Waka/Wazoo

Product Information

The eventual centerpiece of Waka/Jawaka, "Big Swifty," filled all of Side One of the original record. It's heard here in a slightly shorter alternate take recorded on April 10. The performance is Zappa at his most intricate and fusion-minded, with Marquez playing "many [overdubbed] trumpets" alongside FZ, Tony Duran on slide, George Duke on electric piano, Alex Dmochowski on bass, and Aynsley Dunbar on drums. The central theme is played in alternating time signatures, with breathing room for scorching solos throughout. This is adventurous, amplified, improvisational jazz, not too far-removed from the style Miles Davis was exploring at the time. In 1972, FZ experimented with an “Electric Orchestra” concept which resulted in two albums: Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of this endeavor, Waka/Wazoo documents the recording sessions with outtakes & oddities. Also included is a live show from the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on 12/15/72 + the unreleased FZ-produced George Duke demos. A Blu-ray Audio disc features both albums with brand-new Dolby Atmos & 5.1 mixes + the 96/24 high-res stereo remasters.

In this review, I’m not covering the four compact discs, which fans like yourself can take the time to explore on their own. Of course, releases from Frank Zappa must be unusual, and Waka/Wazoo follows this path. For years I have not understood why a label would duplicate content made available on a high-resolution format by making it available on a CD in the same box set. Finally this has become reality with this box set chalk full of bonus material across the CD’s! Thus, the Blu-ray contains the two albums in their entirety in various hi-res codecs, while the CDs contain the following bonus material without any duplication - CD1 and CD2: Paramount Studios Recording Session Alternates and Outtakes, CD3: George Duke Demos (The Master Versions) + George Duke Session Outtakes, the end of CD4 + all of CD5: 10 Piece / Petite Wazoo (Live) amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;<br />
Additionally, the collection includes a set of demos for George Duke’s solo material that Zappa produced and played guitar on during the album recording sessions at Paramount Studios. Although Duke would go on to re-record the compositions for his own albums, the versions with Zappa have never been officially issued until now.Matrix / Runout (Disc 4): 4859464 [2 x Universal Logo] AM83838-01 manufactured by optimal media GmbH In celebration of half a century of the pioneering early 1970s phase of Frank Zappa’s peerless career, which resulted in the two albums, Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo, Zappa Records/UMe will be releasing Waka/Wazoo, a five-disc multi-format box set that features a complete historical rundown of the entire project, on December 16, just ahead of what would have been the Maestro’s 82nd birthday.

If you’ve ever wondered why Frank Zappa is regarded as a musical genius, you’ll find the proof in every groove of The Grand Wazoo – it’s an album alive with ideas, ambition, and humor that skips between genres with abandon, from exhilarating jazz funk to wee small hours jazzy shuffles. If the words “jazz fusion” cause concern, The Grand Wazoo is an accessible entry point. If you’re already a fan of the Zappa of Hot Rats or We’re Only In It For The Money, prepare to have your mind blown all over again. Also included is the full final show of the 10-piece tour, recorded at the famous Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on December 15, 1972. Produced by Ahmet Zappa and Zappa Vaultmeister Joe Travers, the comprehensive 4CD + Blu-Ray Audio set boasts unreleased alternate takes of almost every composition recorded during the album sessions, Vault mix session outtakes and oddities, and also includes the full final show of the 10-piece tour, recorded at the famous Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on December 15, 1972.Note: Credits for the original albums "Waka/Jawaka" and "The Grand Wazoo" not given on this release.]