Zappa Plays Zappa–

Dweezil Chats Frankly About Carrying On His Father’s Legacy

By John Voket

Even a seasoned rock journalist like me seldom gets a chance to use the words progeny and prodigy in the same sentence. In fact, those two words sound so cool together, I’m kind of surprised the highly entertaining and often controversial musician, composer and band leader Frank Zappa never penned a song by that name: “The Progeny Prodigy From Poughkeepsie,” or something like that.

I have to believe if he did, however, it would have been in honor of his own son, Dweezil.

Frank’s progeny, a 38-year-old guitar genius in his own right, told me during a recent Connecticut stop that he was so committed to not simply reproducing, but recreating his father’s material note-for-note, that it took him more than two years to nail down the core set of about 80 songs he chooses from each night on the current Zappa Plays Zappa Tour. Dweezil and company rolled into Wallingford’s Chevrolet Theatre on November 1 with a nearly three-hour extravaganza stocked to thrill the most ardent of his father’s fans, myself included, with something so much more than a gratuitous tribute show.

In fact, except for the recent live recreations of Pet Sounds and Smile by Brian Wilson himself, I’m not sure I have ever seen as loyal and thorough replication of such complex musical material.

By the time it was over, I have to believe even those who came out with nothing more than a passing familiarity of Frank Zappa’s music walked away ready to wade into his dozens of offerings. That immense catalog of material, Dweezil happily pointed out, ranges from rock, jazz and classical to electronic, operatic and even the absurd, often all in the same song.

Of course Dweezil had to sprinkle his diverse Chevrolet set of Frank Zappa recreations with rock radio staples like “Cosmic Debris,” “Joe’s Garage,” “Muffin Man” and “Stinkfoot.” But those in the audience who worshipped the creative, irreverent composer were ecstatic as his son filled the remainder of the show with deeper cuts like, “City of Tiny Lites,” “What’s New In Baltimore,” “San Ber’Dino,” “Uncle Remus” and “I Am the Slime.”

Surrounded by a band of exceptional young musicians, particularly bassist Pete Griffin and multi-instrumentalist Scheila Gonzalez, Dweezil Zappa seemed to trip effortlessly through the complex classical arrangement of “Dog/Meat.” A 30-minute-plus envelope of “Dupree’s Paradise” was the closest thing to paradise any hard core Frank Zappa fan could ever hope to experience.

This masterpiece was not only an improvisational nirvana, but a great number in which the musicians could stretch the far reaches of their abilities.

With longtime Zappa alumnus Ray White on vocals and some backing guitar, each arrangement came to life in glorious fashion with meticulous marimba and percussion contributions by Billy Hulting.

Hulting’s best came during “Wind Up Working In A Gas Station,” from the 1992 Frank Zappa series, You Can’t Do That on Stage Anymore, Volume 6, and the aforementioned “San Ber’Dino,” complimenting the drum work of Joe Travers who stepped in to fill the place of longtime Frank Zappa collaborator Terry Bozzio.

Dweezil Zappa was spectacular throughout, with the most easygoing stage demeanor masking his tightly controlled playing and conducting. The junior Zappa shined most brightly on “Zoot Allures” and “Pygmy Twilight,” hammering out astonishingly precise leads and fills. “G-Spot Tornado” was another opportunity for Dweezil Zappa to exercise his skills, coming about as close to the kind of articulated speed metal he cut his chops on before taking over the “family business,” keeping his father’s material in front of audiences around the world.

Chatting with Dweezil after the show, I was pleased to hear he has a DVD concert project in the works for both those who want to relive the magic, and those who missed his handful of regional concert appearances. Hopefully, as he did on his first two turns behind the Zappa Plays Zappa concept, a follow-up tour will bring him back through the region sooner rather than later.

In a phone conversation before the Chevrolet Theatre set, just hours after a rollicking Halloween show in New York City, Dweezil talked candidly about his efforts to keep the music of Frank Zappa alive, and the enthusiastic reception he continues to receive by doing just that.

Newtown Bee: A Zappa on stage in New York City on Halloween – it just seems right. But that had to be a little emotional for you.

Dweezil Zappa: I feel his presence almost every time I go on stage, Frank is in the room. But it’s the music that sets the tone. This is the most difficult thing to explain, but at times you can be immersed in a musical situation — and this is what Frank lived for. He wanted to be able to create something on the spot, that was living in that moment, that was unique to that moment. And he arranged situations where he could spontaneously compose in that way.

