Waka Jawaka [Original recording remastered]

Amazon.com
One of two sets recorded with a mini-big band in the early seventies, Waka/Jawaka is one of the most eclectic releases of Frank Zappa's hyper-eclectic career. The album's dual showpieces, the opening "Big Swifty" and the title track, combine dynamic horn arrangements and free-form improvisational experimentation (Think Miles Davis circa 1973), and the album's other two tracks, "Your Mouth" and "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal" blend elements of electric blues and country music. Perhaps the cover image of a sink refers to the kitchen variety. Recorded whileZappa was confined to a wheel chair following an onstage attack, this stew of diverse musical elements is best for the diehard fan and anyone with a taste for the unusual. --Andrew Boscardin

From the Label
Originally released in 1972, this might be considered the middle installment of a mostly-instrumental jazz-rock trilogy, with HOT RATS and THE GRAND WAZOO. Having temporarily retired the Mothers of Invention name, Zappa was also toning down the satire and flexing his compositional muscles; though this album also has a couple of yuks on "Your Mouth" and "It Just Might be a One-Shot Deal" (the latter featuring a rare Zappa appearance of pedal steel wizard Sneaky Pete Kleinow, then of the Flying Burrito Brothers). But the real standouts here are a pair of extended instrumental pieces, the title track and "Big Swifty," both featuring plenty of great horn work, most notably from Sal Marquez on trumpet.

Waka Jawaka,Frank Zappa,Rykodisc,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

Waka Jawaka [Original recording remastered]

Average customer rating:

Is This Phase I of The Grand Wazoo?
One of his best...
Very Difficult To Pin Down
A Classic
One Of Zappas Best Albums Ever!

Waka/Jawaka
Frank Zappa
Manufacturer: Zappa Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000009SE
Release Date: 1995-05-02

Tracks:

Big Swifty
Your Mouth
It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal
Waka/Jawaka

Amazon.com

One of two sets recorded with a mini-big band in the early seventies, Waka/Jawaka is one of the most eclectic releases of Frank Zappa's hyper-eclectic career. The album's dual showpieces, the opening "Big Swifty" and the title track, combine dynamic horn arrangements and free-form improvisational experimentation (Think Miles Davis circa 1973), and the album's other two tracks, "Your Mouth" and "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal" blend elements of electric blues and country music. Perhaps the cover image of a sink refers to the kitchen variety. Recorded whileZappa was confined to a wheel chair following an onstage attack, this stew of diverse musical elements is best for the diehard fan and anyone with a taste for the unusual. --Andrew Boscardin

Customer Reviews:

Is This Phase I of The Grand Wazoo?.......2007-06-25

I recently picked up Waka Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo at a Father's Day Mothers Sale. These two discs... wow! This is just great fusion music. There's very little humor and satire here - One Shot Deal has great vocals that are sort of weird and, get this, a pedal steel guitar! Just wonderful playing by quite an assortment of session musicians.

I also happen to be a huge Miles Davis fan. Many, many critics and listeners incorrectly credit Miles as the father of jazz-rock fusion. But to us regular folks, who might wear an occassional python boot or tennis shoe, we know this is not the case. Zappa invented jazz-rock fusion in 1965. Miles didn't find it until 1968 with Filles De Kilamanjaro.

But I digress... this is fusion music at its finest - not the Chick Corea Return to Forever kind of fusion where virtuosity is displayed for the sake of showing off. It's just really great music. Buy it.

I personally believe that Zappa's best years as a musician (rather than composer) started with Waka Jawaka and ended with One Size Fits All. Buy 'em all!

One of his best..........2007-05-07

Great music and band. Every track is awesome...all four songs are definitely worth it! Sal Marquez's trumpets are one of my favorite highlights of Waka/Jawaka. This is a cd for all music lovers, jazz lovers, Zappa lovers, and people who particularly dug The Grand Wazoo and Imaginary Diseases. Upon first listening to it it became one of my top 5 Zappa Albums (Jazz From Hell, Make A Jazz Noise Here, The Yellow Shark, You Are What You Is, One Size Fits All, and the You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore series are some of my favorites). I own over 40 of his cds and love them all, but this one quickly rose to the top of the list for me.

