Chip off the old Zappa block
Jun 15 2009 By Peter Bacon
As a student all those years ago, I faced a dilemma: should my Frank Zappa LPs be filed under rock or jazz?
Rock won out, but I suspect that I am not alone among jazz fans of my generation in still holding on to a particular affection for those long, endlessly unfurling guitar solos and rich and complex horn arrangements.
When I finally got to see the man at the NEC in the late 1980s, his band played everything from Bartok to the Beatles, with, crucially, The Eric Dolphy Barbecue somewhere in between.
Tonight in Symphony Hall Frank’s son Dweezil presents his dad’s music.
Although Zappa’s music has been performed by various mainly contemporary classical ensembles, and some great jazz groups like John Etheridge’s Zappatistas and Birmingham’s own young Zappajazz, this is being touted as the first official concert of Frank’s music since his death in 1993.
Although Dweezil started out at the rockier end of the music with his own band, he really has graduated to the more serious stuff with this project and tour, and while nobody, to my ears, will quite be able to emulate Frank Zappa the guitarist, Dweezil is certainly a chip off the old block when it comes to assembling a group of hot musicians.
Think of how the young players between Brian Wilson replicated his music and you have some idea how well Dweezil’s band re-enact some of Zappa’s finest moments. There’s a leaning towards the later Zappa and you can certainly expect Florentine Pogen, Inca Roads and Zomby Woof. Just typing those song titles has brightened my day.
Cynics might regard this as a tribute band, but having seen some video clips of their performances, the reaction has to be: What a tribute band!
Full marks to Dweezil for doing it.
Zappa Plays Zappa is at Symphony Hall tonight at 8pm. Tickets from thsh.co.uk or 0121 780 3333.
* Tomorrow evening Tim Amann, pianist with the Walsall Jazz Orchestra and Andy Hamilton’s Blue Notes, gets to be leader at the Jam House with his own X-Tet.
Nothing like hedging your bets about how many musicians are likely to be in the band, eh? In this instance it’s five – Tim, Sam Rogers on saxophone, Ray Butcher on trumpet, Adam Gilchrist on bass and Carl Hemmingsley on drums.
Yes, they were all with the WJO at their excellent Poll Winners’ performance at the Rush Hour Blues earlier this month, and it’s going to be grand to hear them given a bit more space.
This Birmingham Jazz event is free and the band is on at 9pm.
* Friday early evening’s Rush Hour session at the Symphony Hall foyer bar is a bit of a treat, with a visit by bassist Mick Hutton. Mick has played with everybody, from Loose Tubes to Pharaoh Sanders. He has the excellent saxophonist Andy Panayi in his band. It starts at 5.30pm and it’s free.
