Frank Zappa and Tubas?

[David Richoux]

(redirected from another recent thread)

I have been a Zappa fanatic since about 1967 - have most of his recordings, been to a lot of shows, did several radio specials on him - I have not found many connections between Zappa and tuba players (other than some annon. RPO and LSO blowers - 200 Motels and LSO Vol 1 & 2, Tom Malone on Tuba/Saxes/Piccolo Trumpet/Trumpet in the "Hot Rats" "Petite Wazoo" also released much later as "Imaginary Diseases;" and Daryl Smith was in Ensemble Modern for their recordings.)

Sure, there are later recordings of Zappa music done by several prominent tubists (some on this forum) but "Tuba Zappa" is almost a Google Whack! It seem surprising, considering the variety of musical compositions Zappa did...

That is about all I can come up with without crawling through some FZ trivia websites that Google does not scan.
(John (Tommy?) Johnson on "Freak Out?" - or is that some other John Johnson?)
(Roger Bobo played with him once in LA May of 1970?)
(Red Callender with Burt Ward [yes, that Bert Ward] in a 1966 FZ production?)
(Don Waldrop - as part of the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Orchestra in various years, but doubled on Bass Bone.)

Anybody else have "Real Zappa Tuba Experience" that they care to admit?

[king2ba]

When I was in college, we did an all Zappa concert. I remember playing the Dog's Breath Variations (or something like that) and one other tune. I don't remember much about the music as I wasn't familiar with it, but I do know I played two tunes that had real tuba parts. Weirdest concert I've ever been a part of.

[Timswisstuba]

It's funny you mention this because I was thinking of Roger Bobo and Frank Zappa the other day. I remember listening to a Zappa album in which Roger Bobo has some dialogue. I can't remember what he said or on which album but I do remember listening to it about 12 years ago at Eastman with Bill Pritchard.

Bill, if you are reading this thanks for reminding me and for enlightening the group.

Does anyone know this album?

[kingconn]

Isn't there some tuba playing in Gregory Peccary?

[Sally Larsen]

Didn't Freebo play with the Mothers? I know he's played with Dweezil.
Arthur Maebe was listed as horn and tuba on Freak out.
Don Waldrop played with him, too. ...
Check out this link, but only if you're truly obsessed: http://globalia.net/donlope/fz/musicians/index.html" target="_blank

[olaness]

He did lots of stuff with Ensemble Modern - I did a quick google on who's their tuba player and Daryl Smith is a name that crops up. He could well be one to add to your list.

[David Richoux]

He did lots of stuff with Ensemble Modern - I did a quick google on who's their tuba player and Daryl Smith is a name that crops up. He could well be one to add to your list.

Smith is listed in my first paragraph. I knew that connection when I bought my DS Kalison BBb

[David Richoux]

It's funny you mention this because I was thinking of Roger Bobo and Frank Zappa the other day. I remember listening to a Zappa album in which Roger Bobo has some dialogue. I can't remember what he said or on which album but I do remember listening to it about 12 years ago at Eastman with Bill Pritchard.

Bill, if you are reading this thanks for reminding me and for enlightening the group.

Does anyone know this album?

There is a bootleg release of the Zubin Mehta Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra (with Bobo) Zappa concert on May 15, 1970, but it is a very low quality record. I have not played my copy in many years so I don't recall the dialogue. It was not among the "Beat the Bootleg" recordings Zappa released.

Bobo does get special mention in several Zappa "Full Arcane" lists.

(here is a picture of Zappa and Mehta before the concert, and a Rolling Stones article.

Here is a very useful search of that Zappa Wiki probably the most complete one yet! A lot of tuba indicated, makes my original premise a bit weak (or maybe just shows the problems with Google Search! Stephen Wick is shown as the LSO tubist, but they don't list Roger Bobo... strange. I may have to make an entry to that Wiki.

[tmmcas1]

The dialogue Tim remembers is from a Meridian Arts Ensemble album "Smart went Crazy". Click this link and listen to the track Outtake, you'll hear Roger pipe in:

http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Went-Crazy- ... B000000T14" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Roger was tonmeister and thought they were screwing around when in fact the take had actually started. The Meridian's liked it and left it on the final album. Tim may have this confused because of the amount of Zappa material played and recorded by Meridian.

This may be a little off-topic but Zappa did have an affinity for Bobo and wanted to see what the tuba could do. He called him in 1983 and invited him over to his house. He had three pieces of music for him that he had "composed" for Roger. Unfortunately two out of the three pieces were lost by a student of Bobo's. Man, I could kill that guy! The remaining piece "Outside Now Again" is what I recorded on my CD: Inside Out. When discussing the project with Gail Zappa it became clear that what Frank most likely did was transpose the synclavier piece "Outside Now" from the "Perfect Stranger" album for tuba. Unfortunately we will never know about the other two.

The tuba playing on Yellow Shark is fantastic! Daryl Smith sounds great!

Tom

[Dylan King]

There's always this nut-case on YouTube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOuAV-R9Qm8