Zappa Plays Zappa
Zappa Plays Zappa
Zappa Plays Zappa |
---|
Zappa Plays Zappa is an American tribute act led by Dweezil Zappa, the eldest son of the late American composer and musician Frank Zappa, devoted to performing the music of Frank Zappa.
History
The band debuted in 2006 with shows in Europe, Canada and the United States during May and June (the tour was also known as Zappa Plays Zappa: Tour de Frank'). The shows presented a collection of Frank Zappa's rock-oriented compositions from 1960s to 1980s. Apart from Dweezil Zappa on lead guitar, the band has consisted of a mix of relatively unknown young musicians and older musicians, who previously played with Frank Zappa. Among those, Napoleon Murphy Brock (sax, flute and vocals) was an integral part of the band, while drummer (and singer) Terry Bozzio and electric guitarist Steve Vai performed as guests in parts of the shows. At several shows Frank Zappa himself performed songs posthumously via synchronized audio/video technology, notedly portions of "Chunga's Revenge", "Dumb All Over", "Cosmik Debris", and "Muffin Man".
After a break, the band played again in the U.S. during the Fall of 2006, including a show in New York on October 31. This revived Frank Zappa's tradition of playing Halloween shows in New York. A DVD documenting the 2006 tour was released in early 2008.[1]
In July and August 2007, the band played a North American tour, with a core line up similar to that of the 2006 band. The band then played in Europe during September and October, before returning to the US, starting with another Halloween show in New York. Special guest on the tour was vocalist and guitarist Ray White, a Zappa stalwart performer in the 1970s and early 1980s.[2] They ended the 2007 tour in Australia in early December before doing a handful of shows in Japan in January 2008. Steve Vai returned as a guest on those shows. A brief tour of U.S. and Canadian dates was then scheduled for the Summer of 2008 with the same lineup as the 2007 tour.[3]
At the 51st Grammy Awards in February 2009, Zappa Plays Zappa won best rock instrumental performance for their performance of the Frank Zappa instrumental classic, "Peaches en Regalia".[4]
Band member Aaron Arntz's final performance with ZPZ was in Santa Rosa, CA on March 7, 2009. Guest performer Ray White unexpectedly left Zappa Plays Zappa April 1 of 2009.[5] In May 2009, it was announced that Ben Thomas was to be the new lead singer for the American and European tours after a lengthy audition process.
The band was one of the support acts on Dream Theater's Progressive Nation 09, along with Bigelf and Scale the Summit. Following a Fall 2009 tour in November, the 2010 tour began in January 2010. The band was renamed "Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa" (DZPZ); the name change was announced in October 2009.
In May 2010, the band announced the addition of new keyboardist Chris Norton. Prior to joining Zappa Plays Zappa, he toured with alternative rock act September Hase.[6]
On September 19, 2010, DZPZ played a free street concert in Baltimore, MD after the dedication of a bust of Frank Zappa, and the proclamation by the mayor of Baltimore of Frank Zappa Day.
DZPZ continued touring in 2010, closing out the year with another US tour, in which they played the classic Apostrophe (') (1974) release in its entirety and in order. The show also again featured audio/visually synchronized numbers with Frank Zappa singing and playing extended solos.
DZPZ has announced a summer 2011 tour of the US, beginning on July 28 in Bearsville, NY and winding up with a Seattle show on September 24. DZPZ will be teaming with jazz-fusion supergroup Return to Forever on this tour, and the July 28 show is promised to feature Frank Zappa colleagues from the Mothers of Invention days, Flo and Eddie (Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, respectively). DZPZ also will conduct a tour of the United Kingdom in late 2011, opening in North Yorkshire on November 17 and concluding in Brighton on December 1. The UK tour has promised to reprise the "Apostrophe" US tour of late 2010. There have been no announced personnel lineup changes for either of these tours.
