A proper
sequel of HOT RATS was never released.
It's only been recently revealed, however, that one was recorded...more
or less. Funky Nothingness, new on 3 CDs
or 2 LPs from Zappa Records and UMe (and No. 124 in the Zappa Official Release
Series, for those keeping count), draws on (mostly) previously unreleased
sessions captured at Los Angeles' Record Plant in March 1970 with
multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood, violinist Don "Sugarcane"
Harris, Wrecking Crew/L.A. Express bassist Max Bennett, and in his first
sessions with Zappa, drummer Aynsley Dunbar.
The result is a compelling listen from start to finish, continuing in
the vein of Hot Rats while anticipating - and providing material for -Chunga's
Revenge and, to a lesser extent, Apostrophe (').
Funky Nothingness preserves a
number of "Tommy and Vincent" jams between Zappa and Dunbar,
skillfully playing off one another with an intuitive connection and
matching high energy. The first two jams
were mixed by FZ in 1970; the third, newly-mixed one is the full, unedited,
22-minute master on which Zappa starts off on bass and moves to guitar. Joe Marchese.
Aynsley Dunbar - Drums – (tracks: 1-2 to 2-7, 3-3, 3-4)
Max
Bennett - Electric Bass, Acoustic Bass –
(tracks: 1-3 to 1-7, 1-9 to 2-7, 3-4)
Ian
Underwood - Keyboards, Saxophone [Sax],
Rhythm Guitar – (tracks: 1-3 to 1-7, 1-9
to 2-7, 3-4)
Producer
[Produced For Release] – Ahmet Zappa, Joe Travers
Producer
[Recordings], Producer [Original Recordings & Mixes], Engineer [Mix] –
Frank Zappa
Transferred
By – Joe Travers
FZ -
Vocals, Guitar
Don
"Sugarcane" Harris - Vocals, Violin, Organ (tracks: 1-3 to 1-7, 1-9 to 2-7, 3-4)
%20-%20front.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
