Dweezil. . .

. . . Zappa, did you know, was named after his mother's toe?

. . . there are worse things after which to name a baby. . .

. . . But nevertheless,  it can't be easy to be the son of one, choose the same profession and follow in the footsteps of one of the most controversial, loved-or-hated, cult-hero, talented, dedicated musician/composer/producer/creative artists of the 20th century. . . 

(from http://www.allmusic.com/album/return-of-the-son-of-mw0001997668)
". . . Having apparently given up on the idea of having a solo career outside his father's shadow, Dweezil Zappa has taken to touring with a project he calls Zappa Plays Zappa, which is exactly what it sounds like: an evening of Frank Zappa music, played by his son and a band of talented if relatively faceless pros. From a purely musical standpoint, this stuff is excellent; Zappa junior is a ferocious guitarist, and he and the band know the material inside and out. . ."

(http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7451)
". . .In the years that followed, ZAPPA's playing and writing gradually grew to take on more of his father's style, humor and complexity. During the mid-90s, Dweezil formed the band Z with his brother Ahmet. This group also included Mike KENEALLY and members of his band, and KENEALLY's sound dominates this project. In 2006 he released his finest, and most progressive album to date, Go With What You Know, where he mixes his hard rock chops with music that comes very close to his father's rock work. . ."

(from http://www.deepdiscount.com/cd/Go-with-What-You-Know?)utm_source=PriceGrabber&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=PriceGrabber
". . .The new Dweezil Zappa record (CD) is aptly titled "Automatic". It's his first release under his own name in nearly a decade and marks a return to his roots as a guitarist. It's also the first predominately instrumental guitar album of his career. Operating under the musical credo "anything at anytime for any reason at all" gave Dweezil the freedom to explore new territory. The album features thick layers of multi-tracked guitar textures, all perfectly executed and combined with wild rhythms and intriguing improvisations, adding nicely to the Zappa Family legacy which has provided alternative entertainment for those who have embraced it for over thirty years. . ."

. . but he's holding his own. . . he's super talented and creative. . . 

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Frivolous. . .

. . . use of the terminology?. . .

The captain (Beefheart, that is), was indeed a talented individual.  He was creative, eccentric and daring.  But genius is a very strong word. . .

ge·nius
noun \ˈjēn-yəs, ˈjē-nē-əs\
1 [count] a : a very smart or talented person : a person who has a level of talent or intelligence that is very rare or remarkable
▪ Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton were great scientific geniuses. ▪ a musical/artistic/creative genius ▪ You don't have to be a genius to see that this plan will never work.
b : a person who is very good at doing something
▪ He was a genius at handling the press.


(by By Rob Chalfen from http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2010/12/captain_beefheart_facts.php)[excerpted and inverted by me]
". . . 1. his 1970 & 1982 music videos, both rejected by tv as too far out, are both in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art.

2. In 1976 I interviewed Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys, who very enthusiastically claimed Don as a key influence. "A case of the punks!"

3. Zappa helped jumpstart his career, incorporating him into his touring ensemble, though complained Beefheart couldn't cut the arrangements. Several of Zappa's sidemen later defected to the Magic Band.

4. in the mid 70s he wandered in an aesthetic wilderness - his label dropped him, he fell in with some sharp operators connected with the band Bread (!) and tried to record 'safe' pop. His Magic band left him, and he toured with a pick up group. One older cat Ellis Horn had played clarinet with Lu Waters Jazz Band in the 40s and had a feature playing 'Sweet Georgia Brown" on an old albert-style clarinet, upturned at the bell. "He sucked up a cosmic particle into his horn," opined Don.

5. opening acts, in Boston at any rate, included Mississippi Fred McDowell, the NY Dolls, Larry Coryell, Bonnie Raitt/Dave Maxwell, Dr. John & a trained monkey vaudeville act. "Did you like the Dolls? Oh, balls!"

