Runs . . .

. . . in the family . . .

(from Wikipedia.com)
Dweezil Zappa was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of musician Frank Zappa and Gail Zappa, who worked in business. He is the second of four siblings: his older sister, Moon, younger sister Diva and younger brother Ahmet. He is the cousin of actress Lala Sloatman. Zappa's father was of Sicilian, Greek, Arab, and French descent, and his mother was of French, Irish and mostly Danish ancestry.

Dweezil's registered birth name was Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa. The hospital at which he was born refused to register him under the name Dweezil, so Frank listed the names of several musician friends. "Dweezil" was a nickname coined by Frank for an oddly-curled pinky-toe of Gail's. At five years old, Dweezil learned that his legal name was different, and he insisted on having his nickname become his legal name. Gail and Frank hired an attorney and soon the name Dweezil was official.

In the 1980s, Zappa worked as an MTV VJ and was promptly fired after badmouthing MTV on The Howard Stern Show. He also recorded some solo albums, as well as playing for other artists. Zappa can be heard playing lead guitar on The Fat Boys' "Wipe Out" (1987) and can be seen in the music video for Don Johnson's top 40 song, "Heartbeat". He also played co-lead guitar (along with Reb Beach) on Winger's cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze". Dweezil has said that Eddie Van Halen was his favorite guitar player, and he began copying Van Halen's distinctive guitar style. He also had a part in the futuristic Arnold Schwarzenegger film The Running Man as Stevie ("Don't touch that dial!"), and gave his most famous cameo role in John Hughes's Brat Pack film, Pretty in Pink (starring Molly Ringwald), as Andie's friend, Simon.

Since the early 1990s, Zappa has been working on a piece of music named "What the Hell Was I Thinking?", a 75-minute piece featuring guitar solos by dozens of famous guitar players. The project has suffered from numerous difficulties and has been reworked several times since the '90s. Dweezil said in September 2004: "I started recording it on analog tape almost 13 years ago... There are probably about 35 guest guitar players on it, everybody from Brian May to Eddie Van Halen, Eric Johnson, Angus and Malcolm Young — it's quite a crazy project. I'm still waiting and hoping to record Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page as some of my final guests on there."

In 2006, Zappa organized the "Zappa Plays Zappa" tour. He assembled a band of young musicians with a view to bring the music of Frank Zappa to a younger audience. The tour also featured guest appearances by Steve Vai, Napoleon Murphy Brock and Terry Bozzio. The tour began in Europe in May with dates in the U.S. from June. After a break it continued in the U.S. on October 18, 2006. The 2007 version of the tour ran from July, finishing in Australia in early December, and featured Ray White as special guest. The shows ended with the promise: "There are so many songs we want to learn to play ... see y'all next year ...", and further tours have followed each year since 2007.

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Impressive. . .

 (from http://ginadesimone.com/presskit/index.htm)
". . . Moaners Party Recipe
-Start with one woman, a bunch of guitars and a whole lot of blue smoke
-Add unstoppable energy and chilling harmony
-Set on a foundation on rock solid rhythm and quick wit
-Top with the best amaretto whipped cream frosting guitar and trumpet work you can imagine

Blend musicians to achieve and eccentric, eclectic mix of music from all era's. The Moaners diverse backgrounds come together to offer a night of music delivered with fun loving humor and entertainment.

The Moaners are a danceable, upbeat band that plays blues and swing with 3 part harmony being central to their sound. . ."

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Friends in Frederick. . .

. . . this Monday night. . .   

                                                                                Photo by Todd C. Walker
(from Rod Deacey)
"At Brewer’s Alley Songwriters’ Showcase this Monday, August 13, we are delighted to welcome back, all the way from Atlanta GA, international touring singer-songwriter JEFF TALMADGE! Jeff has been playing at my shows in Frederick since WestSide café days, and never ceases to amaze me with new songs that sound as if they have been around forever, as comfortable as an old shirt, and filled with experience, revelations, joy and sorrow… His voice is warm and friendly, like sitting around a woodstove on a winter’s night, and his guitar-playing is impeccable  -- Blissville! As an extra treat, T.Edwin Doss will be joining Jeff for a couple of songs (I think T’s car drives itself to Frederick now, as many times as he makes the journey!).

