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Tag Archives: Frank Zappa

World News

Using Streaming Music Services To Explore A Brazilian Music Legend’s Remarkable Life Work: Hermeto Pascoal on Qobuz, Tidal, Apple Lossless and Spotify

Posted on by Mark Smotroff


Over the previous a number of years I’ve been making a really deep dive into the music of a grasp musician from Brazil who’s revered amongst “in-the-know” circles right here in America, however extensively recognized the world over: Hermeto Pascoal.  Miles Davis is reputed to have dubbed him “essentially the most spectacular musician on the planet” — [I’ve also read the attribution as being “one of the most important musicians on the planet”] — after his experiences working with Pascoal on the  1971 album Live-Evil which not solely featured him on a number of cuts but in addition three of his compositions. I’ve described Hermeto’s music as at occasions type of like what may need occurred if Frank Zappa and Chick Corea went to Rio on a magical trip which delivered to the world a love baby who grew up with a fascination for making new sounds and devices (amongst many, Hermeto legendarily turned a stuffed tea pot right into a water instrument by including a mouthpiece to it!).  

The wiki reviews: “Hermeto’s profession started in 1964 with appearances on a number of Brazilian recordings alongside comparatively unknown teams. These now-classic albums and the musicians concerned (Edu Lobo, Elis Regina, Cesar Camargo Mariano) established extensively influential new instructions in post-bossa nova Brazilian jazz.”

I’ve learn that in Brazil he’s known as “The Wizard” (really, I’ve been informed this just lately, unprompted, from new mates I’ve met who’re from Brazil!) as he can play just about any instrument rather well and is self taught!  From a bio on the Jazz Is Dead web site, promoters of Hermeto’s upcoming U.S. tour (extra on that in a second), they summarize: “Pascoal makes use of nature as a foundation for his compositions and sometimes makes music with unconventional objects corresponding to teapots, kids’s toys, and animals, in addition to keyboards, button accordions, melodica, saxophones, guitars, flutes, voices, numerous brass and folkloric devices. Get prepared and anticipate the surprising!”

So… I’m positive a few of you who’re extra cynical than even I may be are asking: ‘Well, if he’s so nice, why isn’t Heremeto Pascoal extra well-known to the mainstream right here in America?’ It is a good query! And as with something in life and historical past, there may be often a number of causation at play. I don’t know the entire particulars for positive at this level however I can take some educated guesses…

The actuality is that fame doesn’t at all times equate high quality — a lot of my favourite artists will not be family names, both on account of business machinations again within the day or as a result of artist’s selection.  Often occasions it’s a mixture of the 2 and extra. In a current evaluation of Hermeto’s  beforehand unreleased 1976 recordings, the liner notes detailed some vital socio-political background behind Pascoal’s profession which play into this. (Click right here to leap to that evaluation which explores this a bit). I’ve reviewed different albums by and regarding Hermeto which you discover by clicking right here. 

Hermeto appears to be fairly well-known and revered most each the place all over the world besides for America, so the fact is that he IS well-known within the mainstream. Just not right here within the United States’ mainstream!  In 2019, Pascoal gained the Latin Grammy Award for Best Portuguese Language Roots Album for his album Hermeto Pascoal e Sua Visão Original do Forró.

In my very own little manner, I’ve been attempting to champion better consciousness of Hermeto’s music from my critiques right here on Audiophile Review in addition to my posts on social media. 

Hermeto’s music is stuffed with surprises. Expect a wealth of Brazilian rhythms taking place however betwixt, between, above and under there are melodies galore which take the listener on a journey by way of wild typically whimsical twists and turns by way of jazz, jazz fusion, the avant garde, people, classical and even pop musics. At occasions enjoying a Hermeto Pascoal album is like listening to a radio station which may be enjoying the perfect tackle a fluffy Sergio Mendes pop piece which instantly mutates right into a wild freeform flows this facet of Edgar Varese, Ornette Coleman or Ascension-era John Coltrane. 

Heremeto is approaching tour to America together with his band this Summer and for those who haven’t scored your tickets for a number of of his reveals I’d counsel you get them quickly (click on right here for extra data on the tour which is sponsored by the parents behind Jazz Is Dead). And now’s a time to get into his music. And whereas in some methods if may be very tough to seek out his albums on vinyl out within the wilds (extra on that in a second), a lot of his catalog is offered on CD and is streaming on a number of the vital excessive decision companies together with Qobuz, Tidal and Apple Music. 

Thus I assumed it might be useful to place collectively a kind of introductory primer on the artist for these of you who could also be however undecided the place to begin. 

I discussed earlier that I’ve been making a really deep dive into Hermeto’s music and its change into an nearly obsessive problem for me. For a long time I’ve had simply certainly one of his albums, one of many few issued in America on Warner Brothers Records, 1977’s Slaves Mass. For a protracted very long time I didn’t discover any of his albums on vinyl. 

The album that in some ways kickstarted my present immersion into Hermeto’s universe is the 2018 launch  No Mundo Dos Sons which I found on an early 2020 journey to New Orleans (the place I used to be visiting many report shops there!). I purchased the album blindly figuring out that I’d not going see it once more. And I’m glad I acquired it.  You can learn my evaluation by clicking right here. 

Curiously, this wonderful album — the title of which interprets to roughly “within the worlds of sounds” — isn’t on Qobuz or Tidal any extra however is on Apple Lossless () and Spotify (click on right here).  If you will discover No Mundo Dos Sons on vinyl, its a smoker with titled tributes to Thad Jones, Ron Carter, Edu Lobo, Jobim, Miles Davis and even Astor Piazzolla.  Cuts like “Carlos Malta Tupizando,” “Vinicus Dorin em Buzios” are amongst my favorites right here. 

After this after which rekindling my relationship with Slaves Mass already in my assortment, I went on the lookout for his music and located some on CD together with an exquisite and vital Bossa Nova jazz recording from 1967 with Quarteto Novo that includes Airto on guitar and Hermeto on Flute.  A beautiful hear, that is music which I think that Chick Corea listened to and maybe took some early inspiration from.  

Indeed, connecting some musical dots: 5 years later, Corea later labored with each Airto and his spouse, singer Flora Purim on the primary two Return To Forever albums (1972’s eponymous debut and 1973’s Light As A Feather). These musical universes intersect once more elsewhere together with on Purim’s 1976 celebrity session Open Your Eyes You Can Fly (Milestone / Fantasy Records) which incorporates three compositions every from Chick Corea and Hermeto Pascoal in addition to efficiency contributions from a minimum of George Duke, Egberto Gismonti, Ron Carter, Alphonso Johnson (and naturally Hermeto!).

You can discover Quarteto Novo on CD at Amazon (click on right here) however even that has gone as much as mad collector’s costs there for $70-80!  It is a little bit cheaper on Discogs. Original vinyl copies of Quarteto Novoare elusive even on-line, commanding excessive costs on Discogs upwards of $200 per album. I’ve but to see one anyplace right here in America in shops or within the wilds, however I’m nonetheless trying.  Unfortunately, this doesn’t appear to be streaming anyplace lately aside from on Spotify (click on right here). [Ah well, its not the best way to hear this music, but it is a start and better than nothing!].

Another elusive early Hermeto associated venture is Brazilian Octopus, a stunning extra mainstream flavored Bossa Nova flavored pop-jazz group which solely launched one album in 1969. It too may be very uncommon to seek out within the wilds on vinyl and even CD (I’ve but to see both). Fortunately this album IS streaming in CD high quality on Qobuz (click on right here), Tidal (click on right here), Apple Lossless () and Spotify (click on right here).

Hermeto’s tremendous first album, merely titled Hermeto Pascoal, has just lately been reissued by the great of us at Far Out Recordings (London) which I hope to evaluation sooner or later (I’ve an unique US vinyl situation on Cobblestone Records and a mid-70s reissue on Muse Records).  It consists of larger band recordings, orchestral strings and visitor performers together with the nice Joe Farrell, Hubert Laws, Thad Jones, Ron Carter and manufacturing from Flora Purim and Airto (who additionally provides drums and percussion).

Listen to Hermeto Pascoal on: Qobuz (click on right here), Tidal (click on right here), Apple Lossless () and Spotify (click on right here)

Hermeto’s second album launched in 1973, A Música Livre De Hermeto Pascoal, is a surprise because it consists of maybe his greatest recognized tune, “Bebe” and is a joyous spin. Yet, put together your self for that wild experience I discussed earlier right here as he swings and sways from the industrial mainstream to moments of out and out aural mayhem together with tremendous emotive screams and shouts! 