6. Zappa produced the Magic Band's masterpiece, Trout Mask Replica, in 1969, initially as a sort of Folkways-type anthropological field recording at the band's commune. Later Don insisted that it all be re-recorded in the studio, convinced that Zappa had been trying to do it on the cheap. (some of the home tapes made it onto the record anyway) . In the studio, he refused to wear phones, syncing his vocals with the band only via the faint leakage through the thick plate glass.

7. he composed implausibly complex solo guitar pieces like modern acid madrigals.

8. ran his band as a sort of hothouse commune/cult of domineering personality, one veteran later describing the experience as "my Vietnam". He communicated musical ideas via cassettes of his piano playing, singing and late night whistlings over the phone. The musicians were then expected to transcribe these fragments verbatim, and assemble them perfectly into intricate 4-dimensional musical constructions.

9. claimed shamanistic & supernatural abilities; on one occasion the drummer in my band, following around Don & Dr John, witnessed the glass panes of a hotel lobby mysteriously turn opaque as they passed. He was a life-long defender of the rights of animals & wildlife.

10. in the late 60s fused delta blues, beat poetics, Dada/Surrealist techniques, avant jazz, R&B & the kitchen sink into a metaphysics of the imagination that tore a giant hole in the ozone of pop-artistic possibility. Like an American Van Gogh he seemed to open up new landscapes of consciousness as much as of music. . . "


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Comedy. . .

Comedians are fascinating persons.  They can be so hilarious at "work" while as soon as the lights dim and crowd is gone, they can be terribly sad people.  That's not to say Tig Notaro is sad.  I don't honestly know that much about her except that she is very funny.  But this article gives a glimpse of how real life problems can influence a comedian and the fascinating interplay that results between the stage and real life.

 (from http://www.fastcocreate.com/1681714/tig-notaros-legendary-largo-show-now-available-on-louis-cks-web-platform)

". . . To say that Tig Notaro has had a challenging year would be a not-quite-laughable understatement. The result of the talented comic’s bout with breast cancer (and a collection of other poorly timed maladies), though, was the material and rare mood to pull off a single set that’s been described as both heartbreaking and hilarious in equal measure.

“In my 27 years doing this I have seen a handful of truly masterful performances. One was Tig Notaro last night at Largo.” That’s reigning stand-up king Louis C.K. tweeting the day after Notaro’s notorious August 3 show at Largo in California. This high-profile endorsement joined others by the likes of Bill Burr and Ed Helms, which, taken along with a widely circulated blog post, incited a wave of speculation that most of us had maybe missed out on something truly special. Now, it looks like we’ll actually get to hear it.

Notaro recorded the set at Largo, and when I spoke with her for a Co.Create profile a while back, she mentioned that clips would likely surface on the radio show This American Life. Thankfully, clips were not going to be enough, and now Louis C.K. is releasing the set through his web platform. The show, entitled LIVE--as in, what she hopes to continue to do--is available for $5 as of October 5th. . ."

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Do brains come along with fame? . . .

. . . As if it isn't bad enough that a baseball player will now be paid $25 million a year, we are actually taking the advice of people who are merely qualified to hit a ball with a stick or play a guitar and sing a song.

Let me be clear, I respect talent. True talent, be it athletic, intellectual or artistic, is a gift and a wonder and truly a benefit to humankind. But, would you actually hire one of Ringling Brothers' clowns to do your taxes or ask a Hollywood actor to counsel you on your marriage?





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Not popular, definitely better. . .

. . . than most.

Artist Profile: Jazz Singer Johnny Hartman
By Jacob Teichroew, About.com Guide

Johnny Hartman
Born: July 23rd, 1923 in Chicago, Illinois as John Maurice Hartman
Died: September 15th, 1983

The Struggling Balladeer:
Despite his talents, jazz singer Johnny Hartman struggled to maintain a thriving career. Hartman caught a couple of big breaks during his life that seemed to show promise, but the racial and cultural milieu during his active years were such that he never earned the recognition he deserved while he was still alive.