    For the Dog Days piano prelude this week, JIMBOW will be tickling the ivories, or in this case, the plastics, and utilizing a short length of Bunsen burner tubing to add his Melodica to the mix … As usual, come early to find good seats for the evening and to catch the entire prelude. You can come upstairs at 7:15 pm (maybe 5 minutes or so earlier than that if Rob is ready; performers can come up when they arrive).

      For three-song cameo performers this week, we have some blues from the fabulous McTELL BROTHERS, J. KOLB from Annapolis, and Todd’s Pick this week is DAN KENNY. As time permits, we will be also hearing from the usual crew; poet JOHN HOLLY reciting his poems between other performers, and TODD C. WALKER himself, who also takes photos, helps emcee and helps run sound. TOMY WRIGHT is here this Monday, too, so we can expect some Tomy songs towards the end of the evening….

     MISTER RON GOAD has come down from the mountain, so he and Tomy will be creating the wall of percussion that we have come to love and expect… Singing in front of these two gentlemen is like sliding down the laundry chute at the Ritz-Carlton, from the penthouse to the basement, and landing in one of those large, padded wicker baskets they have… It’s an exciting ride!

    Ron is relieved to be back in civilization and circulation again; he managed to deal with two problems at once. He invited his overly-aggressive bookie to a weekend camping and fishing in the woods to make peace with him, and presented him with the cash that was owed together with a large bag of Snickers bars… There was a bit of a ruckus in the night, and in the morning neither the bookie nor the Snickers bars could be found… Ron drove home.

      If you feel like some acoustic music this afternoon, to fill the void where synchronized swimming, etc. used to be, why not drop by Todd C. Walker’s Sunday Songwriters Songfest at Frederick Coffee Company around 4 pm? Today’s songwriters are the terrific Russ Haire, the ubiquitous T. Edwin Doss and the wonderful Woody Lissauer (who creates many musical multiples of himself – you’ll think you are listening to the Beach Boys and the Beatles at the same time…)! This coming Thursday, also at FCC, our own John Holly hosts another poetry evening, 7 pm – 9 pm – all are welcome to listen or to read!

    Ex-Frederick singer-songwriter, raconteur and all-round cheerful person David Morreale is hosting a new event at Mick’s American Bistro – The Hardcore Troubador’s Tuesday Night Social Club and Open Mic, 7 pm – 10 pm. I’m playing there this week – come and check it out! David had a song challenge – to write a song about nothing – which I’ve done, so I’ll be singing that, among other sparkling gems from my back catalogue… Should be fun!

    Please come out and join us at Brewer’s Alley this Monday to hear JEFF TALMADGE, plus our terrific line-up of cameo performers! We’ll have another great evening of music in Frederick’s best listening room!. . . )"

I'll be there next week.

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Ah, the critics . . .

. . . gotta love 'em. . .

2012 marks 50 years of the Beatles. On Jan. 1, 1962, the Beatles flunked an audition at Decca Records in London. Label executive Dick Rowe’s brush-off: “Guitar groups are on the way out.”

Tommy Dorsey claimed, "Bebop has set music back 20 years."

Louis Armstrong complained that beboppers were playing wrong chords.

A prominent New York critic said, "Bebop sounds to me like a hardware store in an earthquake."

"He plays like somebody is standing on his foot." Miles Davis on Eric Dolphy

One critic said that Monk's music was "like missing the bottom step in the dark."

Critics called Thelonious Monk "the elephant on the keyboard."