Listen to A Música Livre De Hermeto Pascoal streaming on: Qobuz (click on right here), Tidal (click on right here) and  Apple Lossless (click on right here).

If you want “Bebe,” remember to try Hermeto’s 2013 revisitation of it on The Monash Sessions the place he does a vocal solo by way of his home-made water-filled teapot instrument! 

Listen to The Monash Sessions on: Qobuz (click on right here), Tidal (click on right here) and Apple Lossless ()

There is an expanded version of his 1977 Warner Bros. jazz fusion basic Slaves Massstreaming on most music companies.  This consists of the great 7/8-time opener “Mixing Pot” and the joyfully manic “A Little Cry For Him” which revolves round some ever escalating scales which flip into the hook of the track as he and the band play loads with time and pace — a enjoyable frolic!.  There are additionally bonus tracks not on the unique LP.  

An attention-grabbing facet observe: I simply realized this album was co-produced by Kerry McNabb, an audio engineer who labored with Frank Zappa for a few years! The album additionally consists of the nice Chester Thompson on drums (who was in Zappa’s legendary “Roxy” period band for chunk of the Seventies. Ron Carter and Alphonso Johnson are additionally on this together with Airto and Flora Purim.  So for those who keep in mind my earlier remark about Zappa ands Chick, this factors to that kind of cross pollination.

Listen to Slaves Mass at: Qobuz (click on right here), Tidal (click on right here) and Apple Lossless ().  

One of my favorites is his 1979 comply with on to Slaves Mass referred to as Zabumbe-bum-á which additional explores these crossroads between Brazilian rhythms and types with Jazz fusion and extra free type out flavors, once more recalling at occasions that Corea-Zappa hybrid I discussed earlier. For what it’s value, a Brazilian musician I befriend just lately when he offered me a few of his unique Hermeto albums cited this album as his favourite. I reviewed the album’s vinyl reissue on Audiophile Review (click on right here to leap to it). If you want Weather Report, Return To Forever and Zappa’s forays into jazz fusion music you might effectively take pleasure in this jam. 

Listen to Zabumbe-bum-á at Qobuz (click on right here), Tidal (click on right here) Apple Lossless (click on right here)

I’ve had some nice luck in current months discovering quite a lot of Hermeto’s unique vinyl LPs, most of which weren’t launched in America.  One of the surprises there may be the solo piano two LP set Hermeto Solo: Por Diferentes Caminhos (Piano Acústico). At occasions recalling the introspection of Bill Evans and different occasions the wild abandon of Keith Jarrett, this can be a fascinating album that has been rising on me with every hear

Listen to Hermeto Solo: Por Diferentes Caminhos (Piano Acústico) at:  Qobuz (click on right here), Tidal (click on right here) Apple Lossless () 

Gosh, digging into this text I’m discovering many Hermeto albums I’d missed alongside the best way already, corresponding to this stunning 2017 launch Hermeto and Big Band which is just about what it feels like. But don’t anticipate Benny Goodman or Glenn Miller. If something that is nearer to Gil Evans and Miles Davis’ bigger group works within the ‘50s and ‘60s. In reality, the second track on the album is known as “Viva o Gil Evans” so you already know the place Hermeto is coming from on this. 

Listen to Hermeto and Big Band  at Qobuz (click on right here), Tidal (click on right here)   

One final album I’ve simply found on-line (and once more have by no means seen in bodily type anyplace to this point) is a 2006 launch by Hermeto Pascoal and a singer named Aline Morena — who seems to be his most up-to-date spouse! — referred to as Chimarrão Com Rapadura. This is a wild, joyous and exquisite recording that’s exhausting to explain, however it’s clearly two musical soul-mates exploring all corners of their relationship. Here the duo create all method of musics collectively, a lot of it with all instrumental components overdubbed by Hermeto himself.  For instance, “Nos” opens up with an accordion and vocal intro that appears like Yma Sumac visiting Mars earlier than transitioning into beautiful synthesizer and piano prospers backing a haunting theatrically jazzy vocal from Morena (assume Bertold Brecht/Kurt Weill) and soloing from Hermeto on the Melodica (a handheld keyboard performed kind of Harmonica-sounding instrument). For lack of a greater reference level, “Baile de Candiero” is kind of like a Mexican “ranchero,” however actually it’s its personal factor.

Listen for your self to Chimarrão Com Rapadura at: Qobuz (click on right here), Tidal (click on right here) and Spotify (click on right here)

If all this feels a little bit overwhelming, don’t fear: it’s! 

But Hermeto Pascoal’s musical riches are deep and rewarding, so it’s value investing the time to journey by way of his catalog.  

If you poke round on some streaming companies you’ll most likely discover some helpful compilations corresponding to this one I simply found referred to as Grandes Mestres da MPB which seems to be part of a sequence on the ”grand masters” of Brazilian music corresponding to Gilberto Gil, Baden Powell, Jorge Ben Jon. Antonio Carlos Jobim and Hermeto Pascoal.

Listen to Hermeto Pascoal’s Grandes Mestres da MPB on: Qobuz (click on right here), Tidal (click on right here), Apple Lossless () Spotify (click on right here).

However you get there, the important thing factor is to hear. And with all this tremendous music at your fingertips, there isn’t a cause to not discover the music of Hermeto Pascoal.  I hope you benefit from the journey as a lot as I’m!

World News

New Zappa Mudd Club /Munich 3-CD Set Delivers Rich Les Paul-Driven Rock Crunch Throughout Overlooked 1980 Tour

Posted on by Mark Smotroff


If I’ve discovered one factor in all these years reviewing archival releases from the property of Frank Zappa it’s to belief the style, opinion and imaginative and prescient of Vaultmeister Joe Travers. He is the guru who has taken the helm of the Mothers-ship, steering us followers gingerly by way of the deeply rewarding waters into Zappa’s legendary archives. Travers’ passionate drive behind these releases is roughly equal to the affect of the late nice Dick Latvala who initiated the pioneering “Dick’s Picks” sequence of archival releases for The Grateful Dead.

This newest launch comes from an period of Zappa’s music that I’ve truthfully had some misgivings about over time. And apparently Mr. Travers himself admitted that the Spring 1980 tour hadn’t been a giant precedence however he apparently discovered a number of associated tapes that Zappa had been engaged on at one level or one other. So he ultimately discovered time to discover the recordings and located a lot greatness inside. 

Thus we now have this high quality new album referred to as Zappa ’80 Mudd Club / Munich and very like the nice 1981 Halloween performances which I reviewed some time again (click on right here), this recording has gone an extended option to modified my perspective on what Frank was doing right now. Central to this uncommon interval is that Zappa was working with a comparatively stripped down, five-piece rockin’ again up band to tackle tour supporting new materials he was engaged on. This tight environment friendly unit additionally discovered itself sporting an incredible new drummer who was solely with Zappa for a short while, David Logeman.

The first disc of Zappa ’80 Mudd Club / Munich comes from an unique look on the legendary downtown New York hipster venue referred to as The Mudd Club. I keep in mind when this present occurred again within the day and plenty of of my Zappa fan mates have been buzzing about it. This recording comes from Zappa’s Nagra reel-to-reel which he was operating at the back of the membership. It sounds actually fairly good all issues thought of and on it your hear this nascent band coming collectively earlier than your very ears. It is actually fascinating listening to Zappa, whom by this time we’d grow to be accustomed to listening to dwell on giant live performance phases earlier than 1000’s of followers, enjoying for about 240 fortunate followers. You can really feel the shut ambiance on these recordings. 

But actually, that is all a heat up for the whole live performance later on the finish of the tour in Germany. Recorded on the Olympiahalle in Munich on July 3, 1980, this performace is kind of outstanding on quite a few ranges. Part of the present had been broadcast however now we get to listen to the whole present and to this point I’ve been tremendous impressed. Everything concerning the preparations and total sound of this band may be very concise. Adding to pure rock bliss is that we discover Zappa enjoying his lovely Les Paul, so his overdriven sound is fierce and ripping.

This can also be a major launch and that it’s the first all digital recording that Zappa ever made on tour, recorded within the Sony PCM-1600 format on 3/4-inch U-Matic video tape. Happily, it sounds fairly great as CDs go as a result of principally we’re listening to the native unique recording that was laid down at the moment. Even although it’s 16 bit, 44.1 kHz — not coincidentally the eventual normal — the recording sounds wonderful. There apparently was a substantial quantity of restoration work performed fixing dropouts from saftey grasp copies Zappa had made (the PCM video format is seemingly infamous for growing dropouts over time). These recordings have been finally mastered by the legendary Bernie Grundman and it sounds it. 