Hartman’s first big opportunity came after he won a singing competition at age 17 in a Chicago supper club. The prize was a brief engagement with Earl Hines’ big band. Hines, whose band cultivated the talents of bebop stars such as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, invited Hartman to join the group for a longer period.

Bebop: Not the Right Fit:
Hartman, whose strengths were his dulcet vocal timbre, emotional nuances, and meticulous phrasing, did not entirely fit into the bebop scene. He left Hines’ band to sing in Gillespie’s big band, but abandoned it in 1949 for a solo career.

Hartman distinguished himself from the majority of jazz singers in the 1950s by rejecting conventions such as scat singing and modifying standard songs. He prided himself on staying close to original melodies, allowing the lyrics to guide his musical interpretation. Some argue that for this reason, Hartman’s potential was squelched by promoters who weren’t interested in supporting a black musician who sounded thoughtful, intelligent, and romantic.

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman:
Hartman barely got through the 1950s as a solo artist, but got another big break in 1963. That year he recorded John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (Impulse!), an album of ballads including Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life.” On the record, Hartman employs his rich baritone voice to convey the melancholia of various love songs. Hardly straying from the melodies, Hartman’s approach evidently inspired John Coltrane to do the same. The two complement each other perfectly, and the album is one of the best jazz vocal albums ever made.

While Hartman’s reputation got a boost after his work with Coltrane, he could not sustain it. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, when rock music pushed romantic jazz out of the mainstream, Hartman refused to compromise, recording jazz with bands led by Oliver Nelson and Gerald Wilson. His 1980 album Once in Every Life (Bee Hive), was nominated for a Grammy in 1981, but that was the last hint of promise in his career. He died in 1983 of lung cancer.

In part thanks to Clint Eastwood’s 1996 movie, The Bridges of Madison County, which uses recordings of Hartman in the romantic scenes, Johnny Hartman started to achieve posthumously the acclaim that he deserved while still active.




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I have never been. . .

. . . good at any sport. PERIOD.

Expanding upon that, nor have I ever been any good at anything remotely competitive. For some reason competition always brings out the worst in me. I'm not sure if it involves some type of pressure, subconscious or otherwise or if in truth, I am just plain lousy at EVERYTHING. And this unique distinction of being the world's worst everything translates to cards. [and pool, bowling, tiddlywinks, jacks, old maid, hopscotch, marbles, you name it) or any type of card game, if I apply myself enough to learn it, is always a total disaster for me. And in addition, I shuffle and deal cards like I'm from Mars. Wait a minute, I'll bet even beings from Mars are better at cards (and competition) than me!

This accounts for my reluctance to enter songwriting competitions. Although in this area, I do feel that I possess some semblance of talent, if you will. And since all of my compositions are my 'children', I love them and I view them for what they are with all their warts but with their good qualities shining through.





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Odd, or maybe not. . .

. . . a bowl of french fries for dinner. . .

. . . still smoking cigarettes in this day and age of medical knowledge. . . auburn hair is quite striking. . . music soothes the savage breast. . . 88 keys full of potential and nice tone. . . good bourbon (and lot's of room to talk about cigarettes). . . subtle, tasteful percussion. . . the insecurity, confidence, skill and talent. . . humor, humor and lots more humor; cleverly. . . nice folks all around. . . getting through monday and working towards friday. . . exchanging music, encouragement, sympathy, empathy and MORE MUSIC!!



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Pop goes the culture. . .

Have you read about Rebecca Black's FRIDAY video or seen Katy Perry's LAST FRIDAY NIGHT or do you dig Justin Bieber? If there were no www, I would probably know nothing of any of it. But, alas there is; ergo, I do.