Emperor Joseph II on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozars's The Marriage of Figaro,  "too many notes, Mozart"

Diana Krall is this decade’s Harry Connick Jr., Krall is popping up everywhere these days at festivals, in clubs and on CD sales and airplay charts. An adequate pianist, she’s a tentative, dry-voiced vocalist whose torpid, sorority-girl versions of classic songs barely measure up to hotel piano bar standards. Her eminence must seem like a slap in the face to vastly more gifted and creative singers, like Rebecca Parris and Ian Shaw.

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My math. . .

. . . skills were never really very good. . .

. . . but lately I've been encounter some math that, although I may not fully understand, I actually happen to enjoy and would like to spread the word.

(from MySpace) . . . "El Sledge (+) is the combination of Stephen Sroka on drums, and Matthew Graboski on guitar/vocals/keys. Their music is the aural sound explosion of rage and beauty, turning in on itself as it races through time and space. The duo has comprised a conceptual duality through their music, taking the form of an oncoming stampede ripe with harrowing echoes brimming with the unbridled certainty of pure rock force. . . "

And thanks to the magnanimous young Mr. Graboski. who is appearing this Wednesday, April 4 at (and here's where more math comes in) Joe Squared, Station North in Baltimore,   33% (I can't get away from it) of OHO will make a brief appearance that evening presenting a smattering of the fine compositions of the senior Mr. Graboski (Jay) for your dancing and dining pleasure.  Music begins at 6PM.  

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©2011 Raymond M. Jozwiak
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Tonight's headliner. . .

. . . at Brewer’s Alley Songwriters’ Showcase. . . 

Tony Denikos, (pronounced "Deh-nigh-kiss"), writes, records and performs some of the most refreshingly down-home Americana music in the country.  A native of Laurel, MD, Tony's wide range of influences include artists such as John Fogerty, John Prine, Lowell George, Graham Parker & Bruce Spingsteen

Tony recently released his third CD Already Gone (2009). It immediately charted at #2 on the Euro Americana Charts and at #7 on the Freeform American Roots Chart.  Already Gone is a collection of 11 distinctive tunes that explore the entire spectrum of Americana music. This CD is full of cutting lyrical wit, breathtakingly personal storytelling and foot stomping backbeats. There are stories here that everyone can relate to about love, working class attitudes, hope, regret, forgotten patriots and unwitting heroes.  Fans of roots guitar and fine musicianship will appreciate the world class cast of players, including:  drummer Timm Beiry (Nils Lofgren, Danny Gatton); bassists Dave Roe (Johnny Cash, Dwight Yoakam) and Dave Jacques (John Prine, Emmylou Harris); keyboardist Phil Madeira (Emmylou Harris); and, guitarists Gantt Kushner and Warner E. Hodges (Jason and the Scorchers). 

You can catch Tony performing his songs at venues and festivals from New York to the Carolinas � including venues such as Rams Head on Stage ,the Maryland Seafood Festival, Columbia Festival of the Arts, the Vintage Virginia Wine Festival and many others.  He performs solo or with a band - always presenting to the listening world a writing style and performance uniquely his own.  His songs will stay with you long after the lights fade to black....  

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The saga continues. . .

. . . Keith, our guitarist and one of the founding members, had by this time decided to leave the band, an event that was somewhat bittersweet in that at time we sometimes longed for a guitarist with a different style. But he certainly had many good points, was reliable and, not infrequently, added musicality. Jeff had oft-times mentioned his seminary-educated, guitar-playing brother Jay who was also a founding member of a different music-playing organization of much loftier goal and intent (in my opinion, as I hardly wrote anything at the time and greatly admired local, original musicians for their chutzpah) called OHO. The name, now a brand, was an acronym incorporating the last names of three of the other founders, but failed to include Jay's. [I always thought they should have been called GOHO.] Jeff indicated that Jay would be interested in joining our combo in order to make some money because then, as now, local, original musicians weren't reaping great sums playing their own compositions. I had no inkling at the time that this event would influence my music, work ethic, and the better part of my life, but it has. And I would be willing to wager that Jay has had that affect on many other people as well.