At the top of the day it comes right down to music and the band right here is just about on fireplace. I’m significantly taken with this model of “Easy Meat,” a music which Zappa had been engaged on since 1970 which finally noticed launch on the disappointing Tinseltown Rebellion album (1981). I want Frank had issued this model of the music. No disrespect to keyboardist Tommy Mars, however one of many points I’ve all the time had with Tinseltown typically is that the keyboards have been blended option to excessive for my style — I’m admittedly accustomed to Zappa’s guitar main his sound however there the synthesizer sounds are likely to dominate. That mentioned, this model feels extra balanced and rocking, plus Zappa’s solo is pretty epic.  

Other tracks value noting on this set are “Dancin’ Fool” and “Bobby Brown Goes Down” each of which get significantly robust crowd responses. I’ve learn previously that the latter music grew to become an enormous hit in Europe; the wiki says “It was a number-one-hit in Norway and Sweden and positioned at quantity 4 within the German charts, the place it bought greater than 250,000 items.”  This is kind of superb given the subject material of the music on the time — a couple of mysoginistic closeted dysfunctional Gay file firm govt! However, the group goes audibly bonkers when Zappa launches into the Doo Wop flavored ditty! Zappa continues the frivolities with a scorching model of “Ms. Pinky,” from Zoot Allures (1976) a couple of blow up private leisure doll. Good clear enjoyable, youngsters!  

Seriously, Zappa ’80 Mudd Club / Munich is a joyous three CD set which sounds nice and within reason priced. The recordings are traditionally important, and also you most likely want them in your assortment if you’re a Zappa fan.  I hope to get my palms on the vinyl editions quickly and can report on these as quickly as I get them. You may also discover it streaming on Qobuz (click on right here), Tidal (click on right here) and Apple Music ().  

World News

Listening Report: Vinyl Reissue Of Brilliant Lost 1976 Hermeto Pascoal Session Underscore’s The Wizard’s Vision To Support Brazilian Music, Musicians

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

Have you ever had one of those moments when you are reading something new and all of a sudden, other details you know about a particular subject coalesce into something bigger than you ever imagined?  I had one of those moments recently when Far Out Recordings graciously sent me a review copy of Viajando Com O Som, the lost 1976 studio album by Hermeto Pascoal and his band Grupo Vice Versa. The album was issued in 2017 but has been recently reissued on a lovely opaque green vinyl pressing (which is happily very quiet and well centered).

One feature I find incredibly important about physical music releases — one which gives them a distinct advantage over most streaming services — is not just the sound quality but also the inclusion of quality liner notes. And it was from these liner notes that one of the puzzle pieces about Hermeto’s career trajectory came into focus for me.  I have long wondered why this highly respected musician who Miles Davis once described as “the most impressive musician in the world” was relatively unknown here in America, arguably one of the largest music marketplaces in the world?  Few of his albums have been released here and most are long out of print (1977’s Slaves Mass on Warner Brothers was probably his highest visibility issue here)

Well, I know that everything that happens in history (and life for that matter) has multiple causes. So the liner notes to Viajando Com O Som reveal at least one more detail indicating that “O Bruxo” (aka “The Wizard,” as he is known in some circles) chose to go back to his native Brazil after a period of activity here in the U.S. to focus on making music there.  So that can at least in part explain how a musician who notably appeared on Miles Davis’ Live Evil album (which includes several of his songs) left to to pursue a noble dream he had: “to create a musical group under his name to start a revolution…” (according to the liner notes). 

He wanted to create a constant ensemble that could flourish is a noble quest. However, that he chose to do this in Brazil made this task braver and no doubt more challenging than it appears on the surface. We are reminded in the liner notes that Brazil was ruled under a military dictatorship which made pulling together these musicians and releasing the music no doubt a massive undertaking.  

A Side Note: Recently, a Brazilian music fan in a Facebook vinyl enthusiast group responded to one of my posts — which was about how elusive Hermeto’s music is to find here in the United States — explaining that his albums are actually not easy to find even there! After reading these liner notes, that makes a great deal of sense. Those musicians were living in an oppressive society so I’d imagine that it took a lot of effort to get records into the stores there even if you were able to get things together enough to actually record an album.  

Anyhow, Hermeto and his band Grupo no doubt soldiered onward and recorded Viajando Com O Som (which means “Journey With Sound”) at a Sao Paulo studio called Vice-Versa in just two days. This fact makes this album all the more remarkable as these recordings feature performances from a well oiled band that sounds tight as if they had been touring together for ages. 

So what does this music sound like?  Well, I have used this description of some of Hermeto’s music before and it applies here: imagine if Chick Corea and Frank Zappa got together to record in Brazil.  I’m particularly referring to Zappa from in his jazz-fusion period of Hot Rats, Waka/Jawaka and even some of The Grand Wazoo meshed with some of the sensibilities of Chick Corea’s Return To Forever (Polydor era especially).  

But I only present those parameters as touchstone flavors to paint a picture with words about what to expect. Hermeto Pascoal & Grupo are distinctly their own entity and the music they make delivers a distinctive Brazilian undercurrent.  

On the opening track “Dança do pajé” Hermeto delivers achingly beautiful melodies and performances largely featuring super expressive flute playing over a wash of Fender Rhodes type electric piano and wind-chime type bells. 

On the haunting “Natal,” percussionist / drummer Zē Eduardo Nazario solos on “Bamboo Harmonic Flute” along with a battery of four other flautists on the album — the track sounds more like it was recorded deep in a Brazilian rainforest than a studio. This is a complement as this piece is pretty amazing, especially toward the lush end sequences. 

But then, on the album side long “Casinha Pequenina,” an exploration of a Brazilian Folklore theme, we hear the band traverse improvisations which roam from funky grooves to whimsical flights of musical fancy to out-and-out free jazz soaring without a net. At times, the Saxophone player (not sure which as there are four in the group!) seems to channel the mad skronk of Ian Underwood (who played Sax on Zappa’s Hot Rats) and then launches out into the ether with his own distinctive beauty and tone. 

Viajando Com O Som is out in the stores now (I even saw a couple copies in the racks at Amoeba Music just yesterday, reminding me it was time to get my review finished up!). Hopefully you’ll be able to find the album easily. It is certainly available online (click on the title anywhere in this review and it will take you to the Amazon page for the album).  

If you want to sample Viajando Com O Som online, you can find it streaming in CD quality on the better services such as Qobuz (click here), Tidal (click here) and Apple Lossless (click here).  But if you like this music you’ll probably want to pick up a copy on vinyl. 

If you’d like to read more about Hermeto’s albums, please click on any of these titles following which will take you to reviews I’ve written thus far including:Planetário Da Gávea,  No Mundo Dos Sonsplus British saxophonist Sean Khan’s Palmares Fantasy Featuring Hermeto Pasocaland Airto’s Natural Feelings(which also features Hermeto in the band).

World News

Listening Report: Vinyl Reissue Of Brilliant Lost 1976 Hermeto Pascoal Session Underscore’s The Wizard’s Vision To Support Brazilian Music, Musicians

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

Have you ever had one of those moments when you are reading something new and all of a sudden, other details you know about a particular subject coalesce into something bigger than you ever imagined?  I had one of those moments recently when Far Out Recordings graciously sent me a review copy of Viajando Com O Som, the lost 1976 studio album by Hermeto Pascoal and his band Grupo Vice Versa. The album was issued in 2017 but has been recently reissued on a lovely opaque green vinyl pressing (which is happily very quiet and well centered).

One feature I find incredibly important about physical music releases — one which gives them a distinct advantage over most streaming services — is not just the sound quality but also the inclusion of quality liner notes. And it was from these liner notes that one of the puzzle pieces about Hermeto’s career trajectory came into focus for me.  I have long wondered why this highly respected musician who Miles Davis once described as “the most impressive musician in the world” was relatively unknown here in America, arguably one of the largest music marketplaces in the world?  Few of his albums have been released here and most are long out of print (1977’s Slaves Mass on Warner Brothers was probably his highest visibility issue here)

Well, I know that everything that happens in history (and life for that matter) has multiple causes. So the liner notes to Viajando Com O Som reveal at least one more detail indicating that “O Bruxo” (aka “The Wizard,” as he is known in some circles) chose to go back to his native Brazil after a period of activity here in the U.S. to focus on making music there.  So that can at least in part explain how a musician who notably appeared on Miles Davis’ Live Evil album (which includes several of his songs) left to to pursue a noble dream he had: “to create a musical group under his name to start a revolution…” (according to the liner notes). 