Very Difficult To Pin Down.......2007-03-17

This is one of the "Big Band" records of the early 70's, very jazzy. The "Vaudville Era" had recently ended, tragically, with the unhappy "fan" from the Rainbow Theater's audience rushing the stage and physically attacking Frank Zappa, leaving him with lasting injuries, a year's inconvenience, and medical problems for the rest of his life. A year in jail wasn't enough for this guy, but it did bring in the next phase of FZ's catalogue. Of course, there were some people from before who kept it going, Don Preston, George Duke, and Aynsley Dunbar, all from the days of "The Mothers," but this isn't a record by The Mothers. It is, of course, a crossover project, traditional big-band jazz, with a hard edge found in more popular music, but not really a rock recording.

"Big Swifty" is an extended jam, made up of mostly free improv, but with the some of the most incredible, intricately crafted, tightly played arrangements in the whole Zappa catalogue, even more so, considering the size of the band at this point. And here, one can see, Zappa, as a guitarist, was chiefly a jazz player. "Your Mouth" is somewhat silly and preachy, filler by some standards, but, as usual in this music, a little concentrated listening will show there was, of course, more work involved than what's on the surface. The same can be said of "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal," a surreal, goofy, off-key sing-along style song with a beautiful pedal steel solo by "Sneaky Pete."

And of course, the title track, "Waka/Jawaka," is purely big-band jazz for it's own sake. The assembled players work together as a unit, with plenty of room to do what they do well, and that's to play the music in front of them, as well as letting it fly when the time comes.

"Waka/Jawaka" is a 180 degree turn from what was being performed and recorded for the previous two years, and some would call this a welcome change. But it really is a shame how it all came about, in a path of petulance from band members, production hassles, morons who think they know how to handle pyrotechnics, and loose cannons with violent tempers.

But a pretty good effort, nonetheless.

A Classic.......2006-07-10

Typical of Frank Zappa's humor, this CD does it all. Incredible muscianship and wonderful songwriting. One of Zappa's very best!

One Of Zappas Best Albums Ever!.......2006-06-12

Frnak Zappa-Waka/Jawaka *****

I just want to start off by saying I love Frank Zappa. The man was a genius, there was no style of music the man didnt make at one time or another and he did them all brilliantly. While he has ventured into all teritorys of music he still can't be placed into a genra of his own. The ever changing chamillion of music finds himself here making a Big band and swing album, but not just any bug band and swing album, "THE" big band and swing album.

For Waka/Jawaka brought in a phenomonal horn players, well what else would you expect you have to be the best ot play with Frank Zappa. And while I love this album I was shocked to find then many others did as well. Big band isnt really something people listen to anymore, I know I dont but for some reason I feel that this is a fantastic album, infact it is one of my all tiem favorites from the man himself. But I didnt think many otehrs would share my passion for this album, but then I saw that it has a four and a half star rating and so it should, it's a masterpiece.

'Your Mouth' and 'It Just Might Be A One Shot Deal' are the only two songs on the record with lyrics and they are great songs. 'It Just Might Be A One Shot Deal' is amazing, the trumpet is out of this world. 'Your Mouth' has some humorous lyrics and is actually a really good song when you jsut listen to the music and the lyrics are good when you want a good laugh.

The two instrumentals 'Big Swift' and the awesome title track 'Waka/Jawaka' are both great. The album starts out on top with 'Big Swifty' which is one of the very bets songs that Frank Zappa ever wrote and recorded. It is easily one of my all time favorites. Much like the albums starts out on top it really goes out with a bang. The amazing title track 'Waka/Jawaka' is classic. One of the best compositions ever recorded in the history of music.

So while I am usualy and fan of guitar driven music and since that is the soul reason why I got into Frank Zappa in the first place I never thought I would like this album. I eventualy gave it a try and fell in love with it at my very first listen. This is a fantastic album with superb musicianship. You will never find this album in a record store, trust me I searched and searched, it's not there. You can only order it off the internet, so please, please do you wount be sorry, this is an amazing record that needs to be heard by all. For anyone who was willing to even look at this album and read this review then by the album I recomend it to you and you wount be dissapointed.

Average customer rating:

Harmonia Meets Zappa

Manufacturer: Materiali Sonori
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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