Waka/Wazoo

Product Information

Finally, during the album recording sessions at Paramount Studios, FZ worked with George Duke on some of Duke’s solo material. These demos were produced by Zappa, who also played guitar. INCLUDES COMPLETE, UNRELEASED “PETITE WAZOO” PERFORMANCE FROM WINTERLAND BALLROOM, 1972 AND ZAPPA-PRODUCED GEORGE DUKE DEMOS

Frank Zappa had spent the early weeks of 1972 in hospital, recovering from the injuries he sustained after being pushed from the stage at London’s Rainbow Theatre by a crazed fan on 10 th December 1971. He spent the first half of 1972 in a wheelchair, constrained in a leg brace and, confined to his home in Los Angeles, he started to set out the framework for the next stages of his career, including producing doo-wop band Ruben And The Jets (named after Zappa’s own 1968 doo-wop project) and taking steps to realise his dream of working with a large “Electric Orchestra.” 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. Matrix / Runout (Disc 4): 4859464 [2 x Universal Logo] AM83838-01 manufactured by optimal media GmbH The April 11 take of "Blessed Relief" is one of this collection's most glistening highlights. The soft, languid piece in waltz time lives up to its name, showcasing some particularly lovely playing from Marquez, burbling keys from Duke, and a slow-burning groove. The song would end up as a subtle respite on The Grand Wazoo. It's contrasted here by the freer jazz of "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)." This April 13 version has been cobbled together from remaining outtake source material, with its different sections not yet melded into a final form. Alan Estes - percussion ( "Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)")

If you’ve ever wondered why Frank Zappa is regarded as a musical genius, you’ll find the proof in every groove of The Grand Wazoo – it’s an album alive with ideas, ambition, and humor that skips between genres with abandon, from exhilarating jazz funk to wee small hours jazzy shuffles. If the words “jazz fusion” cause concern, The Grand Wazoo is an accessible entry point. If you’re already a fan of the Zappa of Hot Rats or We’re Only In It For The Money, prepare to have your mind blown all over again. The Wazoo 20-piece band seems to have been only captured on tape once, or at least that’s all that has been found in the Vault thus far. Included in the box set is Zappa’s sonically treated edited master of “ Approximate” from the September 24 th, 1972 Boston Music Hall show. The version is unreleased, although the full Boston performance was released in 2007 as Wazoo. Zappa planned that following the Waka/Wazoo sessions, a touring version of what he dubbed the “Mothers of Invention/Hot Rats/Grand Wazoo” would perform a short eight-date tour in September of 1972. As Travers writes in the illuminating liner notes, “once the Wazoo project was set in motion, the first thing Frank did was hire Kenny Shroyer to help enlist and contract the musicians. 20 of them were eventually hired, and new musical relationships were created. In this review, I’m not covering the four compact discs, which fans like yourself can take the time to explore on their own. Of course, releases from Frank Zappa must be unusual, and Waka/Wazoo follows this path. For years I have not understood why a label would duplicate content made available on a high-resolution format by making it available on a CD in the same box set. Finally this has become reality with this box set chalk full of bonus material across the CD’s! Thus, the Blu-ray contains the two albums in their entirety in various hi-res codecs, while the CDs contain the following bonus material without any duplication - CD1 and CD2: Paramount Studios Recording Session Alternates and Outtakes, CD3: George Duke Demos (The Master Versions) + George Duke Session Outtakes, the end of CD4 + all of CD5: 10 Piece / Petite Wazoo (Live) Also included is the full final show of the 10-piece tour, recorded at the famous Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on December 15, 1972.BLU-RAY AUDIO DISC PRESENTS ORIGINAL ALBUMS IN IMMERSIVE DOLBY ATMOS, 5.1 SURROUND SOUND AND HI-RES STEREO MIXES In celebration of half a century of this pioneering phase of Zappa’s peerless career, the box set Waka/Wazoo — a five-disc multi-format box set that features a complete historical rundown of the entire project — is being release just ahead of what would have been the Maestro’s 82nd birthday. Produced by Ahmet Zappa and Travers, the comprehensive four-CD / Blu-Ray audio set boasts unreleased alternate takes of almost every composition recorded during the album sessions, Vault mix session outtakes and oddities, and also includes the full final show of the 10-piece tour, recorded at the famous Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on Dec. 15, 1972. Additionally, the collection includes a set of demos for Duke’s solo material that Zappa produced and played guitar on during the album recording sessions at Paramount Studios. Although Duke would go on to re-record the compositions for his own albums, the versions with Zappa have never been officially issued until now. In celebration of half a century of this pioneering phase of Zappa’s peerless career, Zappa Records/UMe will be releasing Waka/Wazoo, a five-disc multi-format box set that features a complete historical rundown of the entire project, on December 16th, just ahead of what would have been the Maestro’s 82nd birthday. Produced by Ahmet Zappa and Zappa Vaultmeister Joe Travers, the comprehensive 4CD + Blu-Ray Audio set boasts unreleased alternate takes of almost every composition recorded during the album sessions, Vault mix session outtakes and oddities, and also includes the full final show of the 10-piece tour, recorded at the famous Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on December 15, 1972. Additionally, the collection includes a set of demos for George Duke’s solo material that Zappa produced and played guitar on during the album recording sessions at Paramount Studios. Although Duke would go on to re-record the compositions for his own albums, the versions with Zappa have never been officially issued until now. Zappa planned that following the Waka/Wazoo sessions, a touring version of what he dubbed the “Mothers of Invention/Hot Rats/Grand Wazoo” would perform a short eight-date tour in September of 1972. As Travers writes in the illuminating liner notes, “once the Wazoo project was set in motion, the first thing Frank did was hire Kenny Shroyer to help enlist and contract the musicians. 20 of them were eventually hired, and new musical relationships were created. The album was recorded in 1972, a fantastic year for Frank Zappa musically. In April and May, he recorded two albums of ambitious, sophisticated, and witty jazz fusion – Waka/Jawaka (released July that year) and The Grand Wazoo, which hit shelves in November. The music itself is proof of Frank Zappa’s incredible creativity, but what makes his output that year truly remarkable is that he managed to write and record anything at all.