He wanted to create a constant ensemble that could flourish is a noble quest. However, that he chose to do this in Brazil made this task braver and no doubt more challenging than it appears on the surface. We are reminded in the liner notes that Brazil was ruled under a military dictatorship which made pulling together these musicians and releasing the music no doubt a massive undertaking.  

A Side Note: Recently, a Brazilian music fan in a Facebook vinyl enthusiast group responded to one of my posts — which was about how elusive Hermeto’s music is to find here in the United States — explaining that his albums are actually not easy to find even there! After reading these liner notes, that makes a great deal of sense. Those musicians were living in an oppressive society so I’d imagine that it took a lot of effort to get records into the stores there even if you were able to get things together enough to actually record an album.  

Anyhow, Hermeto and his band Grupo no doubt soldiered onward and recorded Viajando Com O Som (which means “Journey With Sound”) at a Sao Paulo studio called Vice-Versa in just two days. This fact makes this album all the more remarkable as these recordings feature performances from a well oiled band that sounds tight as if they had been touring together for ages. 

So what does this music sound like?  Well, I have used this description of some of Hermeto’s music before and it applies here: imagine if Chick Corea and Frank Zappa got together to record in Brazil.  I’m particularly referring to Zappa from in his jazz-fusion period of Hot Rats, Waka/Jawaka and even some of The Grand Wazoo meshed with some of the sensibilities of Chick Corea’s Return To Forever (Polydor era especially).  

But I only present those parameters as touchstone flavors to paint a picture with words about what to expect. Hermeto Pascoal & Grupo are distinctly their own entity and the music they make delivers a distinctive Brazilian undercurrent.  

On the opening track “Dança do pajé” Hermeto delivers achingly beautiful melodies and performances largely featuring super expressive flute playing over a wash of Fender Rhodes type electric piano and wind-chime type bells. 

On the haunting “Natal,” percussionist / drummer Zē Eduardo Nazario solos on “Bamboo Harmonic Flute” along with a battery of four other flautists on the album — the track sounds more like it was recorded deep in a Brazilian rainforest than a studio. This is a complement as this piece is pretty amazing, especially toward the lush end sequences. 

But then, on the album side long “Casinha Pequenina,” an exploration of a Brazilian Folklore theme, we hear the band traverse improvisations which roam from funky grooves to whimsical flights of musical fancy to out-and-out free jazz soaring without a net. At times, the Saxophone player (not sure which as there are four in the group!) seems to channel the mad skronk of Ian Underwood (who played Sax on Zappa’s Hot Rats) and then launches out into the ether with his own distinctive beauty and tone. 

Viajando Com O Som is out in the stores now (I even saw a couple copies in the racks at Amoeba Music just yesterday, reminding me it was time to get my review finished up!). Hopefully you’ll be able to find the album easily. It is certainly available online (click on the title anywhere in this review and it will take you to the Amazon page for the album).  

If you want to sample Viajando Com O Som online, you can find it streaming in CD quality on the better services such as Qobuz (click here), Tidal (click here) and Apple Lossless (click here).  But if you like this music you’ll probably want to pick up a copy on vinyl. 

If you’d like to read more about Hermeto’s albums, please click on any of these titles following which will take you to reviews I’ve written thus far including:Planetário Da Gávea,  No Mundo Dos Sonsplus British saxophonist Sean Khan’s Palmares Fantasy Featuring Hermeto Pasocaland Airto’s Natural Feelings(which also features Hermeto in the band).

World News

Frank Zappa’s 1972 Jazz Rock Masterpieces The Grand Wazoo & Waka/Jawaka Featured In New Boxed Set, Waka/Wazoo. Part 2, The Live & Studio Sessions

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

In part one of my review of the fabulous new Frank Zappa five disc boxed set called Waka/Wazoo we explored the fantastic Dolby Atmos Blu-ray surround sound recordings included there. In case you missed Part One, please click here to catch up.  In this second part of my listening report I hope to highlight some of the truly nifty studio and live recordings included on the rest of the the collection.

For those of you reading this not familiar with this music, a paragraph from the official press materials from the Zappa estate may help to shed necessary light on the amazing music in this set:

“In 1972, following the aftermath of being pushed off stage at the Rainbow Theatre in London by a crazed attendee, Frank Zappa found himself recuperating for months in his home in the hills of Los Angeles. Although he was confined to a wheelchair and in immense pain, his work ethic could not be tamed, and he would end up having one of the most prolific years of his hugely prolific career. During this time, he managed, among other things, to assemble an ensemble that quenched his thirst and desire to work with a large “Electric Orchestra.” Ultimately, he contracted a 20-piece group for recording sessions and an eight-city tour. Shortly thereafter, a scaled down 10-piece configuration, now popularly known as the “Petite Wazoo” toured for almost two months. After all was said and done, Zappa finished the experiment with two albums in the can – Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo – plus two tours and an archive of show masters in his Vault. It was a monumental feat for a guy with a cast on his leg and a conductor’s baton in his hand.”

If you are a casual Zappa fan reading this review and wondering where this music fits in the big scheme of things, here is some easy to understand perspective: if you own and enjoyed Zappa’s landmark and immensely popular mostly instrumental jazz-rock fusion album called Hot Rats and have always wondered if there was more of this kind of music from Frank available,  then Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo should be your next Zappa albums to explore.  

Personally, these albums are among my all time favorite Zappa recordings. 

For us deeper Zappa fans, a collection like this is welcome and oft-dreamt-about joy as it not only delivers live recordings from this period  — which a whole lot of us never got to see/hear — but also breaks out rarities from the studio archives which went into the making of the final albums. 

For me, it is precisely that wealth of studio outtakes, alternate mixes and works in progress showing the development of this music from its earliest stages which makes Waka/Wazoo essential listening. 

It is fascinating being the fly-on-the-wall and hearing songs like the bluesy “Your Mouth” in first take form. There, the two vocalists have not quite jelled their performance into the tight blend of the final mix, but it they still have that immediately identifiable sound that is part of that song’s signature.

It is quite amazing to hear the evolution of songs like the title track of The Grand Wazoo album, where we get to hear the early incarnation outtake version titled “Think It Over” which reveals that this tune originally had lyrics sung over it (or at least initial ideas for lyrics on parts of the work)!  

Fans of Zappa keyboardist and singer George Duke will be excited to hear a batch of unreleased recordings made around the same time as these sessions featuring Zappa on guitar. One of the most notable moments in these sessions is an instrumental version of the song “Uncle Remus” which Zappa clearly liked so much that he added lyrics to it and it became a key song on the Apostrophe album couple of years later. But here on Waka/Wazoo we hear that George Duke had the song pretty much fully shaped and thus it would be relatively easy for Zappa to shape it into a full song for his album by adding lyrics and embellishments to Duke’s melody lines.

Speaking of early versions, one of the surprises from the live recordings of the 10-piece “Petite Wazoo” band is that they don’t really do any of the material on Waka/Jawaka or The Grand Wazoo! Instead, the fans in San Francisco attending that concert at the legendary Winterland Ballroom (December 15, 1972) were treated to mostly even newer material Zappa was already working out! 

Included is a great version of “Montana” which would show up on 1973’s Over-Nite Sensation album and a great rockin’ take on “Cosmik Debris” which ended up on the Apostrophe album in 1974. We also get then-unreleased pieces like “Little Dots” and “Farther O’Blivion” (which is a very different piece of music to the like-named “Father O’Blivion” on the Apostrophe album). The set ends with a fine Petite Wazoo impression of “Chunga’s Revenge” (title track from the 1970 Zappa solo album).

Waka/Wazoo comes to you wrapped in a sturdy compact clamshell type box, which no doubt keeps the overhead costs to a minimum allowing them to sell this set for a very reasonable price. 

You can find it for about $60 on Amazon (click on the Waka/Wazoo title anywhere in this review for that) which feels very fair for four jam packed CDs of high quality music and the stellar Blu-ray Disc which gives you both original albums — again, Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo — mixed into spectacular surround sound and in high resolution 96kHz 24-bit PCM Stereo. You also get a neat little booklet with background information and photos from the period.

