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Jeff Berlin fired by Frank Zappa

#163
I don't know if you guys understand the rigidity of a FZ band

the charts were EXACT precise note for note exercises in reading - every bit as demanding as classical, probably more than demanding

I think even FZ called it 'knat notes' as in many and small - 16ths, 32nds, 64th triplets in odd times - like an experiment in how complicated you could write music

doesn't make it music
 
#164
pnchad said:
I don't know if you guys understand the rigidity of a FZ band

the charts were EXACT precise note for note exercises in reading - every bit as demanding as classical, probably more than demanding

I think even FZ called it 'knat notes' as in many and small - 16ths, 32nds, 64th triplets in odd times - like an experiment in how complicated you could write music

doesn't make it music
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The "black page".;)
 
#168
jerry said:
It was Frank's band period. Remember he tanked a whole tour because the other members didn't like his choice in bassist, Frank stood by his choice.;)
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I never really understood what happened there. Not that it's any of my business. But it seemed that, having been given a more senior position as 'executive bandleader' or some such, the percussionist convinced the rest of the band (except the guitarist) to treat Scott like ****. Zappa made the right call IMO.
 
#169
bassist15 said:
I would guess Jeff Berlin started showing off his chops. Frank didnt really like the bassist to be to flashy. Jack Bruce played on Apostrophe and in an interview Frank states Jack played to busily and he didn't like that in a bassist. He liked a bass player to hold the groove. doesnt sound to much like Jeff Berlin to me.
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two things interest me here:

a) i didn't know jack bruce had the chops for Zappa. Those are chops beyond chops!

b) I thought zappa wrote all the parts, so if the basslines aren't grooving for him then that's his fault for writing them that way?
 
#170
pnchad said:
there's good reason why not one of his melodies survive as memorable or touching or exciting
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Sofa
Uncle Meat
Dogbreath (in the year of the plague)
Mr. Green Jeans
The Black Page
King Kong

...I'm not sure how tone-deaf a person would have to be to not find those melodies "memorable or touching or exciting", but it would probably be a pathological case, one for the medical textbooks!
 
#171
I think Peaches en Regalia and Son of Mr Green Genes are in Real Books, but most folks who learned the circle of fifths and rhythm changes from Jamie Aebersold tapes and don't bring much more to a combo gig are gonna have probs improvising over them, let alone his more arcane stuff. And the other thing is if there are no words to sing along with, most people don't remember tunes, and his stuff is chiefly instrumental. Yeah ya don't see Zappa on karaoke discs, but ya don't see Varese either.
 
#178
The late great Lowell George used to like to tell the story of when he was in Zappas band just before they played thier honky tonk classic "Willin". He said he play that tune for the boss one day and Frank suggested that might be happier if he went off and started his own band, and rest as they say is history.
 

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