By: David Schultz

Right about the same time that New York City's yearly Village Halloween Parade had its first gathering, Frank Zappa started his own Halloween tradition: celebrating All Hallows' Eve with a concert in the Big Apple. In keeping alive his father's music with Zappa Plays Zappa, Dweezil Zappa, Frank's oldest son, went one step further this past October 31, resurrecting the Zappa Halloween tradition at the Theater in Madison Square Garden. Despite the release of more than sixty albums over his thirty-plus year career and his significant lasting influence on modern music, especially within the jamband world, Zappa's music remains relatively unheard on any type of radio format. Given that, Dweezil's goal of the Zappa Plays Zappa project, keeping Frank Zappa's music alive and relevant, takes on added import.

At the 2006 Jammy Awards, the Madison Square Garden Theater played host to one of the earliest Zappa Plays Zappa shows. After accepting the Jammy Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of his father, Dweezil anchored a twenty minute Zappa Plays Zappa set featuring Chick Corea and Umphrey's McGee's Jake Cinninger. After headlining the after-hours party at B.B. King's, Dweezil, with saxophonist Napoleon Murphy Brock by his side, took the Zappa retrospective on tour, successfully reconnecting with many of his father's old fans. A sold-out crowd that included approximately nine women welcomed Zappa back to The Theater; many hardcore fans enjoying their role in extending Zappa's sizable legacy. With the slick but earnest charm of a game-show host, Dweezil happily greeted his father's fans and happily noted the presence of younger fans whose knowledge of the Mothers Of Invention likely comes from their parents' record collection or Rykodisc reissues.

With his hair grown to shoulder length, Dweezil resembles a younger, cleaner-shaven version of his father. Dweezil occupied many roles: he channeled his father's charismatic zany charm as the ringleader, not only conducting the band with several hand cues during the instrumental passages, but directing the audience's applause as well. Playing before Frank's visage carved into a jack-o-lantern, Dweezil led an exceptionally skilled band through early-era Mothers Of Invention tunes like "Who Are The Brain Police" and "Idiot Bastard Son" as well as later-era Mothers live staples like "Pygmy Twylyte," "Cheepnis" and "Echidna's Arf (Of You)." Forgetting the existence of "Valley Girl," Frank Zappa had a knack for interjecting laughs into his songs without degenerating into a novelty act. His sense of humor found its way into the set with a romp through "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" and a smooth jazz interlude that scathingly mocked Kenny G. The sly working class "Can't Afford No Shoes" and Zoot Allure's "The Torture Never Stops" showed that Zappa's pseudo-political material remains relevant. For three jam-packed hours, Dweezil lovingly recreated many of his father's arrangements including One Size Fits All's intricate opener "Inca Roads."

If Dweezil Zappa formed the heart of the show, Napoleon Murphy Brock was its soul. A magnificently animated foil, Brock, who sang and played sax with Zappa from 1974-1984, handled the majority of the vocals, his voice still deep and soulful; he embodied the concept of funky kinetic motion throughout the night with his nimble, agile dancing. During the opening numbers, Brock repeatedly boogied off the stage with the frequency of the dangerously incontinent only to return relatively quickly after a short instrumental interlude. As the evening wore on, he kept his off-stage runs to a bare minimum, standing still long enough for some expert saxophone and flute solos.

Anton Chekhov once said if you hang a pistol on the wall in Act 1, someone better fire it in Act 3. (That's the gist of it. He actually said it much more eloquently than that). Following through on the Russian playwright's sage advice, the enormous metal drum and cymbal contraption which ominously sat stage left throughout the first half of the show, ultimately became occupied by Terry Bozzio, Zappa's drummer from 1975-1978. Although less conspicuous, a well marked equipment case that lurked stage right foreshadowed the eventual appearance of Steve Vai. The guitar virtuoso, who played with Zappa from 1980-1982, lay back during "Peaches En Regalia" before absolutely tearing apart "Zombie Woof" with his inimitable guitar style. Frank Zappa knew the power of a good guitar solo, in fact Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar, consisted of three albums worth of little more than guitar solos. An adept guitar player in his own right, Dweezil stayed true to Frank's love a good guitar solo. Although willing to trade riffs with Vai, Zappa reserved his best solos for the periods when Vai wasn't on stage.

In laying out Zappa Plays Zappa, Dweezil must be commended for including many trademarks of the elder Zappa's music and live performances: recapturing the fun-loving, wacky musical vibe, the distinctive xylophone roles, the stellar guitar solos, the complex arrangements as well as his father's pink pants - well, on second thought, that last one may be a solely Dweezil hallmark. After a warmly-received summer tour, it might be expected that at the close of the year Dweezil might wrap up the project and move on to his next effort. But then again, unpredictability has always been a Zappa family trait. At the close of the show, Dweezil idly suggested a return to New York City next year to resume the Zappa Halloween tradition; the excitement that idea generated amongst the crowd seemed too palpable for Dweezil to ignore.

Labels: Dweezil Zappa, Frank Zappa, Zappa Plays Zappa