Customer Reviews

The Ed Palermo Big Band Plays The Music of Frank Zappa

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Maybe you think listening to Frank Zappa for the music is like reading Playboy for the articles. If so, Ed Palermo wants to change your mind.

Palermo has set his big band (helpfully named "The Ed Palermo Big Band") the onerous task of playing some of FZ's instrumental music, which he wanted them to do because he has been a fan of FZ's for about three decades and desired to pay tribute to his longtime hero.

And boy, did he and they do a helluva good job. This isn't just a limp little set of copycat cover material; this is _big band_ music. _Really good_ big band music, with fresh, funky arrangements by Palermo himself. The real thing -- there are, like, horns and vibes and stuff all over it.

And these guys can _cook_. I won't single out any highlights for you; the album is full of them.

Palermo's selections are right on, his interpretations are original but entirely true to the Spirit of Frankness, his two decades with his band show in the precision-honed performances, and his sheer joy in FZ's music is obvious -- from the opening blast of the most buttkicking version of "Peaches En Regalia" since the tune's original release on HOT RATS, all the way to the closing number, "wai,fn?" (This last is an FZ-inspired composition by Palermo himself; all the other tunes are FZ's. I think "wai,fn?" must be an acronym for something, but I haven't yet figured out what. My best guess so far: "What am I, fopped niver?" [Note added later: the band's manager kindly dropped me a line and let me know that it stands for 'What am I, f***ing nuts?'])

And he must have worked his longsuffering band pretty hard, because they absolutely nailed it (not an easy job, as the London Symphony Orchestra can confirm). As Palermo writes in his liner notes, "The musicians in my band are of such high, virtuosic caliber that it is an honor for me to exploit them."

FZ fans will _really_ like this extremely cool CD. Actually, so will fans of big-band music. Now that I think about it, so will just about everybody else. If you've read this far, _buy_ this thang and make a jazz noise here.

I bought this CD without ever having heard any of the tracks and I have now listened to it more than any other CD that I have bought in the past five years.

This Ed Palermo CD is, in my opinion, loaded with all of the very best catchy little melodies that make Zappa's music so interesting. The thing that is most satisfying about this CD is that these guys are well-trained, professional musicians who obviously LOVE this music. The arrangements are full and lush, the playing is tight and disciplined, and well... just plain wonderful. A dyed-in-the-wool Zappaphile could not possibly listen to this disc without getting just a little bit misty-eyed.

I can't help but think that Zappa would really be happy with this work. I have to admit that I like some of the tracks on this CD even a little better than the originals. It is just tastefully excellent from beginning to end.

Read the liner notes for this album and you understand why Ed Palermo plays Frank Zappa's music with passion and reverence. This guy just loves Zappa's music, and respectfully chooses and arranges some of the older, and less commercial, standards for classic "small" big band play. And the members of the band are incredible! But Ed Palermo on sax and guitar is the leader and the soul for these pieces. Peaches En Regalia has never sounded so tight, and Palermo's guitar work on Aybe Sea is so reminiscent of Zappa's guitar that I cried (quietly to myself). I wish Ed would do another album, because I just can't get enough of this guy's interpretations of Zappa's music. I realize it must be difficult for a musician as talented as Palermo to play other people's music, even that of Zappa, but these arrangements are so creative and personal that they are a fusion of Zappa and Palermo. Enough! If you think that Hots Rats was one of the most inspired albums of ALL TIME, then get this album because you won't be dissappointed. If you love modern, tight, small big band sound, then get this album. And if you want something to show off the '000s of dollars you've spent on your audio system, then get this ablum. Recording=***** Performance=*****

FZ is in my brain. Listening to this I felt Frank looking down and smiling.

I've got some 90 different Zappa CDs. Of the eight CDs featuring Zappa's work as recorded by other groups, Joe Palermo's is the best.

Very enjoyable listening!

What a wonderful gift Ed and his dedicated band have given us. I was too young to see FZ live, and I am a regular at Ed's shows at the Bottom Line in New York.

