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 Zappa Sings Zappa!'s Profile |
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Zappa Sings Zappa! |
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| Location: | NYC, New York |
| Country: |  United States |
| Last Login: | Jun 21, 2008 (528 days back) |
About Me |
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Ask any serious fan of the late Frank Zappa which of his many touring and recording groups is their favorite, and they're likely to nominate his jazz-flavored big bands. This is hardly surprising, since the brilliant and prolific composer was inspired by these groups to write some of his greatest music. But due to the technical proficiency and instrumentation required to perform his large-ensemble compositions, Zappa's big-band tours were brief, and they were seen by relatively few people, mostly during the early 1970s. In the late 1990s, New York City bandleader Ed Palermo began his legendary residency at the Bottom Line club in Greenwich Village. Leading a 21-piece big band which drew from New York City's finest players, Palermo introduced his remarkable arrangements of Zappa compositions. An instant hit, the EPBB appeared regularly at the Bottom Line for nearly ten years, often featuring guest spots by former Zappa sidemen such as Mike Keneally , Ike Willis , and Napoleon Murphy Brock , as well as many members of New York's musical elite. The accolades -- from audiences and critics alike -- kept pouring in; as a former Zappa associate put it, "Ed's arrangements of Frank's music make it sound the way Frank wished it had." In addition to diehard Zappa devotees, the Palermo band also acquired a large following among non-Zappa fans, most of whom were hearing and appreciating the music for the first time. As Palermo told an interviewer, "Zappa obscured a lot of his gorgeous melodies with weird sound effects that sound like belches and flatulence. He loved the fact that one had to see beyond the 'ugliness' to get to the beauty. Add to that the scatological nature of his lyrics, and... you've turned off a lot of listeners. I, personally, love this about Zappa, but some people don't want to take the time to delve... Most of my audience at the Zappa shows are male, and I'm constantly approached by their girlfriends with, "I always hated Zappa until I heard your band. I never knew the melodies were so beautiful!"" 2001 marked a turning point in the Ed Palermo band's career: that year saw Candy Zappa's first appearance with the band. An accomplished singer with a long and distinguished resume, Candy had been performing her brother Frank's music since the age of thirteen; even before that, he had taught her to play the guitar and encouraged her to work on her own music. She met Ed during a visit to New York, and he suggested that she sit in with the band for a few songs at their next Bottom Line show. The chemistry between singer and band was so powerful that Candy began headlining with them regularly. Audiences were ecstatic to hear Frank's little sister belting out favorites like "Cosmik Debris" and "Directly From My Heart To You," backed by the full firepower of Ed's take-no-prisoners arrangements. Now not only was it possible to hear better-than-the-originals versions of FZ's most beloved repertoire, but the band performing it was fronted by a Zappa! In 2002, Candy joined with guitarist/composer Nigey Lennon (a former musical collaborator of Frank Zappa's and author of the memoir Being Frank: My Time with Frank Zappa ) and Palermo band vocalist/composer John Tabacco (both of whom had appeared with Candy at Ed's Bottom Line shows) to form Lennon/Tabacco/Zappa, adding original music by Lennon and Tabacco, as well as by Candy herself, to the mix. Shortly afterward, Lennon/Tabacco/Zappa and the Ed Palermo band were the featured performers at the 13th annual Zappanale festival in Bad Doberan, Germany. Despite other riveting festival appearances by former FZ band members, the Palermo band and Lennon/Tabacco/Zappa (performing together and separately) were universally hailed as the hit of the three-day festival, bringing audiences to their feet with encore after encore. Now Candy Zappa, Ed Palermo, Nigey Lennon, and John Tabacco have again joined forces to present ZAPPA SINGS ZAPPA, a two-hour concert experience featuring Candy's spine-tingling vocal renditions of her brother's songs, along with original compositions in the Zappa spirit, composed by Nigey Lennon and John Tabacco. As always, Ed Palermo's arrangements are superbly performed by his hand-picked band. The rich program includes many of Ed's most popular FZ reworkings, as well as some world premieres. Nigey Lennon is featured on guitar and vocals, and John Tabacco continues in his role as the Palermo band's 'swell vocalist' -- a position he has occupied since 2002. There's something to be said for family ties. Candy Zappa has been living and breathing her brother Frank's music for decades, and her white-hot vocals sometimes uncannily echo FZ's equally fiery guitar performances. And there's no doubt in her mind that her brother would have approved of ZAPPA SINGS ZAPPA. "Performing with Ed and his band is like being in a dream," she says. "Whenever I sing with them, I can see Frank right down front, beating his knee and grinning up at me." Media Inquiries: Dinghy Records NY PO Box 383, Northport, NY 11768 dinghyrecords@hotmail.com Booking Information: Susan Devita Agency susandevita@hotmail.com |
