Show Time: 7:00 PM
Ticket Limit Per Trans:8
Ticket Price: $18.00

FABIO MASSARI

The result is a beautiful 222-page book called "Detritos Cósmicos". It got released in Brazil in 2006.

by fabio massari
    (2006, book, brazil, conrad)

• I already mentioned this book a little while ago. "Zappa: Detritos Cósmicos" is a collection of writings, assambled by Fabio Massari.
  This book looks fabulous:
  • introdução: "Sobre este Livro", Fabio Massari
  • depoimentos
    • "Black Napkins", André Christovam
    • "Zapping Zappa", Cláudio Júlio Tognolli
    • "Zappa - impressões pessoais", Bento Araújo
    • "Zappaland", Dagomir Marquezi
    • "Aula de rock", Fábio Cascadura
    • "Máximas Zappianas", Allan Sieber
    • "3 x Z", Gastão Moreira
    • "Funk Zappa", Rodrigo Brandão
    • "FZ", Flavão
    • "O encontro de Boulez e Zappa", Rogério Skylab
    • "Lá vai:", Evandro Mesquita
    • "A Brasília de Frank Zappa", Paulo Lima

• "Zappa", Caco Galhardo
• "O exercício da inquietude", Wado
• "Grana & música", Alexandre Matias
• "FZ", João Lin
• "Zappa for president", Wander Wildner
• "Zappa e a no wave", Marco Butcher
• "Referência para o resto da vida", Rainer Tankred Pappon
• "Histórias sobre Ike Willis", The Central Scrutinizer Band
• "O esculacho levado a sério", Jumbo Elektro
• "Anotações para uma dialética zappiana", Löis Lancaster
• "Zappa e Yoko Ono", Luiz Calanca
• "Zappa no Brasil", Kid Vinil
• "Z.", Bruno Torturra Nogueira
• "Frank on the beach", Ivan Marsiglia
• ""Indigesto" e fascinante contato", Pitty & Duda
• "FZ", Neilton
• "Frank Zappa e eu...", Thunderbird
• "Corações despedaçados vão para o olho do cu", Clarah Averbuck
• "FZ", Diego Medina
• "Delírio zappiano / massariano", Rodrigo Carneiro
• "Não sou guitarrista, mas escultor!", Alberto Marsicano
• "Frank Zappa", Arthur Veríssimo
• "O homem vestido com roupas de magnésio", Ademir Assunção
• "FZ", Antonio Amaral
• "4/12/93", Thales de Menezes
• "O câncer de Frank Zappa", Fernando Bonassi

• entrevistas brasileiras

• uma palavrinha
• entrevista: José Nogueira
• entrevista: Fabio Massari

• artigos por fabio massari
  • perfil de Frank Zappa
  • Abertura de entrevista com Frank Zappa
  • Yellow Shark
  • Três lançamentos fazem tributo a Frank Zappa
  • Carta aberta a Frank Zappa
  • No Commercial Potential
  • Civilization Phaze
  • Zappa
  • Ike Willis no Brasil
    
• zappagrafia

MORE STUFF FROM THE BOOKSHELF

• the real frank zappa book
  by frank zappa / p.occhiogrosso
      (1989, book, uk, picador) - hardcover
  

• the frank zappa companion - four decades of commentary
  by r.kostelanetz
      (1997, book, uk, schirmer books)
  

• zappa par zappa
  avec peter occhiogrosso
      (2000, book, france, l'archipel)
  = french translation of "the real frank zappa book", translation by Jean-Marie Millet

   

   

THE IDIOT BASTARD SON

http://idiotbastard.bravehost.com/20xIBS.htm

Check it out.

ZAPPA IN BELGIUM

ANOTHER RUSSIAN FLEXI

• frank zappa: cradle rock
      (????, 6"-flexi, russia, ??)

blue vinyl, folded b/w cover, one-side mono recording

Dr.Dot says hi!

TRIGON

German band Trigon play what some people call JamProg (JamBand / Progressive Rock). They themselves call it "HeavyZenJazz".

The band consists of

• Rainer Lange: Gitarre
• Stefan Lange: Bass
• Tihomir Lozanovski: Drums

Trigon is scheduled to take part in the 2007 edition of the Zappanale festival. They headline Friday!

The band has a new album out, called "Emergent".

http://www.trigon.in

2007 07 20: Stefan Lange, bass player for Trigon, answers some questions

UM: How do you feel about playing at Zappanale?

Stefan: I feel good. No ... let me try again: AWESOME!  :-)

UM: Had you heard of the festival before?

Stefan: Yes I did. But I never had the chance to visit it as normal guest.

UM: Will you be presenting material of your latest album?

Stefan: We will play about 5-6 titles from our last CD "Emergent", some older stuff and perhaps 1 or 2 new titles.

-> more info soon

CHRISTOPHE GODIN

Christophe says: "On Thursday, I will be performing solo, with playbacks. Concerning the Mörglbl show (on Friday), we will present our newest release "Grötesk", as well as some Zappa covers for the first time !"

http://www.christophegodin.com
(The picture on the right was borrowed from the Godin website. It shows Christophe in concert at Lons-le-Saunier. Picture taken by Emilie Vacelet.)

Another concert that I don't want to miss...

DON PRESTON AT ZAPPANALE

To celebrate this excellent news, yesterday and today, I've been listening to various projects that Don contributed to in his impressive career. At the same time, I added these records to the United Mutations visual archive. Here you go.

Plus entries for:

• Ivo Perelman
• Gil Evans
• John Carter
• Bobby Bradford
• Michael Mantler
• Carla Bley

• ivo perelman: ivo
      (1989, cd, ger, itm-pacific) - feat.don preston

• gil evans: where flamingos fly
      (1981, cd, usa, artists house) - feat.don preston

• john carter: dance of the love ghosts
      (1987, cd, can, gramavision) - feat.don preston  

• john carter: shadows on a wall
      (1988, cd, can, gramavision) - feat.don preston

• bobby bradford - john carter quintet: comin' on
      (1989, cd, switzerland, hat records art cd 6016)
                - feat. don preston

• john carter: fields
      (1990, cd, sw, gramavision) - feat.don preston

Musician and composer Michael Mantler recorded two albums with Don Preston. The first one, in 1985, was called "Alien". The second one was a registration of a concert at the Art-Rock Festival in Frankfurt, Germany. Mantler was asked to participate in this festival, and formed a group with Nick Mason, Jack Bruce, Rick Fenn, Don Preston and John Greaves. This resulted in "Live" in 1987.

• michael mantler: alien
      (1985, cd, ger, ecm) - feat.don preston

• michael mantler: live
      (1987, cd, ger, ecm) - feat.jack bruce, don preston

• aunt jamina and the united pancakes: candy bullets and moon
      (1967, 7", usa, dwr 6806) = meredith monk & don preston

Meredith Monk was born in 1942. She attended Sarah Lawrence College and began composing while there.

In 1967, Meredith Monk collaborated with Don Preston. The result "Candy Bullets And Moon" got released on 7".

The picture of the label of this 7" is shown on the right.

In 1968, Monk formed The House, a record company-of-sorts for interdisciplinary works relating both to music, dance,  and film. She signed to the ECM label in the late '70s and has recorded avant-garde works encompassing jazz, classical, and theater music consistently since.

MISS PAMELA

On the right is the picture of the reprint of "I'm With The Band" from a couple of years ago. Nice pict