In those moments when we are playing on stage, I get to play a guitar solo and try to create the way he did. When he played a guitar solo, he thought of it as playing air sculpture – literally making shapes with the notes he was playing, which was a very different thought process. Now I’ve talked to a lot of musicians about what they are thinking about when they are soloing, and most people are accustomed to having some pre-composed elements that they string together, but Frank didn’t play that way. It’s what made him such a unique guitar player, and what makes it so difficult to emulate his style of playing.

NB: But he was also a prolific composer, creating these complicated charts he would just drop in front of the world’s most accomplished classical or jazz session players, and expect them to nail it on the first take…

DZ: He had all this sophisticated compositional stuff written down that you would have to execute. There were these two entirely different worlds and as a musician it’s a real challenge to flow through both. But there are times, getting back to the emotional element, when I’m playing certain songs and if you play the right note at the right time in a certain context, it opens the floodgates. You feel the depth and the emotion in the music. It can be really powerful, I mean you’ll see people weeping in the audience, it’s not uncommon.

NB: And at the same time it is such a wonderful gift that has been handed down from father to son. And for you to not only be able to articulate that to an interviewer, but to experience it with the band on any given night must be incredible.

DZ: I think people respond to the whole father-son aspect of it, and not in any bogus fashion. They respect the presentation because it is letting the music speak for itself. You can’t help notice the inordinate amount of time we spent to make this what it is.

People really enjoy the experience of seeing Frank’s music played in a very respectful, very authentic way, especially when they thought they would never hear it again. The young people particularly, who knew they would never get a chance to see Frank, are really thankful. I mean you compare it to what’s going on in the world of music currently. There’s nothing that sounds like it and there is no show that allows for that kind of freedom for musicians on stage with such a variety of styles.

NB: Are you drawing from a pretty limited body of material in a pretty strict set list at this early stage of the new tour?

DZ: Well we’ve learned about 80 songs, but we only have about 42 or 43 that are well stored in the memory banks. It changes on a daily basis, but some songs have natural segues built in, which naturally string together. It is not uncommon for us to play “Dupree’s Paradise,” which flows into a couple of other songs, and it’s not uncommon for that segment to take 40 or 45 minutes.

NB: One of the first albums I ever listened to in its entirety was Apostrophe, but as a musician, it was that three record Joe’s Garage epic that really hooked me into being a lifelong fan of Frank’s. I still like to take a few hours off every once in a while to just listen to the whole thing from end to end.

DZ: And that record was such a incredible accomplishment. You know even now when you listen to it, you can tell how bad he was mocking the record industry. And it’s even more poignant today. That whole song “Outside Now,” the way he’s talking about record company executives – that scenario couldn’t be more true, and it’s pretty hilarious.

You were lucky you discovered that music at an early age because it gave you some perspective about what’s possible. Imagine what it’s like to be 12, and everything you hear now is that fake version of punk rock, and these track acts that just go up and dance to their music on stage. Music has never been this bad, even back in the day pop groups had to play instruments. Now they can just pipe the music in and people pay to hear it.

NB: When it all comes down to it, isn’t what you are doing with Zappa Plays Zappa basically about carrying on the family business? I mean it’s not unlike a craftsman who hands down the skills of furniture making or some other trade…

DZ: I knew when I started putting the band together, I wanted to do what I wanted to do with the music. And that meant I wanted to execute some of the most melodic lines he created for other instruments on guitar. I’m playing things never meant to be played on guitar. It shows my dedication to the music, but most importantly, it uncovers things about Frank, and the way he writes and a style that is beneficial to me as a musician. Now it’s possible for me to play things that I never thought were possible at all.

There’s nothing like being able to play this music, and I think the fans are responding because we care so much about it. In the old days, when people learned the trades and the master skills, it was an honor to do it the same way it was done before. This is not dissimilar. I’m trying to present this as close to the way Frank did it as possible.

This is not about me – I’m a conduit for people to discover Frank’s music. If I’m changing it, it is doing a disservice to the music. I mean, it’s not up to me to make Frank’s music evolve. And to do it the way he did it is doing an honor to his music by following the instructions properly.