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My Interests |
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Music:Member Since: 7/1/2006Band Website: myspace.com/zappasingszappa Band Members: CANDY ZAPPA: Lead Vocals ED PALERMO: Arranger, Alto Sax Lennon/Tabacco/Zappa Band: NIGEY LENNON: Guitar, Vocals, Compositions JOHN TABACCO: Lead Vocals, Compositions JAY ROZEN: Tuba JOE MEO: Tenor sax THE ED PALERMO BIG BAND: Cliff Lyons: Alto sax, flute, clarinet Ben Kono: Flute, clarinet, tenor sax Bill Straub: Flute, tenor sax Barbara Cifelli: Piccolo, flute, baritone sax, clarinet Phil Chester: Piccolo, flute, soprano and alto saxes Ronnie Buttacavoli and John Hines: Trumpet Charlie Gordon and Joe Fiedler: Trombone Matt Ingman: Bass trombone Bob Quaranta: Piano Ted Kooshian: Harpsichord, organ, synthesizer Paul Adamy: Electric bass Ray Marchica: Drums Carl Restivo: Guitar, vocals Influences: The musical influences that Mr. Palermo acknowledges are a mixed bag -- they include Tchaikovsky, Arthur Honneger, Prokofiev, Thad Jones and Cannonball Adderley. They result in arrangements that are filled with rich, mellow ensembles, crisp, exclamatory statements, imaginative use of accents and shading and much less dependence on long, unsupported solos than is often found in bands of this type. -- John S. Wilson, New York Times No doubt "The Ed Palermo Big Band Plays the Music of Frank Zappa" [the Ed Palermo Big Band's first CD] will come as a revelation to listeners who considered Frank Zappa nothing more than a rock-and-roll oddity -- part maverick, part instigator, part farceur. But even fans familiar with the breadth and depth of his music --and his even more wide-ranging musical interests -- are likely to view this album as an ear-opening experience. This is truly a work of imagination, after all. In arranging Zappa's tunes for big band, alto saxophonist and guitarist Ed Palermo has thrown new light on his legacy while retaining the composer's original melodic and harmonic designs. A case in point is a two minute musical vignette, "Toads of the Short Forest. " In Palermo's expansive treatment, the piece initially comes across as an airy, light footed jazz waltz, whimsically punctuated by reeds before undergoing a muscular and swinging transformation. Likewise, "20 Small Cigars," another of Zappa's small melodic gems, glistens with new instrumentation, while "Aybe Sea/Inca Roads" finds Palermo's band celebrating Zappa's baroque to blues sensibility and sly sense of humor...The music stands -- and frequently swings-- on its own. --Mike Joyce, The Washington Post ...Big band leader Ed Palermo applies his remarkable arranging touch to the iconoclastic maestro's instrumentals on the appropriately titled 'Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa'...Palermo takes on the FZ challenge as he leads his orchestra through the twists and turns of such well-known works as "Peaches In Regalia," "King Kong" and "Heavy Duty Judy." Palermo's arrangements do justice to FZ's compositions, accentuating their musical sophistication as well as amplifying their humor, grace, whimsy and passion. While Zappa's music is characterized in stretches by dense polyrhythms, atonal melodic lines and odd time signatures, Palermo and crew sail through without sinking. --Dan Ouellette, Downbeat (Rated four stars) Type of Label: Indie |
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My Background and Lifestyle |
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| Occupation: | Music Artist (Jazz / Blues / Rock) |
My Pictures |
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My Blog |
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Congratulations to Candy and Nolan! |
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| Just wanted to let everyone know that on Saturday, April 28, Candy Zappa and her "longtime paramour" (thanks, Andy G :)) Nolan Porter were united in unholy wedlock! Many best wishes for a lot of happy... Posted by Zappa Sings Zappa! on Tue, 01 May 2007 07:41:00 PST |
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All About Jazz Reviews |
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| All About Jazz reviews of the Ed Palermo Big Band and their Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance album.If two is company, would three be a crowd? In addition to an already published pair of positive r... Posted by Zappa Sings Zappa! on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:36:00 PST |