Probably the only thing that is weird to me is that Waka/Wazoo doesn’t include any of the original cover artwork of the original albums printed on the physical packaging. We do, however, get to see the original album covers which appear on your TV or computer when navigating the Blu-ray Disc (shown here above and below this paragraph). 

You can also find Waka/Wazoo streaming on the better services in high resolution audio including Qobuz Hi Res (click here), Tidal MQA (click here) and Apple Music Lossless (click here). 

Waka/Wazoo is a great collection. If you love Zappa’s mostly instrumental jazz-rock fusion music, you really should listen. 

World News

Albumdoppel: Frank Zappa vs. Trio Kadabra

Posted on by Hans-Juergen Schaal

Albumdoppel: Frank Zappa vs. Trio Kadabra – Hände am Beckenrand

Es gibt nicht nur Coverversionen von Songs. „Gecovert“ werden auch Plattenhüllen. Das gecoverte Cover: Ist es witzige Anspielung, respektvolle Verehrung, Parodie – oder hat es einen tieferen Sinn?

Das Album Hot Rats (1969) war das erste von Frank Zappa, das in Deutschland in die Albumcharts kam. In Großbritannien, Australien, den Niederlanden erreichte es sogar die Top 20. Viele fanden damals, es sei das beste Zappa-Album bis dahin. Manche sagten sogar, es sei sein einziges gutes. In den USA aber war das ganz anders – dort schnitt Hot Rats schlechter ab als irgendein Zappa-Album davor. Für Zappa hieß das: “Another flop!”

Albumdoppel Frank Zappa Trio Kadabra

Eines ist somit klar: Hot Rats war anders. Nur wenige Monate vorher hatte Zappa nämlich seine Band aufgelöst, die berüchtigten, wild-anarchischen Mothers Of Invention, bekannt für ihr „buntes, böses Politrock-Kabarett“ (Christian Graf). Der Grund für die Auflösung: Es gab zu wenig Einnahmen, um den Musikern weiterhin ein festes Gehalt bezahlen zu können. Zappa kündigte nicht die Zusammenarbeit auf, aber die feste Basis. „Hot Rats“ entstand daraufhin quasi als ein Soloalbum mit eigens dafür engagierten Mitstreitern. Den wichtigsten von ihnen übernahm Zappa tatsächlich direkt von den Mothers – es war Ian Underwood, der später in Hollywood mit Filmmusik Karriere machen sollte. Underwood ersetzt auf Hot Rats mindestens ein halbes Dutzend Musiker, spielt Klavier, Hammondorgel, Saxofone, Klarinetten und Flöten. Zappa hatte komplexe mehrstimmige Bläserarrangements geschrieben, die Underwood per Multitrack ganz allein zu meistern hatte. Man verwendete bereits eine 16-Spur-Maschine.

Die anderen Musiker holte sich Zappa weitgehend aus der R&B- und Jazzszene, darunter die elektrischen Violinisten „Sugarcane“ Harris und Jean-Luc Ponty, die Bassisten Max Bennett und Shuggie Otis, die Drummer John Guerin und Paul Humphrey. Der Bandleader schließlich spielt hier praktisch nur E-Gitarre – dies aber ausdauernd. Mit Hot Rats beginnen bei Zappa die wirklich langen Soloparts. Daher wurde das Album später gelegentlich als Pioniertat des Rock-Jazz bezeichnet – es ist eine Mixtur aus Rockbeat, Bluesriff, Funkrhythmus und ausgedehnter Improvisation. Auch Underwood und Harris haben mehrminütige Soli. Die einzige Gesangseinlage liefert Captain Beefheart in „Willie The Pimp“. Allerdings ist er schnell mit dem Singen fertig, und das Stück geht dann noch acht Minuten lang weiter. Mit Captain Beefheart (Don Van Fliet) arbeitete Zappa damals eng zusammen – gerade erst hatte er dessen Album Trout Mask Replica produziert.

Zappa war auch der Produzent des ersten und einzigen Albums der Mädchengruppe GTO’s, die sich auf sein Betreiben hin gegründet hatte. Der „Boss“ der GTO’s („Girls Together Only“) hieß Christine Frka (der Name ist kroatisch) – sie arbeitete bei Zappa als Kindermädchen für die Tochter Moon Unit. Frka lud gerne ihre Freundinnen zum Tanzen ein – in Zappas Haus. Diese sieben Mädchen besaßen zwar keine großen musikalischen Talente, aber sie standen auf Rock, auf Rockmusiker und auf Drogen. Zappa und einige Kollegen (u. a. Ian Underwood, Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart) dienten bei den Aufnahmen für das GTO’s-Album als Studiomusiker. Das Album erschien dann praktisch zeitgleich mit Hot Rats – und die Frau, die sich auf dem Cover von Hot Rats am Beckenrand festhält, ist niemand anderes als Christine Frka, Zappas Kindermädchen, fotografiert mit einer Infrarotkamera. Der Pool, aus dem sie herauslugt, soll einmal dem Schauspieler Errol Flynn gehört haben. Cal Schenkel, der rund 20 Zappa-Alben gestaltet hat, machte das Coverdesign. Er verdankte Zappa übrigens seine ganze Designerkarriere – er lebte und arbeitete in Zappas Haus.

Die sechs Stücke auf Hot Rats sind ausnahmslos Zappa-Klassiker geworden. Der Opener, „Peaches En Regalia“ (der Titel ist eine englisch-spanische Mischung), ist sogar die (mit Abstand) meistgecoverte Zappa-Komposition überhaupt. Coverversionen seiner Musik sind besonders in Italien beliebt, wo man Zappa gerne als „Landsmann“ reklamiert (s. FIDELITY 36). Der Name „Zappa“ ist tatsächlich italienischer Herkunft – beide Elternteile des Musikers hatten ihre familiären Wurzeln in Italien. Auch der italienische Schlagzeuger Jacopo Giusti ist ein großer Zappa-Fan und nennt dessen Musik „eine Quelle des Glücks“. Mit der Band Fattore Zeta hat Giusti schon einige Zappa-Tributalben eingespielt. Auf der Zappanale, dem jährlichen Zappa-Festival in Bad Doberan, trat er ebenfalls wiederholt auf.

Für das Album Hot Jats (2017) tat sich Giusti nun mit dem Pianisten Massimiliano Fantolini und dem Bassisten Mauro Giannaccini zusammen, um eine Reihe von Zappa-Titeln in ein kleines Jazz-Format zu übersetzen. (Der Albumtitel Hot Jats entstand wohl als Kreuzung aus „Hot Rats“ und „Hot Jazz“.)

Albumdoppel Frank Zappa Trio Kadabra

Der „Jazz-Sound“ des Pianotrios ist dabei wichtiger als eine hohe Jazz-Qualität der Interpretation. Vom Album Hot Rats sind immerhin zwei Stücke auch hier mit dabei: „Little Umbrellas“ und „Son Of Green Genes“. Das Rhythmuskonzept von Trio Kadabra ist überwiegend rockig (binär), gelegentlich aber auch swingend (ternär). Besonders interessant geriet Zappas Walzer „King Kong“ mit Miles Davis’ „All Blues“ als Einleitung und King Crimsons „Frame By Frame“ als Abschluss im 7/8-Takt. Der Grafiker Pietro Scuderi packte Comic-Karikaturen der drei Musiker an einen gezeichneten Beckenrand. Das Model auf dem Originalcover, Zappas Kindermädchen, ist übrigens mit 22 Jahren schon gestorben – an einer Überdosis.

Frank Zappa: Hot Rats (1969, Bizarre/Reprise/Barking Pumpkin/Zappa)
Trio Kadabra: Hot Jats (2017, GT Music)

Hot Rats von Frank Zappa auf jpc.de

Hot Jats von Trio Kadabra auf jpc.de

Der Beitrag Albumdoppel: Frank Zappa vs. Trio Kadabra erschien zuerst auf FIDELITY online.

World News

Frank Zappa’s 1972 Jazz Rock Masterpieces, The Grand Wazoo & Waka/Jawaka Come Alive In Multi-Channel Dolby Atmos Surround Sound Blu-ray Featured In New Boxed Set, Waka/Wazoo

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

I’ll be honest folks, I’m more than a little bit giddy right now…

I am not sure if I am more excited about the facts that two of my favorite Frank Zappa albums have not only been given the 21st Century remastering treatment (including all analog vinyl mastered by Bernie Grundman!) … Or that the Zappa estate is opening up their archives further for a deep dive into studio outtakes and alternates that most of us have not heard… Or, that the producers took the time to mix both of these albums into surround sound… 

Or, am I simply more excited that they took the time to mix it into really great sounding surround sound?

