Waka/Wazoo Explained

Waka/Wazoo
Type:	box
Artist:	Frank Zappa
Cover:	Frank Zappa Waka Wazoo.jpg
Released:	December 16, 2022
Recorded:	April–December, 1972
Studio:	Paramount Studios, Los Angeles, California
Length:	330:14
Label:	Zappa Records
Producer:	Ahmet Zappa, Joe Travers, Jeff Fura
Prev Year:	2022
Next Title:	Zappa '80: Mudd Club/Munich
Next Year:	2023

Waka/Wazoo is a boxset by Frank Zappa, released posthumously on December 16, 2022. It is a 4CD/1-Blu-ray set composed of various material recorded in 1972, during a period when Zappa was forced away from live performances due to injuries sustained during a concert on December 10, 1971.^[1] This includes recordings from the same Paramount Studios sessions which birthed the albums Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo, and live material from the following tours of the same year.^[2]

Content

The first two discs consist of alternate takes, alternate mixes, and outtakes of songs from Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo. The third disc consists of demo material of jazz keyboardist and band member at the time George Duke (including an early, instrumental version of the song "Uncle Remus" which would eventually be released with lyrics on Zappa's Apostrophe (')), an unreleased September 24 recording of the piece "Approximate" at the Boston Music Hall from the Grand Wazoo tour (the same show featured on the album Wazoo (2007), performed by the 19-piece incarnation of the band),^[3] and the first two tracks of a nearly complete show recorded during the Petit Wazoo tour (with the 10-piece band). The fourth disc consists of the remainder of this show. Also included in the set is a Blu-ray Audio disc containing various higher quality mixes of Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo.^[4]

Track listing

Blu Ray Audio

Personnel

Paramount Studios Recording Sessions

Frank Zappa - guitar (all tracks), conductor (all tracks), vocals ("Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus", "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal"), acoustic guitar ("It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal"), percussion ("Big Swifty", "Eat That Question"), electric bed springs ("It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal")
Aynsley Dunbar - drums (all tracks), washboard and tambourine ("It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal")
Alex Dmochowski ("Erroneous") - bass (all tracks), vocals ("It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal"), fuzz bass ("Waka/Jawaka")
Sal Marquez - trumpet ("Your Mouth", "Big Swifty", "Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)", "Waka/Jawaka", "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal"), brass ("Eat That Question", "Blessed Relief", "Cleetus Awreetus-Awrightus"), vocals ("Your Mouth", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)", "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal")
Tony Duran - slide guitar ("Your Mouth", "Big Swifty", "Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)", "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal"), vocals ("It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal"), rhythm guitar ("Blessed Relief")
George Duke - keyboards ("Eat That Question", "Blessed Relief", "Cleetus Awreetus-Awrightus"), ring modulated and echoplexed electric piano ("Big Swifty"), tack piano ("Your Mouth")
Mike Altschul - woodwinds ("Eat That Question", "Blessed Relief", "Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)", "Cleetus Awreetus-Awrightus"), baritone saxophone and piccolo ("Your Mouth", "Waka/Jawaka"), bass flute, bass clarinet and tenor sax ("Waka/Jawaka")
Kenny Shroyer - brass ("Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)"), trombone ("Waka/Jawaka", "Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus"), baritone horn ("Waka/Jawaka")
Billy Byers - trombone ("Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)", "Waka/Jawaka"), baritone horn ("Waka/Jawaka")
Don Preston - minimoog ("Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "Waka/Jawaka"), piano ("Waka/Jawaka")
Malcolm McNab - brass ("Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)")
Ernie Tack - brass ("Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)")
Tony "Batman" Ortega - woodwinds ("Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)")
Earl Dumler - woodwinds ("Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)")
Fred Jackson - woodwinds ("Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)")
Joann Caldwell McNab - woodwinds ("Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)")
Joel Peskin - woodwinds ("Eat That Question", "Blessed Relief")
Alan Estes - percussion ("Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)")
Bob Zimmitti - percussion ("Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)")
Lee Clement - percussion ("Eat That Question")
Kris Peterson - vocals ("Your Mouth", "Waka/Jawaka")
Janet Furgeson - vocals ("It Just Might Be A One Shot-Deal")
Jeff Simmons - hawaiian guitar ("It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal")
Sneaky Pete Kleinow - pedal steel guitar ("It Just Might Be A One Shot-Deal")
Lauren Wood ("Chunky") - vocals ("Cleetus Awreetus-Awrightus")

