Waka/Wazoo

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Though it was the second of the pair to be released, in no way is The Grand Wazoo a collection of outtakes or off-cuts – it’s a fully-formed album with a strong identity. Waka/Jawaka swims in similar jazz fusion waters, but it uses a small jazz combo, The Grand Wazoo saw Zappa embracing a big band with a clarity of purpose. Following are some of my first reflections on fun details I heard while listening to each of the albums, mostly in Dolby Atmos. Please note that these are first impressions and I reserve the right to alter/update my perspective upon subsequent listens (as I ask myself: “Did I really hear what I thought I heard?”). Navigation screen for The Grand Wazoo on the Waka/Wazoo Blu-ray Disc The first thing I noticed was that the height channels are used very effectively not just to deliver room ambiance but the scale of the instruments. Suddenly, the drums are filling a more three dimensional space, with cymbal parts seemingly coming from higher (where they would be in a live situation if you were on stage or in the studio with the band) vs. just coming out of the speakers with everything else. Matrix / Runout (Disc 3): 4859463 [2 x Universal Logo] AM83837-01 manufactured by optimal media GmbH 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.

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. During this time, he managed, among other things, to assemble an ensemble that quenched his thirst and desire to work with a large “Electric Orchestra.” Ultimately, he contracted a 20-piece group for recording sessions and an eight-city tour. Shortly thereafter, a scaled down 10-piece configuration, now popularly known as the “ Petite Wazoo” toured for almost two months. After all was said and done, Zappa finished the experiment with two albums in the can — Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo — plus two tours and an archive of show masters in his vault. It was a monumental feat for a guy with a cast on his leg and a conductor’s baton in his hand.Zappa planned that following the Waka/Wazoo sessions, a touring version of what he dubbed the “Mothers of Invention/Hot Rats/Grand Wazoo” would perform a short eight-date tour in September of 1972. As Travers writes in the illuminating liner notes, “once the Wazoo project was set in motion, the first thing Frank did was hire Kenny Shroyer to help enlist and contract the musicians. 20 of them were eventually hired, and new musical relationships were created. I could go on and may update this at some point with other observations. But in general I am very impressed with these mixes and — for me at least — it makes owning this set an essential if you are a fan of Zappa and surround sound. 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)

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.In fact, Frank christened the ensemble The Grand Wazoo Orchestra and, by the end of April, he had the two albums – Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo in the can. Waka/Jawaka, recorded with a core of between six and nine musicians, was released on 5 th July 1972 as a Frank Zappa “solo” album, often considered to be the sequel to his 1969 tour-de-force, Hot Rats, and there’s certainly lots of evidence to justify that comparison; it’s jazzy, predominantly instrumental and laced with multiple time-signatures. Side One of the original album was given over to the mighty Big Swifty, a 17+ minute epic with some wonderful trumpet parts from Sal Marquez, whilst a real highlight of the album’s second side is the disquieting It Might Just Be a One Shot Deal, on which Sal shares vocals with Janet Ferguson and “Sneaky” Pete Kleinow – on loan from The Flying Burrito Brothers – adds atmospheric pedal steel. Even more elevating is the Dolby Atmos mix characterized by the creative use of space that richly and dynamically broaden the soundstage. Using of reverb, echo, and other effects, both audio engineers Karma Auger and Erich Gobels have ignited a sense of depth and dimension that draws the listener into the music. Careful attention has been given to the overall balance, allowing each instrument to have its own place in the mix that contributes to the overall atmosphere.