I think that latter point is where I’ll start!  

The new Dolby Atmos and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 versions of The Grand Wazoo and Waka/Jawaka are easily the most exciting surround sound mixes I’ve heard in quite some time. These are among the first Dolby Atmos mixes made for home listening which I’ve genuinely enjoyed outside of Stephen Wilson’s more recent works, particularly on his solo albums. 

These mixes are included in the four CD plus Blu-ray Disc boxed set called Waka/Wazoo, out now from Zappa Records and Universal Music.  

On these new surround sound mixes, I think the producers have struck a nice balance between honoring the music, evoking Frank’s adventuresome creative spirit had he been around to supervise this mix all while crafting an engaging listening experience which most everyone should be able to enjoy. 

Both of these mixes keep relatively true to the basic sound of the original albums — they are not overly brightened to sound contemporary. Yet, the producers were not afraid to fully embrace the 7.1 channel surround sound spaces with discrete information that delivers a compelling listening experience.

I recently upgraded my living room home theater system so I could experience Dolby Atmos music, particularly on Blu-ray Discs (which I play over my Oppo UDP-203 universal disc player). Prior to this I’ve certainly heard some very compelling Atmos movie mixes in the theaters and even one for the one off demo of The Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper in a movie theater. But in general, most of the Dolby Atmos mixes that I’ve heard, at least for those made from vintage archival recordings from the past, have been underwhelming. Most of the mixes I’ve heard (on some pretty major releases from some big name bands) have played it “safe” to the point of being uninspiring and ultimately not worth listening to. Most of those mixes tend to use the surround and height channels for room ambience. It is even more discouraging when the regular 5.1 surround and Stereo mixes on the same disc are more exciting and engaging.

Well, hopefully we can say that this is one of those “that was then, this is now” scenarios…

From the official Frank Zappa website we learn: “The Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo albums themselves will be presented on Blu-Ray Audio disc in a variety of exciting listening experiences: brand-new first-time-ever immersive Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital True HD 5.1 surround sound mixes mixed from the original multi-tracks by Erich Gobel and Karma Auger at Studio 1LA and 96kHz 24-bit high-resolution stereo remasters mastered by Doug Sax with Robert Hadley and Sangwook “Sunny” Nam at The Mastering Lab in 2012. Both albums will also be available for hi-res streaming.” 

Navigation screen from the quAUDIOPHILIAc DVD Audio Disc release

One of the first things I did when I got my copy of Waka/Wazoo in hand was to break out my DVD Audio disc of Frank Zappa’s 2004 release called quAUDIOPHILIAc. This fantastic but sadly short-lived release — featuring recordings of Zappa in surround sound — included some early quadraphonic experiments Zappa made even before playback options were a mass market reality for consumers. One of my favorite tracks on that album is the early quad mix of the song “Waka/Jawaka,” a wonderful listening experience where you get to take a ride with Frank at the controls as he takes some wild chances on his sound design. At one point guitars from opposing angles intersect in the surround fields as if they were doing battle with one another.  It’s a very exciting and engaging mix, actually!

On these new surround sound mixes for Waka/Wazoo, engineers Erich Gobel and Karma Auger don’t quite re-create that but they do aspire to their own adventuresome spirit which I suspect Frank would appreciate. They do keep the basic rhythm section focused mostly on the upfront channels but at times it feels as if you are in the middle of the drum kit — or perhaps sitting on the drummer’s throne! It sort of envelopes in you at times, yet not in an overwhelming manner.  I found it at minimum very enticing and at times quite exhilarating.

Keyboards and sound effects tend to percolate from the rear and sides of the surround fields, sometimes even washing over you front to back. Vocals tend to come from up front while harmonies can sometimes come from the back. Again, they’re not afraid to take some creative chances here. 

Interestingly the mixes were done at 48 kHz, 24 bit but they sound really nice and particularly quite warm which is essential from my perspective.  These are albums featuring lots of horns and jazz flavors, so that is part of the vibe of the original recordings which Zappa captured back in 1972. 

Following are some of my first reflections on fun details I heard while listening to each of the albums, mostly in Dolby Atmos. Please note that these are first impressions and I reserve the right to alter/update my perspective upon subsequent listens (as I ask myself: “Did I really hear what I thought I heard?”). 

Navigation screen for The Grand Wazoo on the Waka/Wazoo Blu-ray Disc

Also, an important note of warning as you start to explore this disc: the 96 kHz, 24-bit Stereo (original album) mix is set significantly louder than the surround mixes. So if you are switching in real time between the different options (as I frequently do), be sure to lower your volume settings accordingly before switching to it!  That is a disc mastering issue which probably should be fixed for subsequent pressings. 

The Grand Wazoo

The first thing I noticed was that the height channels are used very effectively not just to deliver room ambiance but the scale of the instruments. Suddenly, the drums are filling a more three dimensional space, with cymbal parts seemingly coming from higher (where they would be in a live situation if you were on stage or in the studio with the band) vs. just coming out of the speakers with everything else.  

As I mentioned earlier, at times it feels that the drum kit is almost filling the room, as if you might be sitting on the drummer’s throne. Listen closely during “Cleetus Awreetus-Awrightus” for Zappa’s mad overdriven guitar parts jumping out from under the horn, which were formerly blended so well into the mix that they were almost a buried sonic texture. I’m glad they brought out that detail because, well, it is frankly super badass! Its all neat how the “tack” piano solo sort of emerges mid-room.  On “Eat That Question,” keep alert for Frank’s repeated string bending moment during his solo which kind of echos, bouncing front to rear, in time with the music. 

Navigation screen for Waka/Jawaka on the Waka/Wazoo Blu-ray Disc

“Blessed Relief” is especially gorgeous, bathing you in a lush wash of Fender Rhodes style keyboards and horns. Listening to this song in surround sound, I am realizing that this beautiful composition is about as close as Frank Zappa ever got writing a melody that had that Burt Bacharach kind of flavor — I could hear Herb Alpert covering this (and I mean that as a compliment).

Waka/Jawaka

While perhaps not quite as flirtatious as The Grand Wazoo mix, Waka/Jawaka in surround sound is still a quite active listening experience, from a trumpet solo part which travels around the room, to keyboards padding out from behind you. Once again, the cymbals and drums in general sound uncannily realistic. There are some neat flute-horn combination parts popping up at times which are more audible, formerly buried in the Stereo mix, again as more of a texture. 

I could go on and may update this at some point with other observations. But in general I am very impressed with these mixes and — for me at least — it makes owning this set an essential if you are a fan of Zappa and surround sound.

In 1968, Frank Zappa ran an ad in Marvel comic books promoting his then new release We’re Only In It For The Money. In that ad were some semi-sarcastic-but-not-sarcastic tagline-type words, reminiscent of the kinds of ads run in supermarkets or perhaps a car dealership!  That copy read (roughly in this order depending upon how you read the ad: “Thrilling, clean fun!  Cleans you! Thrills you! Cleans & Thrills you! Expensive! Fun!” 

I think most of that ad copy applies to this new Waka/Wazoo boxed set save for the word “expensive.”  With it selling for about $60 on Amazon, this feels like a bargain for music of this caliber and with it including such a great surround sound mix. You’d pay almost as much for many fancy single disc Pure Audio type releases on Blu-ray or a Criterion movie.

I’ll post my review of the CD portion of the set — the outtakes and live recordings — next week so please stay tuned. But if you are into surround sound and Zappa and want to have a fun holiday gift for yourself (or the Zappa fan in your life) you might want to jump on getting a copy of this sooner than later. 

World News

Frank Zappa’s 1972 Jazz Rock Masterpieces, The Grand Wazoo & Waka/Jawaka Come Alive In Multi-Channel Dolby Atmos Surround Sound Blu-ray Featured In New Boxed Set, Waka/Wazoo

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

I’ll be honest folks, I’m more than a little bit giddy right now…

I am not sure if I am more excited about the facts that two of my favorite Frank Zappa albums have not only been given the 21st Century remastering treatment (including all analog vinyl mastered by Bernie Grundman!) … Or that the Zappa estate is opening up their archives further for a deep dive into studio outtakes and alternates that most of us have not heard… Or, that the producers took the time to mix both of these albums into surround sound… 

Or, am I simply more excited that they took the time to mix it into really great sounding surround sound?