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Famous All Over Europe! :) |
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| Today LTZ and Ed Palermo were featured on Co de Kloet's Studio 6 radio program in the Netherlands. Co devoted the best part of an hour to tracks from the "Reinventing the Wheel" CD, plus several cuts ... Posted by Zappa Sings Zappa! on Tue, 17 Oct 2006 09:44:00 PST |
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Onions & Cheese revisited |
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| If you listened to Nigey's album version of It Must Be A Cigar, check the player and hear what Ed Palermo and his band are capable of in their version of the song...! On the album version, Teddy 'But'... Posted by Zappa Sings Zappa! on Sat, 14 Oct 2006 06:17:00 PST |
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Ed Palermo on NPR This Sunday |
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| The Ed Palermo Big Band will be featured this Sunday, October 8, on NPR's Weekend Edition. In the New York City area you can tune in at 93.9 FM. The segment will air at either 8:40 or 9:40 A.M. (U.S.... Posted by Zappa Sings Zappa! on Wed, 04 Oct 2006 05:14:00 PST |
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Forgotten New York |
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| We at Zappa Sings Zappa are primarily New Yorkers (well, OK, one of us is stuck in L.A., but she's doing her best to escape). The, ahem, exceptionally high level of musicianship evident in the band si... Posted by Zappa Sings Zappa! on Thu, 21 Sep 2006 05:22:00 PST |
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Liner Notes & Gumbo Variations! |
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| We figured you've all been so supportive of this site and the music, we'd throw y'all a Gumbo Party. Enjoy it while you can, it will only be here for a while! From Ed Palermo's ravingly madtastical (p... Posted by Zappa Sings Zappa! on Tue, 19 Sep 2006 12:40:00 PST |
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Eddie Does Detroit! |
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| A friend of LTZ/EP has posted dynamic pics and short sound bytes from Ed's Sept. 4 gig at the Detroit Jazzfest:KOZMIC DREAMSCheck it out!... Posted by Zappa Sings Zappa! on Fri, 08 Sep 2006 06:31:00 PST |
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David Walley |
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| On behalf of the ZSZ team we post this sad news.David Walley, author of the first Frank Zappa biography, "No Commercial Potential", unexpectedly passed away this weekend. We deeply valued his friendsh... Posted by Zappa Sings Zappa! on Sun, 06 Aug 2006 08:14:00 PST |
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Clarification from the ZSZ East Coast Sub-Assistant Promotional Team |
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| There appears to be some confusion about our live performances in August and September. We would like to clarify: Candy Zappa will not be appearing at either the Hecksher Park, Huntington concert or t... Posted by Zappa Sings Zappa! on Thu, 03 Aug 2006 06:44:00 PST |
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My Friends |
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Gina/Mizar5, Patrice and Nolan Porter, Ed Palermo, Jimmy Carl Black, Don Preston's Akashic Ensemble, Art Tripp, George Duke, Mike Keneally, Tommy Mars fanpage, Ed Mann, Adrian Belew, Thana Harris, Shenkar, Alice Stuart & The Formerlys, Cal Schenkel, Andrew, teddy kumpel a.k.a. teddybut, Teddy Kumpel and Shifty, Peter Kearns, Bogus Pomp, FREE ZAPPA MUZIK, CO DE KLOET, Pat Metheny Group, The Derek Trucks Band, Laura Nyro, Slim Gaillard, Asleep at the Wheel, Zippy, Cynthia Calhoun, Jon Herington, Trombonist Jim Pugh, monica, Wasmanouche, Pete Levin, Apartment 10H, The Real Central Scrutinizer!, Brig Feltus, MR. RICHARD, Razor Boy Music, Jake, LADYMOON (LOOKING FOR KEYS PLAYER), ZU, Crazy Floyd, The FREAK Seventies SHOW, Mario Pompei, Kevin, Didja Get Any Onya, Frizzey, scrutinizer, Woots, Johnny KnoxVegas, Dr. Dot, Koen Scherer_Drijfveren, Flowerpunkchip, Walter Taieb, Mokum and Yooper, MANUEL BELLI, cozmovox, EzThEr, Hidden Symmetry, Shaun
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Zappa Sings Zappa!'s profile has been tagged with the following keywords. Click a tag to search for profiles with the same tags. palermo band, mike keneally, weird sound effects, ensemble compositions, york citys, ed palermo, gorgeous melodies, technical proficiency, zappa fans, greenwich village, prolific composer, greatest music, sidemen, music artist, flatulence, big bands, frank zappa, jazz blues, epbb, devotees |
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