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Bringing back Zappa
YOUNGSTOWN
The wildly original music of the late Frank Zappa has always been difficult to categorize. During his lifetime, Zappa transcended musical genres with his ingenious mix of rock, jazz, orchestral and rhythm and blues and built a legion of loyal fans.
A group of students from Youngstown State University’s Dana School of Music is bringing the songs of Zappa alive for those die-hard fans while also introducing Zappa’s music to a younger, freshly-receptive audience.
They call themselves The Frank Zappa Jazz Ensemble, and Dana graduate student John Anthony, who leads the group, said they approach the music with a creative twist of which Zappa himself likely would have approved.
“When Zappa played his music live, he would change it up so the song wasn’t exactly the same song heard on the recorded album,” Anthony explained. “We are trying to change it up as well by putting a different spin on the Zappa songs we are performing. Lots of groups that play Zappa’s music don’t do that.”
The Frank Zappa Jazz Ensemble began after Anthony wrote a paper on Stravinsky’s influence in Zappa’s music.
“I wasn’t a fan of Zappa before, but after writing the paper, I started to become interested. I started transcribing Zappa’s music for fun,” he said.
YSU Dana School of Music professor Dave Morgan noticed Anthony’s interest and stepped in to help form the ensemble.
“Dr. Morgan, who oversees the project, had performed in a Zappa group a few years ago,” Anthony said. “He had a lot of his own arrangements and acted as a mentor to us.”
The Frank Zappa Jazz Ensemble consists of: Anthony on guitar; Ed Davis on drums; Bob Young on percussion; Rick Moose on trumpet; Mitch Lawrence and Kevin Snyder on saxophones; Andrea Dreier and Clay Colley on keyboards; Joe Garwig on violin; Tim Wilderoder on bass; and Zach Conolly on vocals.
Three of the members are graduate students, and the remaining eight are undergraduates.
The group’s next performance is set for 10 p.m. Friday at Cedars Lounge, downtown.
The group also has concerts scheduled for 10 p.m. March 9 at the Lemon Grove, downtown; and 8 p.m. March 16 at Kilcawley Center on the YSU campus.
Anthony said shows usually last about 60 to 90 minutes, and Zappa’s music attracts a diverse following.
“There are people who are very into the music and very educated on it — people who may have seen Zappa perform live in 1974, for example. Then there are others who have never heard of him before, 20-somethings like myself who end up liking the music a lot more than they assumed they would,” he said.
Anthony acknowledges that sometimes Zappa’s music is hard to grasp and appreciate.
“He used everything that he had, from doo wop to classical to blues, and fused it together into something very coherent, but sometimes people don’t get it. They hear the wrong thing. However, Zappa’s music truly does have something for everyone; you just have to find it,” Anthony said.
During their performances, the ensemble relies on everything from gongs to cymbals to marimbas and vibraphones to make the musical statement they are aiming for.
Anthony said he has contacted two people who were close to Zappa — Zappa’s son, Dweezil, and his former saxophone player, Napoleon Murphy Brock — and both men have had good things to say about the ensemble’s efforts.
“We are trying to get Napoleon Murphy Brock to perform with us as a guest artist,” Anthony added.
In addition to leading the Frank Zappa Jazz Ensemble, Anthony, a New Castle, Pa., native, co-directs Dana’s Jazz Ensemble II and assists Morgan with various projects.
Morgan said the most rewarding thing about the project has been the dedication and professionalism of the young musicians.
“This is quite challenging music, and they are nailing it,” Morgan said. “The audience response has been terrific. The folks who are Zappa fanatics are very discerning and will let you know if it’s not up to par. I’m pretty amazed by how good this band sounds after a few months of working together. I am delighted that these students are out promoting themselves and the music they love.”
In 2003, Morgan spent six months transcribing and arranging Zappa’s music for a concert at the Tri-C Jazz Fest in Cleveland, and when Anthony and the other students decided they wanted to explore Zappa’s music, Morgan was right there to lend a hand.
“When the ensemble presents concerts at the university, I am the official director,” Morgan explained, adding, “The band also has a life playing in clubs outside of school.”
When Morgan leads, the ensemble focuses on Zappa’s instrumental compositions, especially those influenced by 20th-century classical music and jazz, but when they are doing their own thing, they tend to focus on the humorous and provocative vocal pieces.
“They also tend to turn their amps up to 11 and rock out when left to their own devices,” Morgan added.