Musicians
Group:
- Dweezil Zappa - lead guitar, vocals
- Scheila Gonzalez - saxophone, flute, keyboards, vocals
- Joe Travers - drums, vocals
- Ben Thomas - lead vocals, trumpet, trombone
- Chris Norton - keyboard, violin, vocals
- Kurt Morgan - bass, vocals
Former Members:
- Aaron Arntz - trumpet, keyboards, vocals
- Pete Griffin - bass
- Billy Hulting - marimba, mallets, percussions
- Jamie Kime - rhythm guitar
Guests on most 2006 shows:
- Napoleon Murphy Brock - vocals, saxophone, flute
- Terry Bozzio - drums, vocals
- Steve Vai - guitar
Guest on 2007, 2008 and some 2009 shows:
- Ray White - vocals, guitar
Guests on some 2010 shows:
- George Duke - vocals, keyboard
- Scott Thunes - bass
- Jeff Simmons - bass, vocals
- Moon Zappa - vocals
Guests on some 2011 shows:
- Mark Volman - vocals
- Howard Kaylan - vocals
- Jean-Luc Ponty - violin
- Chick Corea - keyboards
- Frank Gambale - guitar
Guest on some 2012 shows:
- Scott Thunes - bass
- Allan Holdsworth - guitar
- Sioned Eleri Roberts - clarinet
References
- Zappa Plays Zappa > Videos, Zappa.com
- Zappa Plays Zappa > The Players, Zappa.com
- Zappa Plays Zappa > Tour Dates, Zappa.com
- February 9, 2009, The 51st Annual Grammy Awards Winners List, Grammy.com
- Zappa, Dweezil (April 1), Zappa Plays Zappa > ZPZ Blog, Zappa.com
- Zappa, Dweezil (May 6), New Keyboardist Revealed! > ZPZ Blog, Zappa.com
External links
- Official website
- Hidden Track - Review: Zappa Plays Zappa @ The Lincoln Theater
Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention | |
---|---|
Main albums | Freak Out! • Absolutely Free • We're Only in It for the Money • Lumpy Gravy • Cruising with Ruben & the Jets • Uncle Meat • Hot Rats • Burnt Weeny Sandwich • Weasels Ripped My Flesh • Chunga's Revenge • Fillmore East - June 1971 • 200 Motels • Just Another Band from L.A. • Waka/Jawaka • The Grand Wazoo • Over-Nite Sensation • Apostrophe (') • Roxy & Elsewhere • One Size Fits All • Bongo Fury • Zoot Allures • Zappa in New York • Studio Tan • Sleep Dirt • Sheik Yerbouti • Orchestral Favorites • Joe's Garage • Tinseltown Rebellion • Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar • You Are What You Is • Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch • The Man from Utopia • Baby Snakes • London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1 • Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger • Them or Us • Thing-Fish • Francesco Zappa • Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention • Does Humor Belong in Music? • Jazz from Hell • London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 2 • Guitar • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2 • Broadway the Hard Way • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3 • The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4 • Make a Jazz Noise Here • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 5 • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 • Playground Psychotics • Ahead of Their Time • The Yellow Shark |
Posthumous albums |
Civilization Phaze III • The Lost Episodes • Läther • Mystery Disc • Everything Is Healing Nicely • FZ:OZ • Halloween • Joe's Corsage • Joe's Domage • Joe's XMASage • Imaginary Diseases • Trance-Fusion • Buffalo • The Dub Room Special • Wazoo |
Compilations | Mothermania • The Guitar World According to Frank Zappa • Strictly Commercial • Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute • Have I Offended Someone? • Strictly Genteel • QuAUDIOPHILIAc • The Frank Zappa AAAFNRAA Birthday Bundle |
Box sets | The Old Masters Box One • The Old Masters Box Two • The Old Masters Box Three • Beat the Boots • Beat the Boots II • The MOFO Project/Object |
Films and videos |
200 Motels • Baby Snakes • The Dub Room Special • Video from Hell • Does Humor Belong in Music? • The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels • The Amazing Mr. Bickford • Uncle Meat |
Related articles | Cultural references to Frank Zappa • Frank Zappa discography • The Real Frank Zappa Book |
This article uses material from the article Zappa Plays Zappa from the free encyclopedia Wikipedia and it is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.