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. Mixed by: Craig Parker Adams, Erich Gobel ( surround mix), Karma Auger ( surround mix), John Polito ( Petit Wazoo – Live) Initially when the Frank Zappa deluxe box titled “Waka/Wazoo” was announced, I was not fully convinced that it would make it into fans hands. Thankfully it has arrived and has surpassed expectations in multiple ways that are revealed in this review. amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;<br />
Waka/Jawaka is previewed with an alternate take of The Grand Wazoo favorite “Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus” from Disc 2 that showcases the complexity of these compositions and the stunning musicianship.

Tracklist

Billy Byers - trombone ( "Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)", "Waka/Jawaka"), baritone horn ( "Waka/Jawaka") Note: Credits for the original albums "Waka/Jawaka" and "The Grand Wazoo" not given on this release.] 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. T HE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “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. Matrix / Runout (Disc 1): 4859459 [2 x Universal Logo] AM83835-01 manufactured by optimal media GmbH

The TrueHD 5.1 surround mix is impressive, with good use of the rear channels and discrete placement of instruments taking full advantage of the enhanced soundscape. The mix places the listener in the center of the band for an up-close, intimate experience. With expansive orchestration, these albums are most uniquely suited within the Zappa discography for the surround sound treatment, and those who prefer surround on the more aggressive end of the spectrum should be more than satisfied with the immersive audio here. Note, however, that The Grand Wazoo is at a much lower volume than Waka/Jawaka for reasons unknown. (TSD isn't currently equipped to play the Atmos mix.) Additionally, the collection includes a set of demos for George Duke’s solo material that Zappa produced and played guitar on during the album recording sessions at Paramount Studios. Although Duke would go on to re-record the compositions for his own albums, the versions with Zappa have never been officially issued until now. 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.The musicians largely consisted of players new to Zappa, with a few familiar faces in the mix, and included folks like drummer Aynsley Dunbar and bassist Alex “Erroneous” Dmochowski, who Dunbar brought into the fold, longtime Mothers keyboardists George Duke and Don Preston, guitarist Tony Duran, percussionists Alan Estes, Bob Zimmitti and a whole host of brass and woodwind players that included the likes of Sal Marquez, Malcolm McNab, Kenny Shroyer, Earle Dumler, and Tony “Bat Man” Ortega. Rehearsals started for the album recording sessions sometime in late March/early April and once the material was honed to his satisfaction, Zappa and crew decamped to Paramount Studios where recording began on April 10, 1972. By the end of the month, Zappa, who handled production, guitar and conducting duties, had recorded the bulk of two albums, the jazz-influenced Waka/Jawaka (intended by Zappa as a sequel to Hot Rats), recorded with a lineup of six to nine musicians, and the epic and ambitious jazz-fusion masterwork, The Grand Wazoo, recorded with a larger ensemble ranging from eight to as many as 20 musicians. amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;<br />
Some musicians such as Sal Marquez, Bruce Fowler and bass player Dave Parlato would go on to be involved in future Zappa endeavors. The debut of the live 20-piece would take place at none other than the Hollywood Bowl on September 10, 1972. hours ago Two Door Cinema Club have announced a massive concert for summer 2024 with a show at Custom House Square, Belfast on Thursday 15th August 2024.