I normally enjoy weightier matters, but I must say, at my age, it's good fun to watch the turmoil that develops over superficial, pop-centric 'events' such as the FRIDAY video thing. I barely have an opinion, excepting that none of it surprises me.

Oh yes, then there's the question of how much talent Rebecca Black actually possesses, as deduced by the 'expert' television, soft-news personalities. Again - YAWN!!!

You want to see TALENT???. . . .



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There were times. . .

. . . when I felt that I had ALWAYS taken accordion lessons. Then there were times when I felt that I would never be allowed to STOP taking them. But through the twenty-twenty vision of hindsight, they were ten years well spent on lessons which exposed me to a wealth of musical variety with an initiation to and education in music theory.

Somewhere around my last year of lessons, an unusual development regarding the operation of the Maryland Accordion Institute occurred. My friend, and fellow accordion student of Greek descent, possessing an appropriately lengthy Greek name and who we knew affectionately as Jimmy, purchased the operation. As I was about seventeen years of age at the time, I was understandably astounded at #1, the fact that Jimmy had the financial resources to purchase an entire business AND #2, the fact that Jimmy had the intellectual capability, the drive, motivation and just plain chutzpah to take on such a gargantuan challenge at this tender age. Jimmy was probably several years my senior, but just the same, truly quite an intelligent, thoughtful, practical and generally resourceful young man. And while he may have had the financial assistance of some older adults, he was, by all means, up to such a challenge. By that time in the life-span of the Institute and the current tastes and trends in popular culture, the Institute and accordion lessons in general, were already on their way OUT. But this was by no means a reflection on the talents and abilities of my friend Jimmy when it came to running the Maryland Accordion Institute. His great display of maturity in the whole affair made me proud of him and of myself as well, if only by association with my mature and sophisticated friend.

And the association was briefly more that simply friendship. Jimmy asked me to handle some musical affairs at the Institute during his vacation. This would mean unlocking the building, performing the duties of an instructor and handling the subsequent cash transactions. I was flattered to be asked, eager to prove the wisdom of his choice and filled with new and exorbitant amounts of self esteem at my new, responsible and lofty position even though it was only a temporary, vacation fill-in position.




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Local, underappreciated, talent. . .

. . . my old friend Jay (a musical force still to be reckoned with) has been making music in the Baltimore area for over forty years now. He is truly a talent, and a character as well. Check out one of his latest projects right here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ9NUB90IDI)

which features his son, Matt, a vintage composition from his long-time band and project-object OHO, with state-of-the-art technological enhancements to the basis of the original recording from way-back-when.

Anyway, briefly and happily, Jay and myself were involved in a musical endeavor about 35 years ago and it happened this way.
I played in a cover/standards/top40/wedding-type combo. This after many years of accordion lessons, family affairs and private parties. And we actually made real money doing this. (WIll wonders never cease?) Our guitarist was leaving the combo to join the ranks of a more well-established outfit and was leaving a hole in the group. Our drummer Jeff, who recently joined our group after the departure of our regular drummer, had a brother who had been involved in original, art/prog-rock music for several years (oh, how that word appears and reappears). Jeff's brother Jay, just (we were told) might be interested in joining our little combo in order to make some money. (You see, original music making in the Baltimore area was about as lucrative then as it is today.) So after an 'audition' of sorts (I don't think we really auditioned anyone else), Jay to Keith's place and "Ful Treatment" arose from the hackneyed, Baltimore wedding-band ashes. And arose we did indeed. Jay brought chops, life, energy, rock, exuberance and humor to our music, as well as to our 'backstage' existence. And it was good. Well, as good as a wedding band could be. We plied our trade doggedly between '76 and '79 when in anticipation of my forthcoming wedding and my increasing distaste for the wedding/bull roast/American Legion circuit, I retired from active performance. But not without a fond memory of the many wild and wooly nights playing with Ful Treatment, and my friend Jay.

More Later.

(hear my music at http://www.rayjozwiak.com/)