I think that latter point is where I’ll start!  

The new Dolby Atmos and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 versions of The Grand Wazoo and Waka/Jawaka are easily the most exciting surround sound mixes I’ve heard in quite some time. These are among the first Dolby Atmos mixes made for home listening which I’ve genuinely enjoyed outside of Stephen Wilson’s more recent works, particularly on his solo albums. 

These mixes are included in the four CD plus Blu-ray Disc boxed set called Waka/Wazoo, out now from Zappa Records and Universal Music.  

On these new surround sound mixes, I think the producers have struck a nice balance between honoring the music, evoking Frank’s adventuresome creative spirit had he been around to supervise this mix all while crafting an engaging listening experience which most everyone should be able to enjoy. 

Both of these mixes keep relatively true to the basic sound of the original albums — they are not overly brightened to sound contemporary. Yet, the producers were not afraid to fully embrace the 7.1 channel surround sound spaces with discrete information that delivers a compelling listening experience.

I recently upgraded my living room home theater system so I could experience Dolby Atmos music, particularly on Blu-ray Discs (which I play over my Oppo UDP-203 universal disc player). Prior to this I’ve certainly heard some very compelling Atmos movie mixes in the theaters and even one for the one off demo of The Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper in a movie theater. But in general, most of the Dolby Atmos mixes that I’ve heard, at least for those made from vintage archival recordings from the past, have been underwhelming. Most of the mixes I’ve heard (on some pretty major releases from some big name bands) have played it “safe” to the point of being uninspiring and ultimately not worth listening to. Most of those mixes tend to use the surround and height channels for room ambience. It is even more discouraging when the regular 5.1 surround and Stereo mixes on the same disc are more exciting and engaging.

Well, hopefully we can say that this is one of those “that was then, this is now” scenarios…

From the official Frank Zappa website we learn: “The Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo albums themselves will be presented on Blu-Ray Audio disc in a variety of exciting listening experiences: brand-new first-time-ever immersive Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital True HD 5.1 surround sound mixes mixed from the original multi-tracks by Erich Gobel and Karma Auger at Studio 1LA and 96kHz 24-bit high-resolution stereo remasters mastered by Doug Sax with Robert Hadley and Sangwook “Sunny” Nam at The Mastering Lab in 2012. Both albums will also be available for hi-res streaming.” 

Navigation screen from the quAUDIOPHILIAc DVD Audio Disc release

One of the first things I did when I got my copy of Waka/Wazoo in hand was to break out my DVD Audio disc of Frank Zappa’s 2004 release called quAUDIOPHILIAc. This fantastic but sadly short-lived release — featuring recordings of Zappa in surround sound — included some early quadraphonic experiments Zappa made even before playback options were a mass market reality for consumers. One of my favorite tracks on that album is the early quad mix of the song “Waka/Jawaka,” a wonderful listening experience where you get to take a ride with Frank at the controls as he takes some wild chances on his sound design. At one point guitars from opposing angles intersect in the surround fields as if they were doing battle with one another.  It’s a very exciting and engaging mix, actually!

On these new surround sound mixes for Waka/Wazoo, engineers Erich Gobel and Karma Auger don’t quite re-create that but they do aspire to their own adventuresome spirit which I suspect Frank would appreciate. They do keep the basic rhythm section focused mostly on the upfront channels but at times it feels as if you are in the middle of the drum kit — or perhaps sitting on the drummer’s throne! It sort of envelopes in you at times, yet not in an overwhelming manner.  I found it at minimum very enticing and at times quite exhilarating.

Keyboards and sound effects tend to percolate from the rear and sides of the surround fields, sometimes even washing over you front to back. Vocals tend to come from up front while harmonies can sometimes come from the back. Again, they’re not afraid to take some creative chances here. 

Interestingly the mixes were done at 48 kHz, 24 bit but they sound really nice and particularly quite warm which is essential from my perspective.  These are albums featuring lots of horns and jazz flavors, so that is part of the vibe of the original recordings which Zappa captured back in 1972. 

Following are some of my first reflections on fun details I heard while listening to each of the albums, mostly in Dolby Atmos. Please note that these are first impressions and I reserve the right to alter/update my perspective upon subsequent listens (as I ask myself: “Did I really hear what I thought I heard?”). 

Navigation screen for The Grand Wazoo on the Waka/Wazoo Blu-ray Disc

Also, an important note of warning as you start to explore this disc: the 96 kHz, 24-bit Stereo (original album) mix is set significantly louder than the surround mixes. So if you are switching in real time between the different options (as I frequently do), be sure to lower your volume settings accordingly before switching to it!  That is a disc mastering issue which probably should be fixed for subsequent pressings. 

The Grand Wazoo

The first thing I noticed was that the height channels are used very effectively not just to deliver room ambiance but the scale of the instruments. Suddenly, the drums are filling a more three dimensional space, with cymbal parts seemingly coming from higher (where they would be in a live situation if you were on stage or in the studio with the band) vs. just coming out of the speakers with everything else.  

As I mentioned earlier, at times it feels that the drum kit is almost filling the room, as if you might be sitting on the drummer’s throne. Listen closely during “Cleetus Awreetus-Awrightus” for Zappa’s mad overdriven guitar parts jumping out from under the horn, which were formerly blended so well into the mix that they were almost a buried sonic texture. I’m glad they brought out that detail because, well, it is frankly super badass! Its all neat how the “tack” piano solo sort of emerges mid-room.  On “Eat That Question,” keep alert for Frank’s repeated string bending moment during his solo which kind of echos, bouncing front to rear, in time with the music. 

Navigation screen for Waka/Jawaka on the Waka/Wazoo Blu-ray Disc

“Blessed Relief” is especially gorgeous, bathing you in a lush wash of Fender Rhodes style keyboards and horns. Listening to this song in surround sound, I am realizing that this beautiful composition is about as close as Frank Zappa ever got writing a melody that had that Burt Bacharach kind of flavor — I could hear Herb Alpert covering this (and I mean that as a compliment).

Waka/Jawaka

While perhaps not quite as flirtatious as The Grand Wazoo mix, Waka/Jawaka in surround sound is still a quite active listening experience, from a trumpet solo part which travels around the room, to keyboards padding out from behind you. Once again, the cymbals and drums in general sound uncannily realistic. There are some neat flute-horn combination parts popping up at times which are more audible, formerly buried in the Stereo mix, again as more of a texture. 

I could go on and may update this at some point with other observations. But in general I am very impressed with these mixes and — for me at least — it makes owning this set an essential if you are a fan of Zappa and surround sound.

In 1968, Frank Zappa ran an ad in Marvel comic books promoting his then new release We’re Only In It For The Money. In that ad were some semi-sarcastic-but-not-sarcastic tagline-type words, reminiscent of the kinds of ads run in supermarkets or perhaps a car dealership!  That copy read (roughly in this order depending upon how you read the ad: “Thrilling, clean fun!  Cleans you! Thrills you! Cleans & Thrills you! Expensive! Fun!” 

I think most of that ad copy applies to this new Waka/Wazoo boxed set save for the word “expensive.”  With it selling for about $60 on Amazon, this feels like a bargain for music of this caliber and with it including such a great surround sound mix. You’d pay almost as much for many fancy single disc Pure Audio type releases on Blu-ray or a Criterion movie.

I’ll post my review of the CD portion of the set — the outtakes and live recordings — next week so please stay tuned. But if you are into surround sound and Zappa and want to have a fun holiday gift for yourself (or the Zappa fan in your life) you might want to jump on getting a copy of this sooner than later. 

World News

Ripe For Halloween, Frank Zappa’s New 1975 Yugoslavian Concert Set Showcases Rare Transitional Band and Musical Experiments on CD and Streaming

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

Halloween was Frank Zappa’s favorite holiday so it is not surprising that there is a new release recorded in the general vicinity of Dracula’s Transylvania: Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana.

1975 was a bit of an incredible year for this legendary composer, guitarist and all around musical icon. He completed a brand new album – One Size Fits All, widely considered one of his best rock albums – toured extensively, revised and updated his band which was evolving and even found time for orchestral performances of his music. And then along the way he got an invitation to play in Yugoslavia for his first and only time.

