This is the opening track to Frank Zappa's WAKA/JAWAKA. I had lost this disc when I totaled our CR-V. It was in the cd player, and the guys at the scrap yard yanked the battery and...
Well, anyway... I couldn't get it back.
And I couldn't play the album because my needle broke.
I have the cd again, and this morning after one more round of "The King Is Gone (So Are You)," as performed by The Highwaymen, I popped in WAKA/JAWAKA and went to San Ber'dino (another cool FZ tune).
"Big Swifty" is a long track, originally taking up the entirety of side one in album form. This is from one of my favorite eras, if you will, of FZ. Released in 1972, it falls right in nicely with any solid jazz-fusion collection. It's also a tune which would be most fitting on any Sal Marquez collection. It seems the cover design was his concept, and he's as dominant with the trumpet on "Big Swifty" as Frank is with the guitar, if not more so. But that's one of the nice things about a lot of FZ's music. It's not JUST a guitar player's song or tune. Also, beyond being very strict in places, his music is generally written with a LOT of room for improv.
There are really only a few players on this recording. Beyond Marquez on the "many trumpets and chimes," guitars are provided by Frank and Tony Duran. The bass player is Erroneous. I'm not saying he's mistaken, nor did I capitalize where I shouldn't. The guy on electric bass is named Alex Dmochowski… but sometimes goes as Erroneous. Aynsley Dunbar plays drums, with Frank hitting various things for additional percussion.
This is also a GREAT look at early George Duke with Zappa. I was thinking, "Man, this is some of the best Don Preston I've overlooked for some time now." It's more like some of the best George Duke that I'd overlooked for some time now.
As mentioned, "Big Swifty" is a long piece, listed at 17:22. But if you're "not into the jam-band thing," just stop. That's an all too easy way to unfortunately dismiss some musical magic. And also, that's not what this is - jam band thing.
This falls more into jazz fusion, but please don't dismiss it if you generally don't - or FLAT out don't - like jazz fusion. This is more of an extended composition divided into several distinct movements. And while these movements do go right from one to the next, they don't do it in a shocking or jolting manner - as FZ will do sometimes. Some of these movements are explorations and what may feel like odd stacking of tuplets, but they don't feel like some sort of free-jazz audio spew, while other movements are downright toe-tapping.
Well, almost.
With this in mind... give it a shot. But you have to allow yourself that 17:22 of focus. Next time you can, get ready as best fits you, then put on some headphones and give it a go. Or when the map thing says your drive will be 17:22. This is also prime.
But give it a shot.
This started as a Facebook post about a cool song on a drive to work.
This is also a GREAT look at early George Duke with Zappa. I was thinking, "Man, this is some of the best Don Preston I've overlooked for some time now." It's more like some of the best George Duke that I'd overlooked for some time now.
As mentioned, "Big Swifty" is a long piece, listed at 17:22. But if you're "not into the jam-band thing," just stop. That's an all too easy way to unfortunately dismiss some musical magic. And also, that's not what this is - jam band thing.
This falls more into jazz fusion, but please don't dismiss it if you generally don't - or FLAT out don't - like jazz fusion. This is more of an extended composition divided into several distinct movements. And while these movements do go right from one to the next, they don't do it in a shocking or jolting manner - as FZ will do sometimes. Some of these movements are explorations and what may feel like odd stacking of tuplets, but they don't feel like some sort of free-jazz audio spew, while other movements are downright toe-tapping.
Well, almost.
With this in mind... give it a shot. But you have to allow yourself that 17:22 of focus. Next time you can, get ready as best fits you, then put on some headphones and give it a go. Or when the map thing says your drive will be 17:22. This is also prime.
But give it a shot.
This started as a Facebook post about a cool song on a drive to work.