This record features great arrangements of Zappa classics; their version of "Sofa #1" brought tears to my eyes. These guys are wonderful, and this CD is too. I've heard before that Zappa's music can be less than accessible (I suppose it is to some), but this is a very engaging and endearing collection that not only every Zappa lover should own, but every Jazz lover too.

Thank you, Ed and crew ... see you at the Bottom Line!

Because I agree with the praises written by the other reviewers I will mention my quibbles (which are tiny) and one benefit not mentioned.

Palermo's liner notes mention the difficulty his band had learning Echidna's Arf (of you) but we never get to hear the fruits of their labor - it's not on the disc.

Several of the tracks have clearly overdubbed solos fading out, something not favored by Zappa. Sure, Zappa did all kinds of editing, usually as a compositional element, sometimes to correct errors (see liner notes for LSO Vol II), but seldom in the manner used here.

Lastly, it burns me that Zappa is dead, that he isn't here to give us more of his own versions of these compositions as well as the thousands of unrealized pieces that were waiting to emerge from his soul. Hearing this disc makes me want to hear him again (easy enough with my disc collection) and that takes the slightest shine off this great disc.

It is also a terrific present for those less enthusiastic about Mr Zappa's work. I can confidently give it to someone who will only listen to it as background music (what they're missing, though!) and to someone who will examine it under an aural microscope.

Buy it, enjoy it, hope for more.

Ed has done a great job. His rendition of Aybe Sea is better than Zappa's. (Sends shivers down my spine) Great one to pick up.

Frank Zappa is my hero; I have followed his work since I discovered him when I was 12, shortly after I discovered the pure genius that is Frank Zappa, Frank's Life was ended prematurely when he lost his battle against prostate cancer, and I like many was distraught. Such genius is rare these days when we live in a pr-fabricated world, where pop bands are produced in a conveyer belt style, more so than ever, Frank would be having a field day writing new compositions especially since the recent badly justified war, I'm sure there would have been an album in there somewhere, a specialty of Frank's was to upset the politicians.

I have enjoyed every area of Frank's music, from his black satire to his later `serious compositions' although I am sure Frank would deem all of his music as `serious'.

Whilst collecting Frank's work I stumbled across a track arranged by Ed Palermo, King Kong, a signature tune and played by many in their own style and as I listened my jaw fell. This was indeed the best interpretation of King Kong I'd ever heard (except for Franks Versions). I have always been highly sceptical of folk playing Frank's music, but this was fantastic, Ed wasn't trying to recreate an exact Zappa sound, but arranged it with such care you could hear Ed's passion for Frank's music. It was then my mission to try and find the rest of the album.

For two years I have tried to find the album but it had been deleted. I finally got a copy and it cost me a packet, but I tell you now, this album is not just for the Zappa fanatic, it is for anyone who appreciates good music. Ed Palermo has put his band through hell, even as an amateur musician I know Zappa's music is by no means easy to play, an Ed's arrangements are simply delightful. When the CD arrived I couldn't put the album down. Ed's passion for Frank's music has certainly shone through and whilst the structure of the tunes are there, Ed's band have played it in their own style, and of course there are mistakes but the effort that has gone into this album is nothing but 1st class.

It is criminal that this album is deleted. If you love Zappa's music, you will love this album, a true tribute to Frank's musical genius. If you don't like Zappa but like big band/jazz music then get yourself a copy you will not be disappointed.

What a gas! Don't let the tag "Big Band" fool you -- this is jazz at its finest. The Band gives the jazz a full, blazing sound not often heard. Zappa is widely known for his experimental music -- i.e. eclectic, if not unapproachable. Ed Palermo brings Zappa and his Band together maintaining the eclectic but emphasizing the music in an ever-so approachable way.

This is such a great disk. It's a real testament to Zappa's compositional genius that these tunes work so well in a big band setting. And Ed Palermo's arrangements are stunning, especially in the hands of a great group of players who infuse the cuts with an appropriate sense of fun. You should definitely treat yourself to this one.