Artist: Trank Zappa Grappa in Varese?
Label: Fazzul Music
Release: 2009
Rating: 4.1/5
Trank Zappa Grappa in Varese are clearly a busy bunch: they dropped their debut in 2008, and now in 2009 they’ve already treated us to a new record. This time they’ve gone for live covers of Frank Zappa material, maybe just to live up to their name. The album has five tracks and runs a little over twenty minutes.
They kick off with Willie The Pimp. This version feels a bit reserved at first, but then it loosens up and the musicians really do Frank Zappa proud with this one. They carry on with a classic from Zappa’s early days – Mother People – and then head off to Gumbo Variations, where their improvisational chops really come to the fore. Next up is another early beauty – Mom & Dad – and they close out the live album with two more Frank Zappa classics – Apostrophe’ and King Kong.
Zappa is definitely one of the tougher artists to cover, since his compositions are often fiendishly complex, with technically tricky parts and so on. Stauss and co. pull it off seemingly without breaking a sweat, which just goes to show what outstanding musicians they are. The song selection is interesting too. They went for a mix of Zappa’s more jazzy stuff and his early satirical rock numbers.
Trank Zappa Grappa in Varese have delivered yet another excellent album, no doubt about it. It’s fascinating to hear some of Zappa’s vocal compositions played purely instrumentally. If anyone can play this stuff the way it deserves, it’s Stauss and his gang. The album shows a ton of respect for Zappa and puts some exceptional musicians on display, playing top-notch music.
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Trank Zappa Grappa in Varese are obviously very active, having released their debut album in 2008 and now already gracing us for the second time in one year with another release. This time, they’ve opted to put out some Frank Zappa tunes, if for nothing else than to do their name justice. The album features five pieces and is just over twenty minutes long.
They kick the album off with Willie The Pimp. The version seems rather restrained at first but it gets livelier later on and they really do Frank justice with this rendition. They continue with a classic from the early Zappa Days – Mother People and head to the Gumbo Variations next, where their improvisational talents seem to truly shine. This is followed by another early gem – Mom & Dad and they bring the concert album to a close with two further Zappa classics – Apostrophe’ and King Kong.
Zappa is definitely one of the more difficult artists to cover because of his sometimes difficultly structured compositions, technical passages, etc. Stauss and co. seem to do it without any difficulties at all, which simply shows what fabulous musicians they are. The choice of songs is interesting. They’ve opted to choose a mixture of Zappa’s jazz tunes and his early satirical rock stuff.
Trank Zappa Grappa in Varese have produced a finely played album, that’s for certain. It’s interesting to hear some of Zappa’s vocal pieces being performed in a purely instrumental fashion. If anyone could do these tunes justice in this way, it’s Stauss and his colleagues. This album shows a great deal of respect for Zappa and portrays some wonderful musicians performing some top-class music.
Lineup
Michel Delville – guitar, guitar synthesizer, electronics
Markus Stauss – saxophones
Damien Campion – bass, double bass
Laurent Delchambre – drums, percussion, electronics
Production
Markus Stauss
Tracklist
1. Willie the Pimp
2. Mother People
3. The Gumbo Variations
4. Mom & Dad
5. Apostrophe’
6. King Kong