The two concerts they perform there in the cities of Zagreb and Ljubljana are the subject of a fascinating new two CD set issued by Universal Music and Zappa Records — called simply, Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana. Taken from restored rare eight-track tapes as well as Zappa’s own stereo line mixes captured on his trusty, portable Nagra Stereo reel-to-reel recorder, the sessions provide a fascinating snapshot not only into the sound of his band in transition but we get to hear many classic Zappa compositions evolving before our very ears.

The short-lived group had not only the newly-anointed and soon-to-be-legendary drummer Terry Bozzio on board but also two briefly-tenured members, Andre Lewis on keyboards and Norma Bell on alto sax and vocals. These players were only in the band for a handful of months, making making these recordings all the more fascinating to hear their takes on the material. Also in the band was Napoleon Murphy Brock from the legendary “Roxy” era of the band on lead vocals and tenor sax. Original Mother of Invention Roy Estrada returned for one last time on bass. Borrowing a phrase from guitarist Robert Fripp, this five-piece assemblage was in its own way a small intelligent mobile unit. 

The interesting thing about these recordings on Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana is that Zappa was able to test drive (if you will) many new ideas before a live audience that had never really seen him perform before. Zappa’s bands rarely made obvious mistakes, but if ever there was a location where they could take some risks with new ideas, this was it. And that’s where this set becomes more essential in the grand scheme of Zappa’s history. Now we can hear early versions of new material he was working on at that time, such as the so-called “prototype” version of “Filthy Habits,” which would later appear as part of the Läther-era material issued on the Sleep Dirt LP in 1979. 

We are also treated to early work-outs of then brand new compositions like “Black Napkins” and “Zoot Allures.”  And they play a great version of “Chunga’s Revenge,” again with many new ideas flowing from Zappa’s fretboard and fingertips. Of course the audience is treated to some “greatest hits” as the band breaks out numerous early Mothers of Invention tunes from Freak Out and We’re Only In It For The Money as well as later fan favorites from Overnight Sensation, Apostrophe and then new albums Bongofury and One Size Fits All.

In this light, it is perhaps worth pointing out that the cover of Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana features a photo of Frank tuning his guitar, not really an image we get to see featured very often (at least on an album cover design). Perhaps this subconsciously represents the experimental tune-up nature of these recordings. Just a thought… 

But I digress… 

Overall the sound quality on Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana is quite good all things considered. There are some fluctuations in sound, which the producers explain transparently in the liner notes. That these recordings exist at all in this sort of quality is quite remarkable! The eight-track recorder that they were working off of was apparently a very rare half-inch tape format version with special DBX noise reduction employed. This required much specialized tender-loving-care to extract the music from these tapes. And because they were performing at two venues with quite different acoustics, the overall sound quality does vary.   

But, in general, Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana still sounds pretty great and is certainly very enjoyable if you are a Zappa fan (and especially if you are accustomed to listening to the many archival recordings which have been issued over the years).  Between the two shows, producers Joe Travers and Ahmet Zappa have assembled one nice compilation of all the music performed on that mini-tour in best possible quality. 

Some of the performances are  quite astounding particularly Terry Bozzio’s several incredible drum solos — for which he receives credit as composer, separate from Zappa’s work!  You can really hear Terry quickly emerging as the powerhouse center of Zappa’s universe around that time. He is now highly regarded as one of Zappa’s best ever drummers.

You can find Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana streaming on Tidal MQA IN 24-bit, 44.1 kHz fidelity (click here), Apple Music Hi Res Lossless (click here) as well as Qobuz in 24-bit, 96 kHz resolution (click here). But if you like physical media —and want to read the recollections of the tour from Terry Bozzio and sound person Davy Moire — the CD may be your best bet. 

If you are a casual fan looking for high fidelity Zappa sounds like Hot Rats, this album is not for you (check out Waka Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo instead!).  But if you are a hardcore Zappa fan, you’ll want this for the interesting variants and many groovy then-new ideas Frank was test driving before an unsuspecting audience.  Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana is ultimately essential listening for the deep Zappa fan.

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Ripe For Halloween, Frank Zappa’s New 1975 Yugoslavian Concert Set Showcases Rare Transitional Band and Musical Experiments on CD and Streaming

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

Halloween was Frank Zappa’s favorite holiday so it is not surprising that there is a new release recorded in the general vicinity of Dracula’s Transylvania: Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana.

1975 was a bit of an incredible year for this legendary composer, guitarist and all around musical icon. He completed a brand new album – One Size Fits All, widely considered one of his best rock albums – toured extensively, revised and updated his band which was evolving and even found time for orchestral performances of his music. And then along the way he got an invitation to play in Yugoslavia for his first and only time.

The two concerts they perform there in the cities of Zagreb and Ljubljana are the subject of a fascinating new two CD set issued by Universal Music and Zappa Records — called simply, Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana. Taken from restored rare eight-track tapes as well as Zappa’s own stereo line mixes captured on his trusty, portable Nagra Stereo reel-to-reel recorder, the sessions provide a fascinating snapshot not only into the sound of his band in transition but we get to hear many classic Zappa compositions evolving before our very ears.

The short-lived group had not only the newly-anointed and soon-to-be-legendary drummer Terry Bozzio on board but also two briefly-tenured members, Andre Lewis on keyboards and Norma Bell on alto sax and vocals. These players were only in the band for a handful of months, making making these recordings all the more fascinating to hear their takes on the material. Also in the band was Napoleon Murphy Brock from the legendary “Roxy” era of the band on lead vocals and tenor sax. Original Mother of Invention Roy Estrada returned for one last time on bass. Borrowing a phrase from guitarist Robert Fripp, this five-piece assemblage was in its own way a small intelligent mobile unit. 

The interesting thing about these recordings on Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana is that Zappa was able to test drive (if you will) many new ideas before a live audience that had never really seen him perform before. Zappa’s bands rarely made obvious mistakes, but if ever there was a location where they could take some risks with new ideas, this was it. And that’s where this set becomes more essential in the grand scheme of Zappa’s history. Now we can hear early versions of new material he was working on at that time, such as the so-called “prototype” version of “Filthy Habits,” which would later appear as part of the Läther-era material issued on the Sleep Dirt LP in 1979. 

We are also treated to early work-outs of then brand new compositions like “Black Napkins” and “Zoot Allures.”  And they play a great version of “Chunga’s Revenge,” again with many new ideas flowing from Zappa’s fretboard and fingertips. Of course the audience is treated to some “greatest hits” as the band breaks out numerous early Mothers of Invention tunes from Freak Out and We’re Only In It For The Money as well as later fan favorites from Overnight Sensation, Apostrophe and then new albums Bongofury and One Size Fits All.

In this light, it is perhaps worth pointing out that the cover of Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana features a photo of Frank tuning his guitar, not really an image we get to see featured very often (at least on an album cover design). Perhaps this subconsciously represents the experimental tune-up nature of these recordings. Just a thought… 

But I digress… 

Overall the sound quality on Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana is quite good all things considered. There are some fluctuations in sound, which the producers explain transparently in the liner notes. That these recordings exist at all in this sort of quality is quite remarkable! The eight-track recorder that they were working off of was apparently a very rare half-inch tape format version with special DBX noise reduction employed. This required much specialized tender-loving-care to extract the music from these tapes. And because they were performing at two venues with quite different acoustics, the overall sound quality does vary.   

But, in general, Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana still sounds pretty great and is certainly very enjoyable if you are a Zappa fan (and especially if you are accustomed to listening to the many archival recordings which have been issued over the years).  Between the two shows, producers Joe Travers and Ahmet Zappa have assembled one nice compilation of all the music performed on that mini-tour in best possible quality. 

Some of the performances are  quite astounding particularly Terry Bozzio’s several incredible drum solos — for which he receives credit as composer, separate from Zappa’s work!  You can really hear Terry quickly emerging as the powerhouse center of Zappa’s universe around that time. He is now highly regarded as one of Zappa’s best ever drummers.

You can find Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana streaming on Tidal MQA IN 24-bit, 44.1 kHz fidelity (click here), Apple Music Hi Res Lossless (click here) as well as Qobuz in 24-bit, 96 kHz resolution (click here). But if you like physical media —and want to read the recollections of the tour from Terry Bozzio and sound person Davy Moire — the CD may be your best bet. 

If you are a casual fan looking for high fidelity Zappa sounds like Hot Rats, this album is not for you (check out Waka Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo instead!).  But if you are a hardcore Zappa fan, you’ll want this for the interesting variants and many groovy then-new ideas Frank was test driving before an unsuspecting audience.  Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana is ultimately essential listening for the deep Zappa fan.

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