Zappa Music
By Joe Burcaw
Dweezil Zappa, son of the late genius Frank, has a few lessons for bass players. Joe Burcaw listens up.
"Every day is packed with clinics, masterclass workshops and intimate, camp-only performances by Dweezil and the ZPZ band."
In 2012 I had the pleasure of attending Dweezil Zappa’s brainchild Dweezilla, a music camp dedicated to honouring the compositions of his late father, Frank Zappa. For readers not familiar with Dweezil, or with Frank’s extensive body of work, pay close attention to what I am going to share with you today. Since 2006 Dweezil and the Zappa Plays Zappa band have toured around the world, performing Frank’s music to audiences young and old, with one main mission statement: keeping the flame alive. Why? Well, in the era of fi le sharing and corporate-controlled formatted radio, outlets for Frank’s music are unfortunately slim to none. That’s why it’s vitally important for the younger generation of musicians (which includes us bass players) to be educated by this incredible music.
Before I get into the nitty-gritty of how Dweezilla operates, let me share with you some essential listening treasures that every bass player should have in his or her catalogue of Zappa albums. Let me please introduce to you Mr Tom Fowler, who played bass in the early to mid-70s with Frank. I must preface by saying that all of Frank’s bass players were stellar musicians in their own right, but Tom was involved with the quintessential ensemble in my opinion, in a time period where this particular line-up raised the bar for being in sync with each other. On top of that, Frank’s guitar soloing was at its all-time peak, making it a true listening experience of chaos versus brilliance. In late 1974 the band performed a live concert special for KCET TV entitled A Token of his Extreme, which later became The Dub Room Special, a CD release. This, my friends, is where you get to hear Tom shine – not only as a bass player but as a musician ensconced in Frank’s world.
On top of reciting from memory complicated Zappa lines and runs akin to avant-garde composer Edgard Varèse’s unorthodox style, Tom never missed a beat, from the start to the finish of this amazing performance. From the slow blues shuffle of ‘Stinkfoot’ to the insanely difficult passages of ‘Inca Roads’, a song that features time signatures such as 2/4, 6/4, 3/8, 11/16 and beyond, he plays with total precision, keeping all eyes on the maestro for impromptu gestures at the drop of an arm. If Frank’s musicians avoided making eye contact, or happened to miss a cue, he had absolutely no problem letting them know about it.
Another highly recommended release is the Over-Nite Sensation album, on which Tom also played bass. Highlights are ‘I’m the Slime’, a slick rock groove featuring the bass and keyboard as the lead melody instruments. Another gem is ‘Fifty-Fifty’, a dance fusion tune with over-the-top vocals, reminiscent of the Tony Williams Lifetime project. Fowler’s upper-register fills and unorthodox funk lines lie nicely between the syncopation of the 16th-note hi-hat snare pattern laid down by drummer Ralph Humphrey. My advice? Purchase these two Frank Zappa masterpieces.
Now back to Dweezilla. The camp runs on a five-day cycle, from Monday to Friday. Every day is packed with clinics, masterclass workshops and intimate, camp-only performances by Dweezil and the ZPZ band. It’s a great opportunity to get inside Dweezil’s head, and truly understand what he is trying to convey by carrying on his father’s legacy. What blew my mind was how gracious and approachable Dweezil and his band were. Musicians of this calibre could very well have come across as egotistical and full of themselves, but that wasn’t the case at all. It doesn’t matter if you’re a bass player, drummer, horn player or even a non-musician type: your entire outlook on music in general will shift to a higher plane of consciousness and thinking once you’ve delved into Frank’s approach to composing.
So, if you’re interested in getting a crash course introduction to the music of Frank Zappa, lost in the woods of the Catskills Mountains of New York, sign up for Dweezilla and the musical experience of a lifetime.