George Duke Demos

George Duke - keyboards, vocals
Aynsley Dunbar - drums
Alex Dmochowski ("Erroneous") - bass
Frank Zappa - guitar
Sal Marquez - trumpet
Lauren Wood ("Chunky") - vocals
Tony "Batman" Ortega - woodwinds (most likely)
Earl Dumler - woodwinds (most likely)
Joel Peskin - woodwinds (most likely)
Mike Altschul - woodwinds (most likely)
Bob Zimmitti - percussion (possibly)
Emil Richards - percussion (possibly)

The Grand Wazoo - Live

Frank Zappa - conductor, guitar
Sal Marquez - trumpet in B^b
Bruce Fowler - trombone
Tony Duran - slide guitar
Dave Parlato - bass
Jim Gordon - drums
Ian Underwood – electric piano and synthesizer
Ruth Underwood - marimba and percussion
Tom Raney - vibes and percussion
Glen Ferris - trombone and euphonium
Kenny Shroyer - trombone and baritone horn
Tom Malone - trumpet in B^b, tuba
Malcolm McNab - trumpet in D
Jerry Kessler - cello
Jay Migliori – flute, tenor sax and other winds
Mike Altshul – piccolo flute, bass clarinet and other winds
Ray Reed – clarinet, tenor sax and other winds
Charles Owens – soprano sax, alto sax and other winds
Joann McNab – bassoon
Earl Dumler - oboe, contrabass sarrusophone and other winds

10-Piece/Petite Wazoo – Live

Frank Zappa - conductor, guitar, vocals
Bruce Fowler - trombone
Tony Duran - slide guitar
Jim Gordon - drums
Dave Parlato - bass
Gary Barone - trumpet
Glen Ferris - trombone
Kenny Shroyer - trombone
Malcolm McNab - trumpet
Tom Malone - tuba, piccolo trumpet, trumpet
Earl Dumler - woodwinds

Production Staff

Producer: Ahmet Zappa (boxset), Joe Travers (boxset, Blu-ray Audio), Jeff Fura (Blu-Ray Audio)
Production Manager: Melanie Starks
Engineer [recorded by]: Barry Keene (Petit Wazoo – Live)
Engineer [tweezed by]: Davey Moire ("Approximate")
Mixed by: Craig Parker Adams, Erich Gobel (surround mix), Karma Auger (surround mix), John Polito (Petit Wazoo – Live)
Mastered By: John Polito
Mastered By [Hi-Res Stereo]: Robert Hadley (Blu-ray Audio), Sangwook "Sunny" Nam (Blu-ray Audio), Doug Sax (Blu-ray Audio)
Art Direction, Design: Michael Mesker
Artwork [Original Art Elements], Typography [Original]: Cal Schenkel
Authoring, Design [Blu-ray]: Meedja
Liner Notes: Joe Travers, Scott Parker
Transferred By: Joe Travers

References

Web site: 2020-12-10 . When Frank Zappa was nearly killed on stage by a jealous boyfriend . 2023-08-24 . Far Out Magazine . en-US.
Web site: 2023-01-31 . Review: Frank Zappa, "Waka/Wazoo" . 2023-08-24 . The Second Disc . en-US.
Web site: 2022-12-16 . Albums Of The Week: Frank Zappa Waka/Wazoo. 2023-08-24 . Tinnitist . en-US.
Web site: 2023-01-31 . Review: Frank Zappa, "Waka/Wazoo" . 2023-08-24 . The Second Disc . en-US.