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Everybody wants to be a star. . .

. . . ain't it the truth? Well, maybe not exactly.

I would not summarize my situation as such. I've certainly met my share of guitar-playing-vocalizing-pour-my-hear-out-singer-songwriters in my time. Many times hearing them makes me want to, like them, sing my own vocal compositions while accompanying myself on guitar. But then I stop myself. Of the GPVPMHOSSs I've encountered, many were actually very good; others- not so. Then of course, viewing things objectively, of just about all of them I can say some good things, meaning only that all of them have talents of one sort or another. But to be a really great singer/songwriter, many things have to gel to make them a 'star'. Many truly great S/Ss have not or will not become stars due to mere bad luck.

I have concluded awhile back that while I find my writing to be particularly strong, lyrically and musically, I lack the vocal delivery skills necessary to be a real, badass S/S. But I do have great confidence in my skills as a writer and instrumental music performer, and producer - may I say without sounding excessively egoistic. So therefore, I feel this is the artist I must market.

And now, as I am no youngster, I know without a doubt, that I must make my music to the point that some may call music my obsession. But obsession or not, music is the one thing in life that brings me such pleasure, not only in the act of producing sounds themselves, but communicating something of myself to others in these sounds.

'Success' is relative, to be sure. In one way, I have achieved a certain 'success' already in that I know well who I am musically and what I must do. In this fact I take great comfort and find much satisfaction. Irrespective of adulation, notoriety or monetary reward, I can and will continue to do this until I can do it no more.





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Freak appreciation. . .

As my appreciation for rock, popular and more esoteric musics grew, I became aware of the live concert. My first had to have been either Chicago or Jethro Tull. I saw the former sometime during my middle-school years (we called it "Junior High") and probably the latter during high school with the 'Mother of all' (pun intended) concerts, Frank Zappa around this this time. I attended a second FZ concert about two years later, shortly after the release of Zoot Allures in the mid 1970s. Funny, looking back on the music now, I really did not prefer lengthy, complex, intricate or technical FZ guitar solos at the time. My favorites with the vocal pieces and complex, jazzy, ensemble passages. Now I find the guitar solo recordings of Frank Zappa are my choice; 'air sculptures' as he referred to them. The Zappa 'guitar' albums were and are a tremendous inspiration to me in my writing, performing and recording.

I still at the time, did not know quite what to make of the iconoclastic Mr. Zappa. He was visually the hippy-freak-wildman; philosophically a socially liberal political libertarian; a guitar virtuoso and a modern music composer. Respected by some. Shunned by others. Repulsive to many yet revered by a great number (hundreds of thousands then/millions now?). Mysterious is probably the word that sums him up best in my perception at the time.



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The roar of the crowd. . .

My friend Joe, he of the red American flyer 26-inch bicycle (it was more an extension of his being than a mere bicycle) and I played electric guitar and accordion arrangements of songs by Peter, Paul and Mary, Buck Owens, Buddy Holly (yes, Buddy Holly's music was in there too), and a number of other 'fake book' songs. Our repertoire included Pack Up Your Sorrows, The King of Names, On a Desert Island, I'm In Love With A Big Blue Frog, Sam's Place, Buckaroo, Tall Dark Stranger, Love's Gonna Live Here, My Heart Skips a Beat, I've Got A Tiger By The Tail, Black Texas Dirt, Baby Elephant Walk, Tijuana Taxi, Spanish Flea, Third Man Theme, Zorba The Greek, Solitary Man and Love Is Strange.

We even entered a 'talent show', which I don't recall was actually a competition or simply a variety show, organized by our local Catholic church, to which we both belonged by benefit of our families. And since I don't remember that, I certainly don't remember whether or not we won anything. But it didn't matter. We got to play the music we loved in front of an appreciative crowd. It doesn't get any better than that.


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